There is also, to be sure, another and far stronger point which avails us toward the defense of the cause we have undertaken. For Saint John of Antioch, rebuking Nestorius in his letters because he denied that blessed Mary was the Mother of the Lord, and exhorting him to confess this, after some words says: «But if it seems good, I will also opportunely remind you of a good example, which I wish to recall, most holy brother. For it is no long time since it befell among us, so that it might perhaps be consigned to oblivion. For I recall the blessed bishop Theodore, in an exposition, saying something that was not thought to be rightly said, to you yourself first, who at that time held him in confidence, and then also to all who were listening.
And how he, perceiving the hurt and disturbance which no small spreading abroad of that saying had stirred up, and understanding that disturbance produces discord—nay rather contradiction also, and contention among men who love to seek occasions out of any matters whatever to be split this way and that, and by their wranglings to enlarge into a flame the spark of scandal that seemed but tiny (just as has now happened among you)—how that most valiant man, rising up not many days later, corrected, for the benefit of the Church and without confusion, that which had been said by him; and in correcting it at once crushed the murmuring or accusation that had been made against him, by no means judging it shameful to make a correction;
and this indeed while all knew what had been said by him carelessly and with too little caution, but they at once received the correction.» Furthermore, all this confounds the arrogance of those who boast themselves more diligent and wiser than the most ancient Fathers, saying that the Church of that time listened carelessly and unwisely to Theodore as he disputed, so as not to rebuke him in those matters for which he is rebuked by them. Far be it from the piety of the Council of Chalcedon to say or believe this: far be it, I say, that it should believe that the Church of Christ—if Theodore, as is alleged, were the author of the Nestorian error—could either fail to understand or neglect the blasphemies uttered by him against Christ;
since that which was not blasphemous and heretical, but only what was not thought to be rightly said, as John of Antioch testifies, stirred up no small disturbance, nor was it quieted before that most valiant man, rising up not many days later, corrected without confusion, for the benefit of the Church, that which had been said by him. And truly it was a mark of great fortitude that he should interpret himself, should trample upon the glory acquired by long teaching, and descend without confusion to the amending of his saying: especially since, relying on his conscience that he had not said it as it was supposed, he could easily have made light of the offense of his hearers—which nevertheless he did not allow to persist for long:
because, a swift victor over shame, not many days later he hastened to take away the offense contracted by a word alone. For John does not say that anything was perversely understood by Theodore, or even that it was said carelessly and with too little caution by him: as though speaking of one who was not perverse in his understanding of things, but only less apt in this respect in his choice of words. To this testimony, then, of Saint John, by which he refuted Nestorius, how should a religious synod not give credence?
—not only because John himself was so great a man, but also because, in writing to Nestorius, whom he was inviting to correction by the example of that most valiant man and despiser of human glory, Theodore, he could not so confidently admonish him by the testimony of his own conscience concerning a recent deed, which not only Nestorius himself but the whole Church of Antioch could most easily recall, unless he were assured of the manifest truth of the matter. For neither could the bishop of Antioch, without consultation of the other priests belonging to his council, openly rebuke the bishop of Constantinople for the assertion of a new dogma.
But the holy synod, giving credence to so great a testimony, how could it judge that the memory of Theodore should be rejected from the Church as that of a heretic—Theodore, in whose peace he died, and whose peace he so loved that he was not ashamed to set the glory of his own authority below the avoidance of giving him offense? But why he incurred this offense, the aforesaid Saint John taught, saying: Because he said something that was not thought to be rightly said—placing the cause of the offense rather in men's estimation: which his immediately ensuing correction also demonstrated.
But from this very correction, by which he interpreted himself in a better sense, both the Church which heard him disputing, and afterward the holy Council of Chalcedon, ought to have estimated not only those sayings which had then offended the hearers, but also whatever was similar in the same Theodore. But if it be alleged—even against the testimony of Saint John—that Theodore offended his hearers not through incaution and carelessness of word, but through a perversity of understanding, not even thus could he, once corrected, be judged a heretic either by the Church of that age or by the holy synod. The apostle James says: Be not many masters, my brethren, knowing that ye shall receive the greater judgment. For in many things we all offend (James iii, 1-2).
Since, then, we all offend in many things, why are we not all heretics, except because it is not the offense, but the obstinate defense of the offense, that makes a heretic? Likewise I confess that I am still more, and much more, delighted and gladdened on Theodore's behalf by this testimony of Saint John of Antioch than by the other testimonies, whether of John himself or of the other Fathers. For in those already mentioned, by which is shown how great was the loftiness of his teaching, I indeed rejoice, but I know this to be common to him with many. But in this, whereby the manifest humility of his heart is intimated, and his contempt for acquired glory for the sake of a brother's offense, I find him exceedingly few companions.
For we have learned that many men were eminent in knowledge, and attained the greatest glory thereby; but when they fell as human beings do, they refused to acknowledge themselves men, and, simply admonished, scorned to believe the truth; and so that very glory of knowledge greatly harmed them as to their salvation, since knowledge puffs up, but charity edifies (1 Cor. viii, 1). Theodore therefore would have been less known to me, however much proclaimed by the praises of so many Fathers, had I not come to know, by John's testimony, what manner of man he was even when he was reproved. Yet his example is not imitable by all, whence the example of his knowledge would be of little profit;
but to receive correction gladly, and quickly and calmly to amend what one has offended in, is found both imitable by all and far more useful. Therefore let the obstinate deign to learn in Theodore, even when admonished of an easy slip of speech, to preserve apostolic modesty and piety. For thus once Peter, the first of the apostles, as we have already said, when he was not walking rightly toward the truth of the Gospel, being rebuked by Paul, the least of the apostles (Gal. ii, 14), did not take it ill, nor for the glory of his own primacy did he despise the one who withstood him: because the charity that had boldly raised up Paul to rebuke the fault of his elder, that same charity teachably inclined Peter to accept the correction of the least.
This man, then, approved not in knowledge alone but also in humility of heart and in modesty—how could the Church of that time, how could the Council of Chalcedon, reject him, when it observed his praises read out from the letter of Ibas, a man whose very reproof is an example of virtue, and who, having slipped in a word, displayed the form of Christian humility and a specimen of great piety? Let the Eutychians now come forward, and add their slanders, if they yet have any power; let them invent concerning Theodore whatever they please; let them even accuse the Council of Chalcedon of restraining and consenting to evils. The light and easy of heart will doubtless tremble at these things;
but the prudent and weighty will understand that they thereby fasten nothing upon Theodore, for whose acquittal it suffices that he was always ready to make correction. Whatever, therefore, they may say against Theodore, let them know that, if it be accepted, it will be ascribed not so much to themselves and to the Council of Chalcedon as to the whole Church, which neglected to rebuke a meek and teachable man. But I desire, most clement emperor, that those who blame him would in some measure be willing to imitate the humility and reasonableness of Theodore: and as he, gladly receiving chastisement, hastened to correct what he had said carelessly and with too little caution; so let them too either bear our writings patiently, and at length deign to amend what they have done cruelly and divisively.
For the rest, Theodore was so far from being one to be condemned by the holy synod, as they suppose, as a master of Nestorius, that Nestorius was rather rebuked by his example, and condemned for this very reason, that he had not imitated him. But what would they have us suppose from this—not only the Eutychians, who slander the Council of Chalcedon concerning Theodore, but also the Nestorians, who are said to abuse the sayings of this same Theodore? Namely, that Nestorius, reproached by Theodore's example, did not at once attempt, out of his sayings as though Theodore held the same views, to defend his own blasphemies, and to answer Saint John and say: Theodore, by whose example you rebuke me, whom you call blessed and most valiant, always taught the same things without any man's offense.
Now if Nestorius were to answer this, he could no more prejudice the case of Theodore than that of the prophets and apostles and evangelists, since either he himself abused them, or his followers now abuse them, and all the other heretics besides. Nevertheless, since that man, ill prepared to answer, and amply equipped for his own ruin, attempted to take nothing from the sayings of Theodore (by whose example he was being admonished) in defense of his error, he sufficiently showed that he was not a follower of his sound doctrine, but its opponent.