Sermons & Letters 172

I have been greatly gladdened and most delighted that, by the constancy of your faith made manifest to me—of which I glory in the Lord—I understand that you are in all things most devoted disciples of the evangelical doctrine, and feel absolutely nothing different from the apostolic preachings which flowed from the same fount: because the catholic faith, which is true and one, suffers itself to be violated by no diversity; and therefore I do not cease to exhort and admonish your charity that, with the Holy Spirit instructing you, you all say perseveringly the very same thing, and that there be no schisms among you. But be perfect in the same mind and in the same judgment (1 Cor. 1:10);

and that you drive far from your fellowship the errors of those long since condemned, remaining, as you have begun, in the constancy of the faith; suffer no one infected with Nestorian or Eutychian perversity to be joined to you, as though that were something light and tolerable to which the folly of certain senseless men has led the hearts of both parties and inflamed them into the crimes of a diabolical frenzy. We have, God being favorable, the great and divinely prepared aid of the most Christian emperor, whom by my writings, so far as the cause demands, I have besought that he lend no assent in any respect of his clemency to the wicked petitions of the parricides,

nor in any way allow the definitions of the holy Synod of Chalcedon—which truly proceeded from heavenly decrees—to be violated as though by a necessary re-examination: since it is manifest that the snares of the impious wish to creep in for this very purpose, that the statutes which are consonant with the evangelical preachings and the traditions of the Fathers be rendered infirm by a new judgment, and that, while a debate is admitted, their authority be taken away. There will be present, as I hope, by His own inspirations, the divine protection, and it will grant to the holy prince that faculty whereby he may in no way allow to be done what he perceives to be adverse to human salvation.

But as for Atticus and Andreas, whose names I indicated in letters sent earlier to my brother and fellow bishop Anatolius—whom I have learned to dissent from your praiseworthy faith and most openly to connive at the perfidy of the Eutychians—unless they first condemn the hostile dogmas by their own voice and subscription, and profess in the presence of the Christian people in the Church that they will follow the faith confirmed by the Council of Chalcedon, let them be deprived of the honor of their rank; lest the levity of these men be any longer mingled with the simplicity of the Lord's sheep. Given on the twelfth day before the Kalends of April, in the consulship of Leo and Majorian, Augusti.

With much joy my mind exults in the Lord, and I have great cause for rejoicing, when I recognize that the most excellent faith of your clemency is increased in all things by the gifts of heavenly grace; and through the increments of diligence I experience in you the devotion of a priestly spirit. For in the addresses of your piety it is not doubtful what the Holy Spirit works through you for the salvation of the whole Church, and how much it is to be desired by the prayers of all the faithful that your empire be extended unto all glory—you who, above the care of temporal affairs, perseveringly devote the service of religious foresight to divine and eternal dispensations:

namely, that the catholic faith—which alone gives life to the human race, alone sanctifies it—may prevail in one confession, and that the dissensions which are born of the variety of earthly opinions may be driven away from the solidity of that Rock upon which the City of God is built, O most glorious emperor. But these gifts of God will only then be conferred upon us from on high, if we be not found ungrateful for the things which have been bestowed, and—as though those things which we have obtained were nothing—do not rather seek out things contrary. For to seek out things which have been laid open, to re-examine things which have been perfected, and to tear up things which have been defined—what else is this than not to render thanks for the things obtained, and to extend wicked appetites of deadly desire toward the food of the forbidden tree?

Wherefore, since you deign to look with more solicitous care toward the peace of the universal Church and toward the safeguarding of the catholic faith, you evidently recognize what is dared by the great snares of the heretics: that between the disciples of Eutyches and Dioscorus, and him whom the Apostolic See shall have sent, a more diligent discussion be held, as though nothing had been defined before, and that what the priests of the whole catholic world approve and rejoice to have been confirmed in the holy Synod of Chalcedon be rendered infirm—even to the injury of the most sacred Council of Nicaea. For what in our times at Chalcedon was confirmed concerning the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, this also at Nicaea that mystical number of the Fathers defined;

lest the confession of the catholics should either believe the only-begotten Son of God in anything unequal to the Father, or that the same, when He was made the Son of man, did not have the true nature of our flesh and soul. Therefore it must be detested by us and perseveringly avoided, that which heretical fraud strives to obtain; nor are things piously and fully defined to be recalled into any dispute, lest at the will of the condemned we ourselves should seem to doubt concerning those things which are manifestly consonant in all respects with the prophetic, evangelical, and apostolic authorities.

Wherefore if there are any who dissent from those things which have been heavenly established, let them be left to their own opinions, and let them depart from the unity of the Church together with the perversity they have chosen. For it can in no way come to pass that those who dare to contradict the divine sacraments should be joined to us in any communion. Let them boast in the vanity of their own eloquence, and glory in the cunning of their argumentations, which is inimical to the faith: it pleases us to obey the precepts of the Apostle, who says: See that no one deceive you through philosophy and vain seduction of men (Col. 2:8). For according to the same apostle, if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor (Gal.

2:18), and I subject myself to those conditions of vengeance to which not only the authority of the prince of blessed memory, Marcian, but I also by my own consent have confirmed. Because, as you have holily and truly said, perfection does not admit increase, nor fullness an addition. Wherefore, since I know that your venerable princely self, imbued with the most sincere light of truth, wavers in no part of the faith, but with holy and perfect judgment distinguishes the right from the depraved and separates the things to be embraced from the things to be refuted, I beseech you not to think my humility ought to be blamed for distrust, since this caution of mine consults not only for the universal Church, but also serves your glory:

lest under the time of your reign both the wickedness of the heretics should seem to be increased, and the security of the catholics disturbed. Although therefore I greatly trust in all things in the heart of your piety,

and through the Spirit of God dwelling in you I perceive you to be sufficiently instructed, nor can any error delude your faith, I shall nevertheless strive to obey your command in this: that I send some of my brethren who may present among you the likeness of my own presence, and who may demonstrate what is the rule of the apostolic faith—although, as I have said, it is well known to you—laying open in all things and proving that those are not at all to be reckoned among the catholics who do not follow the definitions of the venerable Synod of Nicaea or the rules of the holy Council of Chalcedon; since it is manifest that the holy decrees of both proceed from the evangelical and apostolic fount, and that whatever is not from the watering of Christ is of the viper's cup.

Let your piety therefore know beforehand, O venerable emperor, that these whom I promise to send are to go forth from the Apostolic See not to do battle with the enemies of the faith, nor to contend against any: because concerning the things defined both at Nicaea and at Chalcedon, as it pleased God, we dare enter into no discussion, as though those things were doubtful or infirm which so great an authority has fixed through the Holy Spirit. But to the instruction of our little ones, who after the nourishment of milk desire to be filled with more solid food, we do not deny the safeguard of our ministry; and just as we do not spurn the simpler, so we abstain from the rebellious heretics: mindful of the precept of the Lord, who says:

Do not give what is holy to dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine (Matt. 7:6). For it is exceedingly unworthy and exceedingly unjust that those be admitted to the liberty of debate whom the Holy Spirit signifies through the prophet, saying: Alien children have lied to me (Ps. 17:46). Who, even if they did not resist the Gospel, would nevertheless show themselves to be of those of whom it is written: They profess that they know God, but in their deeds they deny Him (Titus 1:16): while the blood of the still righteous Abel cries out against impious Cain, who, rebuked by the Lord (Gen. 4:10), did not settle down to repentance, but blazed up to slaughter.

Whose vengeance we wish thus to be reserved to the judgment of the Lord, that the wicked robber and cruel parricide may recoil upon himself, and not affect us. Neither suffer the lamentable captivity of the holy Church of Alexandria to be prolonged any further, to which its liberty ought to be restored by the safeguard of your faith and justice, that through all the cities of Egypt the dignity of the Fathers and the priestly right may be repaired. Given on the twelfth day before the Kalends of April, in the consulship of Leo and Majorian, Augusti.