When the prince Marcian died, with mobs of heretics gathered, Timothy and Peter came to Alexandria, and Timothy was ordained bishop by the heretics. So there began to be two bishops at Alexandria. Three days before Easter, on which the Lord's Supper is celebrated, Proterius of holy memory was killed in the church by these desperate men hired for the purpose, to which church he had betaken himself out of fear; and there, on the aforesaid day, in the baptistery he was killed, mangled, cast out, and his corpse burned, and his ashes scattered to the winds. Meanwhile Leo took up the empire, to whom the complaint of the Catholics over so great a crime came; against whom the heretics made supplication, asking that the Synod of Chalcedon be abolished, while the others on the contrary demanded vengeance for the crime.
The emperor, considering that it was exceedingly grievous for bishops to be harassed by so long a journey—whose age or infirmity or poverty forbade them to undergo this labour—dispatched imperial agents throughout the whole East, and bishop Anatolius also dispatched his deacon Asclepiades, through whom all those bishops who had been gathered at Chalcedon might learn what had been done at Alexandria. They wrote back that the Synod of Chalcedon was to be defended even to blood, because it held no other faith than the Synod of Nicaea had established; but that Timothy was not only not to be counted among bishops but even to be deprived of the Christian appellation. When this was done, another Timothy was made bishop of Alexandria.
That Timothy was scarcely driven out and sent into exile to Cherson; Peter the heretic also fled. As long as the emperor Leo lived, Timothy, bishop of Alexandria, lived in quiet. But when Basiliscus had seized the empire, he began to condemn the Synod of Chalcedon and to put the Catholics to flight. Then that condemned Timothy, having received liberty, came to Constantinople and restored the condemned heretics to their places. He went to Alexandria; the Catholic Timothy fled and hid in a monastery; that Peter again joined himself to Timothy, with whom he had before been condemned. The emperor Zeno returned to the throne; Basiliscus was overthrown; men were sent to Alexandria so that, once the usurper Timothy was expelled, the Catholic Timothy might be restored to the church.
But when that Timothy, being condemned, was forestalled by death, Peter was ordained bishop of the Alexandrians by one heretic, whom nonetheless the emperor ordered to be deposed and the Catholic Timothy to be brought back, as is also contained in the letters of Acacius. Meanwhile the Catholic Timothy wrote to the pope of holy memory Simplicius, entreating and saying that Peter had long ago been condemned in the diaconate, and was now also removed from Christian society, that he might write to the emperor to send that same Peter farther into exile, because he was lurking in the city of Alexandria and lying in wait for the church. For nearly three years and more, the pope of holy memory Simplicius never ceased to write to bishop Acacius, that what bishop Timothy requested concerning Peter might be done.
When bishop Timothy had died, John, a Catholic bishop, was ordained by the Catholics. Bishop John sent his synodical letter. There also came upon the scene Urbanius, a sub-assistant, bringing an imperial rescript against bishop John, that the pope should suspend himself from the confirmation of that bishop. And because in the same rescript mention had been made of restoring Peter, whom he himself had condemned, this part was altogether refused. Whence the emperor seemed offended. Acacius also added, at that time when he reported concerning the condemned Peter of Alexandria, matters also concerning Peter and John of Antioch; thus he wrote:
that Peter had governed a monastery at Constantinople, but, having abandoned it because of his crimes, had fled to Antioch; there, with the Catholic bishop Martyrius driven out by the vilest populace and by heretics, he had seized his see, and being immediately condemned by the bishops and deported by the emperor Leo. Fleeing, he is said to have returned to Constantinople and to have given a pledge that he would henceforth dare to do nothing through vile mobs; but, as was said above, in the times of Basiliscus he was sent back to Antioch by that condemned Timothy who had come to Constantinople, so that he might again hold the episcopate there. When this was done, this same Peter ordained John—of whom we said Acacius had reported—as bishop of Apamea:
by whom, not being received, John returned to Antioch and expelled Peter, the author of his own episcopate, and invaded his church. Acacius says these men were again condemned together, entreating the Apostolic See that, if perchance they should flee to it, they should not be deemed worthy even of a glance; and if they had perhaps already obtained some indulgence, it ought to be null, nor should their penitence be received. In short: this very John, whom Acacius had condemned along with Peter and had caused to be condemned by the Apostolic See without remedy of penitence, after so many condemnations he sent to preside over the church of the Tyrians.
Now as to what Acacius says—that that Peter of Alexandria, upon presenting a petition, condemned the Eutychian or Nestorian heresy—this is clearly proved to be utterly false. For what cause made him, in his episcopate, pronounce anathema against the Synod of Chalcedon and against the Tome of the pope of holy memory Leo? What cause made him, with the name of Proterius or of the Catholic Timothy removed, inscribe the name of Dioscorus and of the heretic Timothy? What cause made him, if he was a Catholic, lift up from beneath the earth the body of the Catholic bishop Timothy, who had been buried among the Catholic bishops, and cast it outside? Is he himself not the Peter who always clung to the condemned heretic Timothy?
How is it that afterward Acacius pursues him with wondrous praises, of whom he had before remembered that he reported such great crimes? A SELECTION FROM THE ACTS BY WHICH ACACIUS, BISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE, IS SHOWN TO BE A HERETIC AND CONDEMNED BY POPE FELIX. In the cause of the Christian faith, whose enemies are proved never to have been lacking from its very beginning, in our age—but at intervals of time—Nestorius and Eutyches came forth, not as men persuading of new dogmas, but as new names. For Nestorius, after nearly one hundred and fifty-eight years, following the error of Photinus and Paul of Samosata, deserved to be banished to the Oasis exile, by saying, as he had learned from his authors, that Christ our Lord was born of the Virgin Mary a mere man.
Against him, after very many years, arose Eutyches, who, in disputing, offending against holding the right path, was swept into the madness of Apollinaris, bursting forth to such a degree that he asserted Christ was not a true man, nor were two natures to be believed in him, but only one—that of God the Word—yet the Word incarnate. This he maintained to be not of a man, but of human figure, so that a likeness of a human body might rather be urged than the truth itself; whereas the Catholic faith confesses that Christ the Son of God is true God and true man, not of one nature, but of one essence and person.
When therefore Eusebius, bishop of Dorylaeum, had discovered this Eutyches—a presbyter and abbot of the city of Constantinople—persuading such things, out of zeal for the faith he made it manifest. He himself had also formerly rebuked Nestorius, who was preaching sacrilegious things in the church; he likewise reported the follies of Eutyches, and brought them to Flavian, the Catholic bishop of the see of Constantinople, and to judgment. The case having been pleaded, Eutyches was condemned. The emperor Theodosius was offended, by whose command nearly three hundred and sixty bishops were gathered, among whom was Dioscorus, the heretical bishop of Alexandria.
There were present also vicars directed from the Apostolic See, Julius bishop of Puteoli and Hilary the archdeacon, since the presbyter Renatus had been prevented by death on the island of Abydos. In this assembly, therefore, the letters of pope Leo, which had been directed to the synod of bishop Flavian, were repudiated and were absolutely not permitted to be read all day, and nothing else was read out except certain acts of the condemned Nestorius, that is, of the earlier Synod of Ephesus. At the same time, with the documents set aside, the judgment of Flavian of holy memory concerning Eutyches was reviewed. Meanwhile, when the blasphemy of Eutyches was read, it was acclaimed that this was the true and orthodox faith. And so, with the vicars of the Roman See contradicting, Flavian was deposed and Eutyches received.
Eusebius the bishop, the accuser of the same Eutyches, was also condemned—he who, while he was a layman, had been the accuser of Nestorius. Domnus of Antioch was deposed; the aforesaid Flavian of holy memory was sent into exile, where he also died. And so, the emperor Theodosius having died, Marcian was made prince, bearing grievously the injured faith. By whose religious command more than five hundred and more bishops of the whole East and of Egypt assembled at Nicaea; which synod he afterward transferred to Chalcedon on account of the nearness of the palace. The emperor himself also took part in the assembly; the senate took part, and all the judges and the palace authorities.
That Eusebius, bishop of Dorylaeum, who a year before had fled from exile and come to Rome, hastened to be present at this synod also. He himself accuses Dioscorus and other Alexandrians. In short: Dioscorus was condemned, the body of Flavian of holy memory was most dutifully carried back to Constantinople, and at Alexandria Proterius was made Catholic bishop. A certain Timothy the presbyter and Peter the deacon, followers of Dioscorus, separated themselves from the Church of Alexandria. When bishop Proterius could not recall them to their ministries, he condemned them both. So, the prince Marcian having died, with mobs of heretics gathered, Timothy and Peter came to Alexandria, and Timothy was ordained bishop by the heretics.
The church was seized, to which bishop Proterius of holy memory had betaken himself out of fear, and there in the baptistery he was killed, mangled, cast out, and his smoke burned, and his ashes scattered to the winds. So Leo came to the empire, to whom the complaint of so great a crime came. The heretics, moreover, made supplication that the Synod of Chalcedon be abolished; the Catholics on the contrary sought vengeance for so great a crime. Considering therefore that it was too burdensome for so many bishops to be harassed again—of whom very many were forbidden to undergo this labour by age or infirmity or even poverty—the emperor rather dispatched Christian agents throughout the whole East;
Anatolius, bishop of Constantinople, also dispatched his deacon Asclepiades to the bishops who had been gathered at Chalcedon. They wrote back that the Synod of Chalcedon was to be defended even to blood, because it established no other faith than the Synod of Nicaea; but that Timothy was not only not to be held a bishop, but even to be deprived of the Christian appellation. So at Alexandria another, Catholic, Timothy was made; the heretic Timothy was sent into exile to Cherson, which place is in Pontus; Peter fled. Therefore, as long as the emperor Leo lived, Timothy also, bishop of Alexandria, lived in quiet. But when Basiliscus had seized the empire, he began to condemn the Synod of Chalcedon and to persecute the Catholics.
Then that condemned Timothy came to Constantinople and restored the condemned heretics to their places, and soon came to Alexandria. Then the Catholic Timothy fled and hid in a monastery. That Peter again joined himself to Timothy, with whom he had been condemned. So the emperor Zeno returned to the throne, and Basiliscus was overthrown. At Alexandria too, with the invader Timothy expelled, the Catholic Timothy was restored to the church. But when that heretic Timothy was condemned to death, Peter his associate was ordained bishop of Alexandria by heretics; whom nonetheless the most Christian emperor ordered to be deposed, and he brought back the Catholic Timothy.
Meanwhile, when very many—whether clerics or monks or wealthy laymen—were altogether unwilling to come together to the communion of the Catholic bishop, the most clement emperor terrified them all with various threats. Finally, bishop Timothy wrote to pope Simplicius that he should write to the emperor concerning Peter, who was lurking in Alexandria and lying in wait for the church, that he might be deported to a distant exile. So for nearly three years the pope of holy memory Simplicius did not cease to write to bishop Acacius, that he should deal with the emperor, so that what bishop Timothy requested concerning Peter might be done; but he could accomplish absolutely nothing.
For when that bishop Timothy had died, John, the steward of the office, a candidate who was extolled with many praises, was ordained Catholic bishop by the Catholics. When he had sent synodical writings to the Apostolic See, with a certain Uranius, dispatched by Acacius, coming upon the scene and bringing certain false charges against John, now bishop—who also made mention of restoring Peter—then the pope was suspended from the confirmation of the same John's episcopate, because his writings, which he had so many times directed to Acacius for the peace of the Alexandrian church and the integrity of the Catholic faith, accomplished absolutely nothing.
While these things were being done, that same bishop John arrived, who, as was fitting, was received by the Apostolic See. His arrival also laid everything more fully open. In short: while we were reading the writings of Acacius, which he had sent to the pope concerning Peter and John of Antioch, the excess of Acacius in this cause too is caught to be most grievous. Finally, the aforesaid Peter ordained a certain John, a presbyter, as bishop of Apamea; by whom, not being received, he came to Antioch and expelled Peter, the author of his own episcopate, and invaded his church.
Acacius says these men were again condemned together, entreating from the Apostolic See that, if perchance one of them should flee to it, it should not deem them worthy even of a look; and if perhaps they had already obtained some indulgence, it ought to be null, nor should their penitence be received. When the aforesaid John, bishop of Alexandria, had read this over, he could not keep silent that that John, whom Acacius had condemned along with Peter and had caused to be condemned by the Apostolic See without remedy of penitence, after so many condemnations he had sent to preside over the church of the Tyrians.
After the holy Pope Felix learned that the letters of his predecessor had achieved nothing, and that certain mockeries were being contrived by Acacius for the overthrow of the faith, he then dispatched Vitalis, bishop of Truentum from the region of Picenum, and Misenus, bishop of the church of Cumae from the region of Campania, that Peter might be driven out of the church of Alexandria, and that an answer might be given to Acacius by the document of the holy John, bishop of Alexandria, and that they themselves might charge Acacius to pronounce anathema against Peter of Alexandria. Moreover, these same legates made profession of their commission; but although, after the manner of enemies, they were thrust into custody and lost their documents, nevertheless they ought not to have lent their consent to the faithless and to condemned heretics — a thing they were able to refuse by their own will.
Not only, therefore, did they fail to do what was commanded, but they even communicated with the heretics by confirming Peter the bishop, for whose expulsion they had been sent. For Acacius directed insults against Bishop John. By all these things the most fully informed Pope Felix, being deeply moved, held a synod and suspended Vitalis and Misenus from their office and from communion, but condemned Acacius; whose audacity, committing yet worse deeds, even sent that Peter of Antioch to the church of Antioch, the catholic Calendio whom he himself had ordained having been cast out. HERE BEGINS THE LITTLE BOOK OF THE PROFESSION OF FAITH WHICH POPE HORMISDAS OF THE APOSTOLIC SEE ORDAINED TO BE GIVEN BY EACH OF THE BISHOPS OF THE GREEK CHURCHES. TO THE HOLY AND MOST REVEREND POPE HORMISDAS OF THE CITY OF ROME.
The first means of salvation is to keep the rule of right faith and in no way to deviate from the ordinances of the Fathers. And because the saying of our Lord Jesus Christ cannot be passed over, who said: «You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church,» these words are proved by the effects of events, for in the Apostolic See the religion has always been preserved without stain. Therefore, in no way separating ourselves from this hope and faith, and following in all things the ordinances of the Fathers, we anathematize all heresies, especially Nestorius, who was once bishop of the city of Constantinople, condemned in the Council of Ephesus by Celestine, Pope of the city of Rome, and by the holy Cyril, bishop of the city of Alexandria;
together with him anathematizing Eutyches and Dioscorus of Alexandria, condemned in the holy synod of Chalcedon, which we follow and embrace; adding to these Timothy the parricide, surnamed Aelurus (the Cat), and likewise his disciple and follower in all things, Peter of Alexandria; and we condemn and anathematize in the same way Acacius of Constantinople, their accomplice and follower, and those who persist in the fellowship of their communion, for whoever has mingled himself in their communion has merited a share in the sentence of their condemnation; condemning no less Peter of Antioch with his followers and with all those written above.
Wherefore we receive and approve all the letters of the blessed Pope Leo which he wrote concerning the Christian religion. Hence, as we have said before, following the Apostolic See and proclaiming all its ordinances, I hope that I may be counted worthy to be with you in that one communion which the Apostolic See proclaims, in which is the entire and true solidity of the Christian religion; promising also that those who are separated from the communion of the catholic Church — that is, those not in agreement with the Apostolic See — their names shall not be recited among the sacred mysteries. This profession of mine I have made, and in it I have subscribed with my own hand, and I have offered it to you, Hormisdas, holy and venerable Pope of the city of Rome, through that most glorious man, the master Vitalian.