Nevertheless let no one be dismayed that the condemned Acacius does not keep quiet: Satan has been struck down and yet works; Christ has conquered his works and conquers still, and yet the enemy does not desist. And because we are sure that you too remember the prophetic reading and have no cause for dread against the encamped hosts arrayed against you, most opportunely we exhort you that, looking to the Lord as we ourselves do, you persevere unto the end and retain with steadfast mind the sentence which you find in what follows.
nequidautemmagneinlitterisnostrismutariapudprauissimasmentesautaliterinterpretaripossit, primumclementissimoprincipi, sicutoportuit, supplicanteshaseasdemlitterastrinasaddilectionemuestram, clerumplebemqueetamplissimumsenatumdireximus, quibussinguliuniuersiquesubscripsimusdiuinumpetentesauxilium, utuitatisinsidiishaecaduosscriptafaciatperuenire. Dat. III. NonarumOctobr. Symmachou. c. consule. ETALIAMANU: Deusuosincolumescustodiat, filiidilectissimi. ETSUBSCRIPTIONESEPISCOPORUI:
But lest anything of weight in our letters could be altered among the most depraved minds or interpreted otherwise, first supplicating the most clement prince, as was fitting, we have directed these same letters in triplicate to your Love, to the clergy and people, and to the most illustrious senate, to which we have subscribed both individually and all together, imploring divine aid that, with the snares avoided, it may cause these writings to reach you. Given on the third day before the Nones of October, in the consulship of Symmachus, most distinguished man. And in another hand: May God keep you unharmed, most beloved sons. And the subscriptions of the bishops:
I, Candidus, bishop of the city of Tibur, following the authority of the apostolic see, have subscribed, pronouncing anathema — a sentence brought forth according to our desire and in keeping with the state of the church by catholic deliberation — against Peter the usurper of the Alexandrian church, against Acacius formerly of the church of Constantinople, and also against Peter of Antioch, all long since rightly and deservedly separated from the episcopate and from the number of Christians, together with all their followers. And forty-two bishops likewise subscribed. (71.) Here begins the letter of Felix, pope of the city of Rome, to Peter of Antioch, deposing him because he preached the passion of the body of Christ within the Trinity, saying: 'Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, who wast crucified for us.'
Since you are steeped in pestilent doctrines amid the impiety of your words, and have not resolved to follow the fathers pre-ordained and holy who adorned the see of Ignatius of blessed memory, the glorious martyr — a primacy which, unworthy as you are of it, I know not how you obtained, and by your profane crimes and impious dogmas you have thought to bring novelty into the catholic church, so as to say that Christ was not crucified for us —
but most iniquitously you brought passion upon the impassible God and presumed to attach death to the immortal Spirit, nor did you shudder; and things which were never handed down to you by the holy Gospels and the apostles and the most blessed and most approved fathers, these you sought with cunning fabrications to build up, and to begin, and by your profane and impious dogmas you judged fit to introduce innovation into the catholic church — namely that Christ ought not to be said to have been crucified for us, but rather that passion be lawlessly brought upon the impassible God and death imposed upon the immortal Spirit; and you did not tremble at these things which you did not receive from the divine Gospels and the apostles and the fathers who bore themselves valiantly, but most wickedly played the sophist upon them. (The Greek words, of which the ancient Latin version has been inserted into the Avellana collection, are given from the codices by the editors.)
FrontoDucaeusl . c. 545 etBiniusConcil. gener. ed. 2 tom. II 1 p. 777; decodicibusameadhibitis (a = Monac. gr. 186, e = Paris. Fondsgrec. 418, o = Ottobon. graec. 28, g = Uindob. Hist. gr. XLV, h = Paris. Fondsgrec 419) cf. Prolegomenacap. IIIet \'Nachrichtenderk. GesellschaftderWissenschaftenzuGöttingen, philol.-histor. Klasse, 1894\' p. 119 sqq . 2 anteΦιλήϰοος (sic) add . \' Επιστολήgman. rec . ξ̉πι̍σϰοποςg 4 δυστυχω̄ςgh : δυστήνωνaeo 5 πατράτιaeo: άνδράσιgh 6 xalπολυάϑλουom. a 7 otÕ\' eo 8 άρξαιghνόμοιςeo 10 δεῑantecorrectionemmanusrecentiorise 11 πνεύματιagetcorr. exnatpthman. 1 utuidetur:
(Editorial apparatus:) See Fronto Ducaeus, in the passage cited, p. 545, and Binius, General Councils, 2nd ed., vol. II.1, p. 777. Concerning the codices I have employed (a = Munich, Greek 186; e = Paris, Greek Collection 418; o = Ottoboni, Greek 28; g = Vienna, Historical Greek XLV; h = Paris, Greek Collection 419), see the Prolegomena, chapter III, and the 'Nachrichten der königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, philologisch-historische Klasse, 1894,' pp. 119 and following. Line 2: before Philekoos (thus) g in a recent hand adds 'Epistole'; g reads episkopos. Line 4: dystychos g h, but dystenon a e o. Line 5: patrati a e o, but andrasi g h. Line 6: 'and of much toil' is omitted in a. Line 8: arxai g h; nomois e o. Line 10: dei before the correction of a more recent hand in e. Line 11: pneumati a g, and corrected from another reading in h by the first hand, as it seems:
(Apparatus: patri e o; line 14: tauta twice in h; oikeian a e o.) ... to instil into the simpler folk the sense of your own sickness and the scandal of this heresy, so that these things should not seem similar to the earlier heresies but rather manifoldly surpass them; and you have willed neither to walk in truth nor to lend an ear to our two letters):
Now therefore I have begun to pronounce sentence against you — or rather it is the supreme prince of shepherds, Peter, who among the proclamations of the holy apostles speaks the truth — and not only against you, who are found to share his name but not his judgment nor his faith, since beyond all measure you have deviated from his right and inviolable faith; but also against those who, unashamed of the venerable stamp of the Gospels and of the discourses of the apostles who follow them and of the perfect and learned men, lean with wavering judgment upon your iniquitous traditions, so that they gladly pursue in truth the bitterness of the evil sect and do not turn away from such execrable impiety. We say therefore to you, as also to them:
Since you have loved malice above kindness, and iniquity rather than to speak equity; you have loved all words of ruin and a deceitful tongue: therefore God shall utterly destroy you, not only from the see of the Antiochene church but from every city as well. Indeed let this condemnation stand fixed against you by me and by those who under me are known to govern episcopal sees, and against Acacius, pastor of the church of Constantinople. (In Greek: rather it is the most eminent of the pastoral thrones, Peter, resplendent in holy praises, truly the leader of the apostles, and not only against you who share his name but not his mind nor his faith, in that...)
(In Greek, paralleling the foregoing:) ...you have exceedingly deviated from the right aim and from the immaculate faith; but also against those who did not blush at the stamp of the venerable evangelists and at the words of the apostles who follow them and of the perfect men and teachers, but lean with corrupt judgment upon the exposition transgressed by you, so as most sweetly to pursue the truly most bitter fruit of false doctrine, and did not turn away from such impiety. We shall say therefore to you, as also against them: since you have loved...
(In Greek, continuing:) ...malice above goodness, and iniquity above speaking righteousness; you have loved all words of ruin and a deceitful tongue: therefore God shall utterly destroy you, not only from the church of the Antiochenes but from every city; and indeed let this your deposition stand fixed by me and by those who govern the apostolic throne together with me, and by Acacius of the church of Constantinople — (in Latin:) and the venerable bishops subject to his jurisdiction, since they too in no way consent to your fabrications. For at one time you said the Trinity was crucified for us and not Christ; but at another time, following the error of Manichaeus, you said it was the immortal Spirit.
But at yet another time, fleeing from these positions and rebuked by the pledges of our discourses, you said that Christ endured the passion after the immortal Spirit, like the Samosatene and Nestorius, dividing the one Son into a duality of sons;
and because you thought you must not linger here either, you came to worse things: that the hymns which the cherubim with trembling send forth unceasingly to the Trinity should not be referred to the glorifying of the Trinity, but that the whole hymn be drawn down to the Son alone — wishing to confirm the opinion, creeping like a cancer, which you have raised against the simple; and hence, cast headlong from the truth into the snares of all heresies, you deviate and do not preach Christ crucified for us, the only-begotten Son of God, who is piously glorified in the midst of the Father and the Holy Spirit. For what could be more damnable than this, that through you the Father and the Holy Spirit are made inglorious and calumny is laid upon the seraphim, since they are believed not to glorify the Trinity when they say:
'Holy, holy, holy' — but only the person of the Son? What hellish heresy was ever so cruelly shameless as you? Yet still running about in these matters, you newly reach even to the very foundations of blasphemies against God, saying the Son to be the Father and the Holy Spirit; you follow Sabellius and introduce confusion, and you likewise deny the confession of the Trinity, in which we were baptized and believe and confess.
Who then would not (lament)? (In Greek:) at one time Manichaeanizing about the immortal Spirit; at another, fleeing from these and refuted by my admonitions and words, you said that Christ endured the passion after the immortal Spirit, like the Samosatene and Nestorius who divide the one Son into two sons; and at another time, yielding on this point that you might not be torn apart, you came to worse: that the cherubic hymn, sent forth with reverent trembling, should likewise not glorify the Trinity, but that the whole hymn be led to the Son — wishing to establish the pasture of error which you brought forth against the innocent; and being thereby dashed down into every noose of the heresies, you deviate from the truth by not proclaiming Christ crucified for us, the only-begotten Son of God who is piously glorified in the midst of the Father and the Holy Spirit.
(In Greek:) For what is more to be forbidden than this — that the Father and the Holy Spirit are stripped of glory by you, and that you bring in calumny against your seraphim, in that they are said not to glorify the Trinity when they say 'holy, holy, holy,' but the Son in a single person? And what abyss of heresies has been so shameless as you? Moreover, running about in this, you have newly trodden upon the strangling snares of the blasphemies renounced by God, saying the Son to be the Father and the Holy Spirit, playing the Sabellian and resolving to confound the Trinity; you have avowedly denied the Trinity into which we were baptized and believe and confess.
(In Greek: Who then does not bewail those who thus speak concerning the Trisagion —) let him mourn those who say such things about the holy and inviolable Trinity? It greatly befits me to reject this and to pour out lamentation in full measure, since by it the souls of the simple have been taken captive, who then divulged an impious thing as though pious. And these too we judge to be strangers to the orthodox faith and to the catholic church, and to the communion of our glorious prince Peter, who received the keys of the kingdom of heaven from our Savior.
Those, therefore, who wish to be in communion with the apostle, let them also follow his doctrine by saying and believing that Christ was crucified for us, and not denying him like Peter, who was lately condemned because he depravedly and wickedly introduced anew into the Trisagion hymn the words 'who wast crucified for us' — knowing that you did not receive from the apostles a crucified Trinity, neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit, but only the only-begotten Son of God in the flesh. Therefore flee from his sacrilegious communion, and I shall be your associate and fellow-communicant, and you likewise mine, once the deceitful plague has been driven far from your rectitude. Keep, O disciples of Christ, my sons, the traditions which you have received from the sacred volumes.
Here ends the letter of Pope Felix to Peter of Antioch condemning him — which letter, so far as its text indicates, is found to have been written before the condemnation of Acacius. But because we found it, translated from Latin, in a Greek volume together with the letters of others directed to the same Peter, we have now once more, compelled by necessity, translated it back from Greek into Latin and transcribed it, on account of the snares of heretics, and joined it to the above-written letters of the same pope. (In Greek: those wishing to be in communion with the apostle are led also by his teaching, namely to say and believe that Christ was crucified for us and not to deny him, as...)
(In Greek:) ...and Peter, lately deposed because he strangely and malignantly introduced anew into the Trisagion the words 'crucified for us,' knowing that you did not receive from the apostles a crucified Trinity, neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit, but only the only-begotten Son of God alone in the flesh. Flee therefore from his malignant communion, and I shall be your fellow-communicant, as you also are mine, the deceitful plague having leapt far from your orthodoxy; keep, O disciples of Christ, my sons, the traditions which you have received from the divine Scriptures. (72.) Here begins the letter of Quintianus, bishop of Asculum, written to the same Peter of Antioch.
In manifold ways and by many manners you have deviated from the truth, most dear one, doing things contrary to the Lord's sacrament, not following the Gospels or the apostles or the holy fathers. For it grieves us gravely that against them you have introduced novelty into the catholic church; yet you have not willed to abstain from it, though many bishops denounced it to you — above all the most holy pope Felix — that you might withdraw from it and remain upright and orthodox in the most wholesome preaching. But ensnared by heresies, you have hidden the talent of divine Scripture in the earth, and did not rather resolve to set it upon the table — that is, sound doctrine in the heart of men — but on the contrary you have sown tares.
Who then will bear with you any longer, as you subvert the Gospel of Christ — not preaching one Son from both natures, from two natures and in two, our Lord Christ, and this one crucified for us, but by a perverse novelty ceasing to say this, and instead calling the strong and immortal God crucified, as though one essence of the Trinity had been crucified? And not only this, but you have also said that there is one nature of God the Word and of the flesh.
But if there is one nature (in Greek: — not the one Son in two natures, our Lord Jesus Christ, whom you preach as crucified, but 'the strong God, the immortal,' as if you called the one essence of the Trinity crucified; and not only so, but you affirm one nature of God the Word and of the flesh. And if there is one nature of God the Word and of the flesh, then one) of God the Word and of the flesh, then there is likewise one nature of God the Word and of the Father. In a certain way the same nature belongs to the Father, to the body, and to the Word. But if there is not one nature of God the Father and of human flesh and of the Word, explain how there can be one nature (of the Father and of the Word and of the flesh). For how are the created and the uncreated one nature?
But if this is impossible, how can created flesh and he who is not created be one nature and not two distinct ones? And if the Son is of one nature and not of two, what do you say? That Christ was made, as Arius holds, or not made, as Manichaeus? Where, then, is both the nature of Christ's temporal nativity and the natural generation of his divinity before the ages? For where is: 'Today have I begotten thee'; and: 'From the womb before the morning star have I begotten thee'; and: 'Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today, and unto the ages'? And how do you say 'from two natures before the union of God the Word and the flesh,' if he who is from Mary according to substance did not pre-exist?
For indeed, if according to the saying of the impious Valentinus the flesh of Christ did not pre-exist before Mary, how did the two natures pre-exist? And whose expression is this? Is it not that of Eutyches — rather, the exceedingly wretched one — to say that from two natures one nature was made? But if you savor the things that are his, how do you spit this out and take up his most wicked vanities? For if this were truly your concern, you would embrace the holy fathers gathered against him at Chalcedon.
But nevertheless explain (in Greek, paralleling the above:) the nature of Christ's generation and the pre-eternal generation of the Godhead — where is the 'Today have I begotten thee,' and the 'From the womb before the morning star have I begotten thee,' and the 'Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today, and unto the ages'? And how do you say 'two before the union of God the Word and the flesh'? Did the union from the Virgin according to substance pre-exist? For if, according to the impious word of Valentinus, the flesh of Christ did not pre-exist before Mary, how did two natures pre-exist before Mary? And whose expression is this? Is it not that of Eutyches, the rather more wretched one, to say that from two natures one nature was made?
(In Greek:) And if you think these things like him, how do you reject the very one whose most wicked opinions you receive? For if in truth this were the case, you would hold as acceptable the fathers against him at Chalcedon. But tell me, how are the Father and the Son (and the Holy Spirit) — (in Latin:) tell me, how are the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, though united, said to be a Trinity, since God is one, if you do not admit that in the one Son two natures must be spoken of? And if the Trinity is one God, how ought not God the Word, and our body united to it, to be called one Son in two natures? But if God the Word and the flesh are one nature, it is certain that the Word, once converted, is no longer Word but flesh; and if the flesh, once converted, has become Word, then neither will it be flesh;
But if in these no conversion has taken place, how are there not in Christ two natures? For flesh is flesh, even though it be God's flesh, and Word is Word, even though it has assumed our flesh. But if it has been converted, how is the flesh not consubstantial and coeternal with the Father, like the Word? And if the flesh is of another essence than the Father — inasmuch as this is recent, but the Father is without time — how is the Word not also recent, seeing that you affirm one nature of the flesh and of God the Word, and yet say that he is of another essence than the Father? But if the nature of God the Word and of the flesh is not the same, how are the flesh and the Word not two natures? For if all the divinity became flesh, how did the Word remain what it was?
But if a part became flesh, then the divinity of the Word is divided. But if the incarnate Word remained what it was, how is it not unchangeable even when incarnate? And if Christ is not in two natures, how did God the Word, being incarnate, remain what it was? And if God the Word is passible, but the Father impassible, how is God one and only? And how is there one nature of these? But if the Trinity is impassible, how did God the Word suffer for us, if it did not suffer in the other nature of the flesh?
And if everything that suffers is also a creature, how is God the Word not (in Greek, paralleling the foregoing: coeternal with the Father, inasmuch as he is also the Word? And if the flesh is of another essence than the Father — inasmuch as it is recent, but the Father is timeless — how is the Word not also recent, seeing that you say there is one nature of the flesh and of God the Word, and you call him of another essence than the Father? But if the nature of God the Word and of the flesh is not the same, how are the flesh and the Word not two? If all the divinity became flesh, how did the Word remain what it was? ... how is he unchangeable when incarnate? And if Christ is not in two natures, how did God the Word, being incarnate, remain what it was? And if God the Word is passible but the Father impassible, how...) a creature by suffering in the flesh? But if God suffers in the flesh, how does he not suffer in the deity? And if he does not suffer in the deity, by what does he suffer in the flesh? And if he suffers in the flesh, how does not God himself also suffer? But if it is the same to say 'God having suffered in the flesh' as to say 'Christ having suffered in the flesh,' how will it not be the same to say 'the Holy Spirit suffers in the flesh,' since God is Spirit?
(In Greek, paralleling the foregoing: ...and God is one and only? How, then, is there one nature of these? And if the Trinity is impassible, how did God the Word suffer for us? But if he did not suffer, how did the other nature of the flesh not suffer? And if everything that suffers is created, how is God the Word not created, suffering in the flesh? If...) — a creature by suffering in the flesh? But if God suffers in the flesh, how does he not suffer in the deity? And if he does not suffer in the deity, by what does he suffer in the flesh? And if he suffers in the flesh, how does not God himself also suffer? But if it is the same to say 'God having suffered in the flesh' as to say 'Christ having suffered in the flesh,' how will it not be the same to say 'the Holy Spirit suffers in the flesh,' since God is Spirit?
But if to say 'God having suffered in the flesh' is not the same as to say 'Christ having suffered in the flesh,' how is it any more possible to make the things of the flesh proper to God the Word, than to make the things of the Word proper to the Father? And how, if God the Word properly suffers in the flesh, will the Father not also be properly suffering in God the Word? And if God the Word died in the flesh, how will he be consubstantial with the Father through immortality? For he who died for us is not immortal; for he died, according to what is written. And if one of the Trinity died, how has the Trinity not become a duality?
And if the Trinity never became a duality, how did one of the Trinity die, if the other nature of God the Word — that is, the nature of men — did not die? But if the thrice-holy voice, the Trinity, does not subsist in three, it is plain that you assert the Trinity to be of a single subsistence: and how are you not shown to be a Sabellian? But if in three subsistences there is one nature of the thrice-holy voice, how do you not thereby say the Trinity was crucified, and not confess yourself to be without God in the world, like the Marcionites? (Canon) I: Everyone, therefore, who says there is one nature of God the Word and of the flesh, and not two natures united and undivided, let him be condemned.
(In Greek, paralleling the foregoing: ...to say 'Christ having suffered in the flesh,' how will it not be the same to say 'the divine Spirit suffers in the flesh,' since God is Spirit? But if 'God having suffered in the flesh' is not like saying 'Christ having suffered in the flesh,' how is it more possible for God the Word to make proper to himself the things of the flesh than the Father makes proper the things of God the Word? And how, if by appropriation God the Word suffers in the flesh, will not the Father also by appropriation suffer in God the Word? And if God the Word died in the flesh, how is he consubstantial with the Father in immortality? For he who died for us is not immortal; for he died according to the Scriptures. And if one...)
(In Greek, paralleling the foregoing: ...of the Trinity died at some time, the Trinity is a duality; and if the Trinity never became a duality, how did one of the Trinity die, if indeed the other nature of God the Word — such as the nature of men — did not die? And if the thrice-holy voice, the Trinity, does not subsist in three, it is clear that you say the Trinity to be of a single subsistence, and how are you not shown to be a Sabellian? And if in three subsistences one nature of the thrice-holy voice subsists, how do you not say the Trinity was crucified, and not confess yourself to be godless, like the Marcionites? Everyone, then, who says there is one nature of God the Word and of the flesh, and not two united and undivided, let him be deposed.)
II: If anyone confounds the two natures of Christ, saying that God suffered in the flesh and not that Christ suffered in the flesh according to the apostle, let him be condemned. III: If anyone says that the impassible and immortal God the Word was converted into passion and death, and does not refer these to his flesh, let him be condemned. IV: If anyone says that the Trisagion voice — that is, the thrice-holy — was crucified for us, and not our Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, let him be condemned. V: If anyone, after the thrice-holy voice, says that God was crucified for us, and not rather the one Son, to whom in the midst of the thrice-holy voice the hymn is addressed, let him be condemned. VI: If anyone says it was a man that was crucified for us, or God — dividing the natures and not conjoining them in his crucifixion — let him be condemned.
VII. If anyone says that there are two persons or two subsistences, and not rather two natures concurring into one person and one subsistence, let him be condemned. VIII. If anyone says that the flesh of the Lord is of another essence than our flesh, and not rather that it is consubstantial with us apart from sin, let him be condemned. VIIII. If anyone says 'a God-man,' and not rather 'God and man,' let him be condemned. X. If anyone says that the Word of the Father is created, and not rather his flesh, let him be condemned. And whoever does not confess our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, let him be deposed.
And if anyone, after the Trisagion hymn, says that Christ was crucified, and not rather that it is the one Son who is hymned in the midst of the Trisagion, let him be deposed. And if anyone says that a man was crucified for us, thereby dividing the natures and not joining him in the being crucified, let him be deposed. [And if anyone says that he was a mere man, as Paul of Samosata or as Photinus, let him be anathematized.]
And if anyone says 'God-manhood,' and not rather says 'God and man,' let him be anathematized.] And if anyone says that the flesh of Christ is of another essence than our flesh, and not rather consubstantial with us apart from sin, let him be deposed. XI. If anyone says that the flesh of the Lord is consubstantial with God and the Father, and not rather God the Word, let him be condemned. XII. If anyone says that our Lord Jesus Christ was without mind and without soul, and that he had the divinity in place of these, and that from this it must be said that God the Word suffered in the flesh, and not rather that God the Word became man with mind and rational soul, and that the same one must be called impassible in his divinity but passible in his humanity, let him be condemned.
These twelve condemnations I have directed to you, that fearing their judgments you may withdraw from your most crafty novelty, knowing that we ought to follow the revelation of Proclus, the most holy bishop of the church of Constantinople: how, while he was gathered in the Campus with all his people, that same city surging with an earthquake and lamentation being sent up by all, suddenly a boy was lifted into the air by a certain power, and it was commanded to him that in the litany the Trisagion should be said, that is, 'Holy God, holy Mighty, holy Immortal, have mercy on us,' and he was ordered to announce these things to the bishop. And after three hours he stood in the tribunal at the feet of that same bishop and related these things; and when they thus made the litany, those terrors ceased.
So therefore do you also make the litany, and the wrath pronounced against you will cease; otherwise the condemnation of our pope Felix will come upon you.