Chapter I.—There is nothing that can make the devil's wickedness stand still, that uncontainable evil, full of deadly venom (James 3:8); up and down he goes about, seeking whom he may strike, whom he may throw into confusion, whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Whence from Holy Scripture we have learned both to be watchful and sober unto prayers, and to draw near to God, and to reject foolish questions, and to follow the fathers, and not to transgress the eternal bounds. Laying aside therefore the swelling of grief, the multitude of tears—because one of those who are set under me, a cleric, has been captured, and I have not prevailed to save him, nor to snatch him from the wolf, although I would have been ready to lay down my soul for him.
As he was snatched away, as he leaped forth, hating the voice of Him who calls, and running most of all to perdition, and turning aside even from the paternal memorials, and utterly shrinking from their paths, I proceed to this discourse. Chapter II.—There are certain men in the clothing of sheep, but within are ravening wolves (Matt. 7:15), whom we recognize by their fruits. These at first indeed seem to be of us, but they are not of us: for if they had been of us, they would surely have remained with us (1 John 2:19). But when they shall have vomited out their impiety, bursting forth with the guile that is in them, and laying hold of the weaker and of those who have senses unexercised toward the divine oracles, they drag them along with themselves to perdition (2 Peter).
(III, 16), overturning and doing violence to the doctrines of the Fathers, as they do also to the holy Scriptures, to their own destruction. Against such men we must be on guard, knowing them beforehand, lest by their malice some be led astray and cut off from their own steadfastness. For they have sharpened their tongues like serpents; the poison of asps is under their lips, as the prophet cried out concerning such men (Ps. CXXXIX, 4). CHAPTER III.— Such a man, then, has now appeared to us in Eutyches, formerly a presbyter and archimandrite, who pretends to hold the things that are ours, and to have the right faith in himself; resisting, indeed, the impiety of Nestorius, and feigning a struggle against him;
yet he attempted to overthrow the exposition of the faith drawn up by the three hundred and eighteen holy Fathers, and the letter written by Cyril of holy memory to Nestorius, and likewise his letter to the Orientals, to which all consented, and to renew the ancient evil dogmas of the impious Valentinus and of Apollinaris. Nor did he fear the command of the true King who says: Whosoever shall scandalize one of these least little ones, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea (Matt. XVIII, 6). But shamelessly casting off everything, and shaking off the skin that surrounded him, he openly affirmed before our holy synod, saying:
that our Lord Jesus Christ ought not to be acknowledged by us as being of two natures after the Incarnation, in one subsistence and in one person; and that the flesh of the Lord is not consubstantial with us, as though assumed from us and united to God the Word according to subsistence. Rather he said that the Virgin who bore Him is indeed consubstantial with us according to the flesh, but that the Lord Himself did not take from her flesh consubstantial with us; and that the body of the Lord is not the body of a man, yet that the body which is from the Virgin is human—thus resisting all the expositions of the holy Fathers. CHAPTER IV.— But that I may not, in running through everything, make an immense burden of writing, we have directed to your Holiness the acts which were formerly drawn up concerning him;
in which we deprived him, as one caught in such things, of the priesthood, of the governance of the monastery, and of our communion: so that your Holiness, coming to know what pertains to him, may make his impiety manifest to all the most God-loving bishops who are established under your reverence; lest perchance, being ignorant of what he holds and of the things in which he was openly caught, they be found to send letters to him as to a partner in the faith, or otherwise professions. Together with your blessedness in Christ, I and those who go with me most heartily greet the whole brotherhood. Be preserved in the Lord, and praying for us, may you be granted to us, most God-loving Father. CHAPTER I.— No thing checks the poison of the devil, nor restrains his deadly arrows.
For flying up and down, he seeks whom he may kill, whom he may overcome, whom he may devour. On which account we must watch and obtain from God by prayer, that we may be able to avoid foolish inquiries. For it becomes us to follow our Fathers, and not to alter their perpetual definition, which we have learned to be defined by rule according to the sacred Scriptures. Therefore, laying aside these things and the tears which I ceaselessly pour forth—because a cleric under me, sunk down, has been invaded by a fierce demon, and I could not set him free, nor snatch him from such a wolf, I who was ready to lay down my own soul for him—
how he was snatched away, how he sprang back from the divine purpose, and ran to him who is wont to destroy, turning aside from the precepts of the Fathers and despising their ordinances, this I now begin to relate. CHAPTER II.— There are certain men signifying by their garment that they are sheep, but inwardly ravening wolves: whom we ought to recognize by their fruits. These at first sight seem to be of our number; but they are not of our number. For if they had been of our number, they would have remained with us. But when they began to take up impiety, that which was formerly hidden in them is laid open, and all their guile becomes manifest to all.
But there are found men infirm in the faith, and such as know not the divine lessons, and they cast these men headlong with themselves into perdition, scattering and reviling the disciplines of the Fathers, and abandoning the holy Scriptures to their own destruction. These we ought to foresee, and to keep far away from them, lest, being occupied in their malice, any fall from their own steadfastness. For they have sharpened their tongue like serpents, and have poison in their lips like asps. Concerning these the prophet cried out. CHAPTER III.— Such a man has emerged for us in Eutyches, once a presbyter and archimandrite, who was minded, as it were, toward the sect of our religion, and preferred it;
but he confirmed the impiety of Nestorius, and girded himself to fight on Nestorius's behalf in the battle that was being prepared against Nestorius: he attempted to tear out the exposition of the faith made by the three hundred and eighteen holy Fathers, and the letter written by Cyril of holy memory to Nestorius, or to men like him, to which all had assented, restoring the ancient sect of the impious Valentinus and of Apollinaris, and he did not fear the command of the true King who says: Whosoever shall scandalize one of these least little ones, it is expedient for him that a millstone be bound to his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.
But he cast off all shame, and shaking off the skin of unbelief which he ruled over, he asserted in our holy synod, insistently declaring, that our Lord Jesus Christ ought not to be confessed as of two natures after the assumption of manhood, since He is known by us as of one substance and one person; nor that the flesh of the Lord subsists as coessential with us, as though assumed from us and united to God the Word according to substance; but he said that the Virgin who bore Him according to the flesh is indeed consubstantial with us, but that the Lord Himself did not take from her flesh consubstantial with us, and that the body of the Lord is not indeed the body of a man, yet that the body which is from the Virgin is human;
holding views contrary to the expositions of all the Fathers. CHAPTER IV.— But that I may not, by saying much, make a long letter, we have sent to your blessedness all that we did some time ago: by which letters we have informed you both that he has been stripped of his presbyterate, because he was thus caught; and we ordered that he should have no charge in the monasteries, and we excluded him from our communion; so that your holiness, knowing this which has been done concerning him, may deign to make his impiety manifest to all the bishops living under your blessedness: lest any, being ignorant of what he holds, should address him by letters or by any association as though he were orthodox.