Letters (first part: Migne letters 1-55) 10–13
Greek text: PG 77.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 10
10PG 77 77:63
᾿Ανέγνων τὸ ὑπομνηστικὸν τὸ ἀποσταλὲν παρ' ὑμῶν, δι' οὗ ἐμάνθανον, ὅτι Ἀναστάσιος ὁ πρεσβύτερος συντυχὼν ὑμῖν προσεποιεῖτο ζητεῖν καὶ φιλίαν, καὶ εἰρήνην, καὶ ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ὡς ἔγραψε τοῖς μονάζουσιν, οὕτω φρονοῦμεν. Εἶτα πρὸς ἴδιον σκοπὸν βλέπων, ἔλεγε περὶ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι Καὶ αὐτὸς εἴρηκε τὴν ἁγίαν σύνοδον μὴ μεμνῆσθαι τῆς λέξεως, τῆς Θεοτό κου φημί. Ἐγὼ δὲ γέγραφα, ὅτι Εἰ καὶ μὴ ἐμνήσθη ἡ σύνοδος τῆς λέξεως, καλῶς ἐποίησεν· οὔτε γὰρ ἐκινήθη τοιοῦτόν τι κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ. Διὸ οὔτε ἦν ἀνάγκη τὰ μὴ ζητούμενα φέρειν εἰς μέσον. Εἰ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα τῇ δυνάμει τῶν ἐννοιῶν, οἶδε Θεοτόκον τὴν ἁγίαν Μαρίαν 8· αὐτὸν γὰρ λέγει τὸν γεννηθέντα ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς, τὸν δι᾽ οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο σαρκωσιθῆναι, ἐνανθρωπῆσαι, παθεῖν, ἀναστῆναι ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἀνελθεῖν εἰς οὐρανοὺς, ἤξειν δὲ καὶ κριτὴν ζώντων καὶ νεκρῶν. Καὶ οὐχ ὅτι πάντως αὐτὸς ὁ ἐκ Θεοῦ κατὰ φύσιν γεννηθεὶς Λόγος, ἀπέθανεν, ἢ ἐνύχθη τῇ λόγχῃ εἰς τὴν πλευράν. Ποίαν γὰρ ἔχει, εἰπέ μοι, πλευρὰν τὸ ἀσώματον; Ἢ πῶς ἂν ἀπέθανεν ἡ ζωή; ᾿Αλλ' ὅτι ἑνωθεὶς τῇ σαρκὶ, εἶτα πασχούσης αὐτῆς, ὡς τοῦ ἰδίου πάσχοντος σώματος, αὐτὸς πρὸς αὐτὸν οἰκειοῦται τὸ πάθος. Σοφιζόμενοι τοίνυν, καὶ ἀπατῶντες ἑαυτοὺς, ταῦτα λέγουσιν. Ὅτι δὲ ψεύδονται, καὶ τὸν ἴδιον ἔχουσιν ἐὸν εἰς τὴν καρδίαν ᾽, ἔστι δὴ καὶ διὰ τούτου ἰδεῖν· ἀπεστάλησαν γὰρ τῷ Βουφᾷ Μαρτυρίῳ τῷ διακόνῳ, τῷ φροντίζοντι τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν πραγμάτων, δύο χαρτία · ἓν μὲν συνταχθὲν παρὰ Φωτίου, ἢ παρ' ἑτέρου τινὸς, κατὰ τοῦ τόμου τοῦ πρὸς τοὺς μονάς ζοντας· ἓν δὲ ὡς ἐν σχήματι τετράδος, ἀλλόκοτον ἔχον τὴν ἐπιγραφήν. Ἔχει δὲ οὕτως· Πρὸς τοὺς, διὰ τὴν συνάφειαν, ἢ τὴν θεότητα τοῦ Μονογενοῦς σμικροῦντας ἱ, ἢ ἀποθεοῦντας τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα. Τὸ δὲ προοίμιον εἰς τὰς παρὰ τῶν αἱρετικῶν λοιδορίας, ὡς ἐπὶ σκληρῶν γενομένας ἐπαποτείνεται. Καὶ δῆθεν πειρᾶται δεικνύειν ὅτι τὸ σῶμά ἐστι τὸ πεπονθός, καὶ οὐχ ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος· ὡς τινων λεγόντων ὅτι ὁ ἀπαθὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος παθητός ἐστιν. ᾿Αλλ' οὐδεὶς οὕτω μαίνεται. Ὡς δὲ πολλάκις εἴπομεν, ἡ ἁγία σύνοδος αὐτὸν ἔφη παθεῖν τὸν Λόγον, τὸν δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο· παθεῖν δὲ σαρκὶ, κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς. Παθόντος γὰρ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, αὐτὸς λέγεται παθεῖν· ὅτι καὶ ἡ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ψυχή, καίτοὶ πάσχουσα μηδὲν εἰς ἰδίαν φύσιν, πάσχειν λέγεται, τοῦ αὐτῆς παθόντος σώματος. ᾿Αλλ' ἐπειδὴ σκοπὸς ἐκείνοις δύο λέγειν Χριστούς, καὶ δύο υἱοὺς, καὶ τὸν μὲν, ἄνθρωπον ἰδικῶς, τὸν δὲ, Θεὸν ἰδικῶς· εἶτα μόνων τῶν προσώπων ποιοῦσιν τὴν ἕνωσιν, διὰ τοῦτο ποικίλλονται, καὶ προφάσεις πλάττονται ἐν ἁμαρτίαις, καθὰ γέγραπται. Συντυχόντες τοίνυν αὐτοῖς, ἐκεῖνα λέγετε, ὅτι Ποιεῖτε μὲν κακῶς, εἰσβάλλοντές τινας καταφλυαρεῖν τοῦ ἐπισκόπου ὑμῶνὶ, καὶ τούτους θάλπον τες καὶ συγκροτοῦντες, καὶ ὄργανα τῆς ἑαυτῶν μοχθηρίας ποιούμενοι. Πλὴν οὐχ αὕτη τῆς λύπης ἐστὶν ἡ πρόφασις· ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ὅλως ἐχθρός ἐστιν ὁ ἐπίσκοπος ὑμῶν· τοῦ ἐνταῦθα. Λυπεῖ δὲ πάντας τοὺς κατὰ τὴν ἀνατολὴν καὶ δύσιν ἐπισκόπους, τὸ μὴ γίνεσθαι ὀρθῶς τὸν περὶ Χριστοῦ λόγον, ἀλλὰ διεστραμμένως. Ἀρκεῖ δὲ πρὸς ἀπόδειξιν καὶ ἔλεγχον αὐτῶν, τὸ σ μηδὲ πώποτε ἐν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις ταῦτα παρά τινος εἰρῆσθαι, οἷον δὴ τὸ κείμενον ἐν ταῖς αὐτοῦ ἐξηγήσεσιν. Ἔχει δὲ οὕτως Νεστόριος· «Οὐ ταῖς κραυγαῖς κρίνω τὴν εἰς ἐμὲ φιλοστοργίαν, ἀλλὰ τῷ περὶ τὰ δόγματα πόθῳ, καὶ τῷ μεμνῆσθαι τῆς τοῦ Δεσπότου καὶ θεότητος ἅμα καὶ ἀνθρωπότητος. » Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· « Καὶ προσέχω τοῖς ἡμετέροις 1 δήμοις εὐλάβειαν μὲν πολλὴν κεκτημένοις, καὶ θερμοτάτην εὐσέβειαν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς περὶ τὸ δόγμα θεογνωσίας, ἀγνοίας πεπληρωμένοις. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἔγκλημα τῶν λαῶν· ἀλλὰ πῶς ἂν εὐπρεπῶς εἴποιμι τὸ μὴ ἔχειν τοὺς διδασκάλους καιρὸν, καὶ τι τῶν ἀκριβεστέρων ὑμῖν - παραθέσθαι δογμάτων; » Πῶς γάρ; οὐκ ἐσχόλασαν οἱ πρὸ αὐτοῦ; Αρά γε εὐστομώτερός ἐστιν Ἰωάννου ; Ἴσος δὲ τοῦ μακαρίου Αττικοῦ, καὶ συνετώτερος; Τίς ἡ ὀφρὺς αὕτη; Μᾶλλον δὲ, πῶς οὐχ - ὡμολόγησεν ἐναργῶς, ὅτι ξένην καὶ ἀσυνήθη διδασκαλίαν εἰσήγαγε, καὶ τοῖς πρὸ αὐτοῦ μὴ ἐγνωσμένην, διὰ τὴν ἀτοπίαν, μήτε ἐν συλλόγῳ πιστῶν, μήτε ἐν ἁγίαις Ἐκκλησίαις; Ἐμοὶ τοίνυν πρὸς αὐτὸν περὶ πραγμάτων τέως λόγος οὐδὲ εἷς. Γένοιτο δὲ μᾶλλον μετανοῆσαι αὐτὸν, καὶ τὴν ὀρθὴν ὁμολογῆσαι πίστιν· καὶ ὑπὲρ ὧν εἰς ἐμὲ πεποίηκεν ἐρεθίζων, καὶ ἐπαλείφων κατ᾿ ἐμοῦ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς, ἀπολογήσεται τῷ θεῷ. Οὐδὲν δὲ θαυμαστὸν, εἰ κακῶς ἡμᾶς Σωφρονᾶς, καὶ τὸ τοῦ φυρατοῦ Φλαβιανοῦ παιδαρύλλιον· ἀεὶ γὰρ γεγόνασι καὶ περὶ ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ περὶ πάντας κακοί. Ἴστω δὲ ὁ εἰσβαλὼν αὐτοὺς, ὅτι οὔτε ἀποδημίαν φοβούμεθα, οὔτε ἀπολογίαν τὴν πρὸς ἐκείνους, καὶ εἰ γένοιτο τούτου καιρός. Συμβαίνει γὰρ ὅτι ἡ τοῦ Σωτῆρος οἰκονομία, διὰ μικρῶν καὶ εὐτελεστάτων πραγμάτων, συνάγει σύνοδον, ἵνα και θαρίσῃ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ Ἑκκλησίαν, ἄσπιλον καὶ ἀσύγχυτον ἔχουσαν τὴνη εὐγενῆ πίστιν. Μὴ προσδοκάτω δὲ ὁ δείλαιος, ὅτι εἰ καὶ πλείους καὶ ἀξιόλογοι εἶεν οἱ διὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ σπουδῆς κατηγορεῖν ἡμῶν μέλλοντες, δικαστὴς ἔσεται τῶν καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς, κἂν τοῦτο προσαχθῇ ἐξ ᾿Αμφιτίωνος Ο. Παραιτησόμεθα γὰρ ἐκεῖσε ἐλθόντες· καὶ, σὺν Θεῷ φάναι, ταῖς αὐτοῦ δυσφηλέγουσιν αἱ κοπρίαι τῆς πόλεως Χαιρήμων, Οὐίκτωρ, μίαις ἀπολογήσεται. Ὅθεν φεύγομεν τὴν εἰρήνην οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἁρπάζομεν, ἐὰν ὁμολογηθῇ ἡ πίστις ὀρθὴ, καὶ παύσωνται τοῦ λέγειν τοιαῦτα, ἅπερ ξενοεποῦντες, ἐπικαλοῦνταὶ θάνατον. Τοσαύτην γὰρ διαστροφὴν ἔχει τὸ ἀποσταλὲν τετράδιον τῶν αὐτοῦ δυσφημιῶν, ὡς μολύνεσθαι καὶ τὸν ἀναγινώσκοντα. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ αἰτιᾶται ὡς λέξιν ἀσυνήθη εἴρηκεν ἡ Γραφή ἤγουν ἡ ἁγία σύνοδος, Θεοτόκον ὀνομάσασα τὴν ἁγίαν Παρθένον, ἐρωτάσθωσαν αὐτοὶ, ποῦ Χριστοτόκον, ἢ Θεοδόχον εὗρον γεγραμμένον; Πρὸς τούτῳ κἀκεῖνο ἐνέθηκεν αὐταῖς λέξεσιν οὕτω· « Τὴν Θεοδό χον τῷ Θεῷ μὴ συνθεολογῶμεν Παρθένον· · οὐκ εἰδὼς ὁ λέγει. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ τέτοκε Θεὸν, μηδὲ ἔσχεν ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ Θεὸν ὄντα Χριστόν· πῶς ἔτι Θεοδόχος ἐστί; Καὶ αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν Πατέρα εἶπε. Θεοτόκον. Ποῦ τοίνυν ἀνέγνω τὰς λέξεις ταῦτας, ἀγνοῶ. Πλὴν ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ ἐπισύρονται ἐγκλήματα ἐκ τῶν ἐξηγήσεων αὐτοῦ, φυλαχθήσονται ἕως καιροῦ, εἰ μή τις γένηται μετάγνωσις. Τὸ δέ γε σχεδάριον τῆς δεήσεως τὸ παρ' ὑμῶν ἀποσταλὲν, ὡς ὀφεῖλον ἐπιδοθῆναι μὲν βασιλεῖ, οὐκ ἄνευ δὲ γνώμης ὑμῶν 4, λαβὼν ἀνέγνων. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ πολλὴν εἶχε καταδρομὴν κατὰ τοῦ ἐκεῖσε, ἢ ἀδελφοῦ, ἢ πῶς ἂν εἴποιμι, τέως ἐπέσχον, ἵνα μὴ ἐπέρχοιτο ἡμῖν λέγων· Κατηγορήσατέ μου ἐπὶ τοῦ βασιλέως, ὡς αἱρετικοῦ. Ὑπηγορεύσαμεν δὲ ἑτέρως, μετὰ τοῦ καὶ παραιτεῖσθαι τὴν αὐτοῦ κρίσιν, εἰπόντες καὶ τῆς ἔχθρας τὸν τρόπον, καὶ τὴν δίκην μετασπάσαι, εἰ ἐνίστανται ὅλως ἐκεῖνοι, εἰς ἑτέρους ἄρχοντας. Αναγνόντες τοίνυν τὸ σχεδάριον, ἐπίδοτε, εἰ καλέσειε χρεία· κἂν ἴδοιτε, ὅτι ἐπιβουλεύων ἐμμένει, καὶ ἀληθῶς πάντα κινεῖ τρόπον, τὸν καθ' ἡμῶν ὁρῶντα, σπουδαίως γράψατε. Καὶ ἐπιλεξάμενος ἄνδρας εὐλαβεῖς καὶ φρονίμους, ἐπισκόπους τε καὶ μονάζοντας, ἐξαποστελῶ πρώτῳ καιρῷ. Οὐ γὰρ μὴ δώσω ὕπνον, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς μου καὶ τοῖς βλεφάροις μου νυσταγμὸν, και ἀνάπαυσιν τοῖς κροτάφοις μου, ἕως οὗ ἀγωνίσωμαι τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁπάντων σωτηρίας ἀγῶνα. Τοιγάρτοι · μεμαθηκότες τὴν ἡμῶν γνώμην, ἀνδρίσασθε· ἤδη γὰρ καὶ γενήσονται παρ' ἡμῶν γράμματα, ἃ δεῖ, καὶ πρὸς οὓς δεῖ. Σκοπὸς γάρ μοι διὰ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν πίστιν, καὶ καμεῖν, καὶ ὑποστῆναι πᾶν ὁτιοῦν τῶν νομιζομένων εἶναι δεινῶν ἐν βασάνοις, ἕως οὗ καὶ τὸν ἡδύν μοι διὰ τοῦτο ὑπομείνω θάνατον, τοιγαροῦν.
᾿Anegnōn to hypomnēstikon to apostalen par' hymōn, di' hou emanthanon, hoti Anastasios ho presbyteros syntychōn hymin prosepoieito zētein kai philian, kai eirēnēn, kai elegen, hoti Hōs egrapse tois monazousin, houtō phronoumen. Eita pros idion skopon blepōn, elege peri emou, hoti Kai autos eirēke tēn hagian synodon mē memnēsthai tēs lexeōs, tēs Theoto kou phēmi. Egō de gegrapha, hoti Ei kai mē emnēsthē hē synodos tēs lexeōs, kalōs epoiēsen; oute gar ekinēthē toiouton ti kat' ekeino kairou. Dio oute ēn anankē ta mē zētoumena pherein eis meson. Ei kai ta malista tę̄ dynamei tōn ennoiōn, oide Theotokon tēn hagian Marian 8; auton gar legei ton gennēthenta ek tou Patros, ton di᾽ hou ta panta egeneto sarkōsithēnai, enanthrōpēsai, pathein, anastēnai ek nekrōn, anelthein eis ouranous, ēxein de kai kritēn zōntōn kai nekrōn. Kai ouch hoti pantōs autos ho ek Theou kata physin gennētheis Logos, apethanen, ē enychthē tę̄ lonchę̄ eis tēn pleuran. Poian gar echei, eipe moi, pleuran to asōmaton? Ē pōs an apethanen hē zōē? ᾿All' hoti henōtheis tę̄ sarki, eita paschousēs autēs, hōs tou idiou paschontos sōmatos, autos pros auton oikeioutai to pathos. Sophizomenoi toinyn, kai apatōntes heautous, tauta legousin. Hoti de pseudontai, kai ton idion echousin eon eis tēn kardian ᾽, esti dē kai dia toutou idein; apestalēsan gar tǭ Bouphą Martyriǭ tǭ diakonǭ, tǭ phrontizonti tōn ekklēsiastikōn pragmatōn, dyo chartia ; hen men syntachthen para Phōtiou, ē par' heterou tinos, kata tou tomou tou pros tous monas zontas; hen de hōs en schēmati tetrados, allokoton echon tēn epigraphēn. Echei de houtōs; Pros tous, dia tēn synapheian, ē tēn theotēta tou Monogenous smikrountas hi, ē apotheountas tēn anthrōpotēta. To de prooimion eis tas para tōn hairetikōn loidorias, hōs epi sklērōn genomenas epapoteinetai. Kai dēthen peiratai deiknyein hoti to sōma esti to peponthos, kai ouch ho Theos Logos; hōs tinōn legontōn hoti ho apathēs tou Theou Logos pathētos estin. ᾿All' oudeis houtō mainetai. Hōs de pollakis eipomen, hē hagia synodos auton ephē pathein ton Logon, ton di' hou ta panta egeneto; pathein de sarki, kata tas Graphas. Pathontos gar tou sōmatos autou, autos legetai pathein; hoti kai hē tou anthrōpou psychē, kaitoi paschousa mēden eis idian physin, paschein legetai, tou autēs pathontos sōmatos. ᾿All' epeidē skopos ekeinois dyo legein Christous, kai dyo huious, kai ton men, anthrōpon idikōs, ton de, Theon idikōs; eita monōn tōn prosōpōn poiousin tēn henōsin, dia touto poikillontai, kai prophaseis plattontai en hamartiais, katha gegraptai. Syntychontes toinyn autois, ekeina legete, hoti Poieite men kakōs, eisballontes tinas kataphlyarein tou episkopou hymōni, kai toutous thalpon tes kai synkrotountes, kai organa tēs heautōn mochthērias poioumenoi. Plēn ouch hautē tēs lypēs estin hē prophasis; all᾽ oude holōs echthros estin ho episkopos hymōn; tou entautha. Lypei de pantas tous kata tēn anatolēn kai dysin episkopous, to mē ginesthai orthōs ton peri Christou logon, alla diestrammenōs. Arkei de pros apodeixin kai elenchon autōn, to s mēde pōpote en tais Ekklēsiais tauta para tinos eirēsthai, hoion dē to keimenon en tais autou exēgēsesin. Echei de houtōs Nestorios; «Ou tais kraugais krinō tēn eis eme philostorgian, alla tǭ peri ta dogmata pothǭ, kai tǭ memnēsthai tēs tou Despotou kai theotētos hama kai anthrōpotētos. » Kai met' oliga; « Kai prosechō tois hēmeterois 1 dēmois eulabeian men pollēn kektēmenois, kai thermotatēn eusebeian, epi de tēs peri to dogma theognōsias, agnoias peplērōmenois. Touto de ouk enklēma tōn laōn; alla pōs an euprepōs eipoimi to mē echein tous didaskalous kairon, kai ti tōn akribesterōn hymin - parathesthai dogmatōn? » Pōs gar? ouk escholasan hoi pro autou? Ara ge eustomōteros estin Iōannou ? Isos de tou makariou Attikou, kai synetōteros? Tis hē ophrys hautē? Mallon de, pōs ouch - hōmologēsen enargōs, hoti xenēn kai asynēthē didaskalian eisēgage, kai tois pro autou mē egnōsmenēn, dia tēn atopian, mēte en syllogǭ pistōn, mēte en hagiais Ekklēsiais? Emoi toinyn pros auton peri pragmatōn teōs logos oude heis. Genoito de mallon metanoēsai auton, kai tēn orthēn homologēsai pistin; kai hyper hōn eis eme pepoiēken erethizōn, kai epaleiphōn kat᾿ emou tous echthrous, apologēsetai tǭ theǭ. Ouden de thaumaston, ei kakōs hēmas Sōphronas, kai to tou phyratou Phlabianou paidaryllion; aei gar gegonasi kai peri heautous, kai peri pantas kakoi. Istō de ho eisbalōn autous, hoti oute apodēmian phoboumetha, oute apologian tēn pros ekeinous, kai ei genoito toutou kairos. Symbainei gar hoti hē tou Sōtēros oikonomia, dia mikrōn kai eutelestatōn pragmatōn, synagei synodon, hina kai tharisę̄ tēn heautou Hekklēsian, aspilon kai asynchyton echousan tēnē eugenē pistin. Mē prosdokatō de ho deilaios, hoti ei kai pleious kai axiologoi eien hoi dia tēs autou spoudēs katēgorein hēmōn mellontes, dikastēs esetai tōn kath᾽ hēmas, kan touto prosachthę̄ ex ᾿Amphitiōnos O. Paraitēsometha gar ekeise elthontes; kai, syn Theǭ phanai, tais autou dysphēlegousin hai kopriai tēs poleōs Chairēmōn, Ouiktōr, miais apologēsetai. Hothen pheugomen tēn eirēnēn oudamōs, alla mallon harpazomen, ean homologēthę̄ hē pistis orthē, kai pausōntai tou legein toiauta, haper xenoepountes, epikalountai thanaton. Tosautēn gar diastrophēn echei to apostalen tetradion tōn autou dysphēmiōn, hōs molynesthai kai ton anaginōskonta. Epeidē de aitiatai hōs lexin asynēthē eirēken hē Graphē ēgoun hē hagia synodos, Theotokon onomasasa tēn hagian Parthenon, erōtasthōsan autoi, pou Christotokon, ē Theodochon heuron gegrammenon? Pros toutǭ kakeino enethēken autais lexesin houtō; « Tēn Theodo chon tǭ Theǭ mē syntheologōmen Parthenon; ; ouk eidōs ho legei. Ei gar mē tetoke Theon, mēde eschen en tę̄ koilią Theon onta Christon; pōs eti Theodochos esti? Kai auton de ton Patera eipe. Theotokon. Pou toinyn anegnō tas lexeis tautas, agnoō. Plēn epeidē kai alla polla episyrontai enklēmata ek tōn exēgēseōn autou, phylachthēsontai heōs kairou, ei mē tis genētai metagnōsis. To de ge schedarion tēs deēseōs to par' hymōn apostalen, hōs opheilon epidothēnai men basilei, ouk aneu de gnōmēs hymōn 4, labōn anegnōn. Epeidē de pollēn eiche katadromēn kata tou ekeise, ē adelphou, ē pōs an eipoimi, teōs epeschon, hina mē eperchoito hēmin legōn; Katēgorēsate mou epi tou basileōs, hōs hairetikou. Hypēgoreusamen de heterōs, meta tou kai paraiteisthai tēn autou krisin, eipontes kai tēs echthras ton tropon, kai tēn dikēn metaspasai, ei enistantai holōs ekeinoi, eis heterous archontas. Anagnontes toinyn to schedarion, epidote, ei kaleseie chreia; kan idoite, hoti epibouleuōn emmenei, kai alēthōs panta kinei tropon, ton kath' hēmōn horōnta, spoudaiōs grapsate. Kai epilexamenos andras eulabeis kai phronimous, episkopous te kai monazontas, exapostelō prōtǭ kairǭ. Ou gar mē dōsō hypnon, kata to gegrammenon, tois ophthalmois mou kai tois blepharois mou nystagmon, kai anapausin tois krotaphois mou, heōs hou agōnisōmai ton hyper tēs hapantōn sōtērias agōna. Toigartoi ; memathēkotes tēn hēmōn gnōmēn, andrisasthe; ēdē gar kai genēsontai par' hēmōn grammata, ha dei, kai pros hous dei. Skopos gar moi dia tēn eis Christon pistin, kai kamein, kai hypostēnai pan hotioun tōn nomizomenōn einai deinōn en basanois, heōs hou kai ton hēdyn moi dia touto hypomeinō thanaton, toigaroun.
I have read the memorandum you sent, from which I learned that the presbyter Anastasius, on meeting you, pretended to seek friendship and peace, and said, “We think as he wrote to the monks.” Then, looking to his own aim, he said of me, “He himself said that the holy synod did not mention the word,” I mean “Mother of God.” What I wrote was this: even if the synod did not mention the word, it did well; for no such question had been raised at that time, and so there was no need to bring into the open what was not being asked. Yet by the force of its meaning it certainly knows the holy Mary as Mother of God. For it says that the very one begotten of the Father, through whom all things came to be, was made flesh, became man, suffered, rose from the dead, went up into the heavens, and will come as judge of the living and the dead. Not that the Word naturally begotten of God himself died, or was pierced in the side with the lance; for what side, tell me, has the incorporeal? Or how could the life die? But because, being united to the flesh, when the flesh then suffered, he makes the suffering his own, as of his own suffering body. So they speak sophistically and deceive themselves when they say these things.
That they are lying and have their own aim in their heart can be seen from this too. Two papers were sent to Buphas Martyrius, the deacon who looks after church affairs: one composed by Photius, or by someone else, against the treatise to the monks; the other in the form of a quire, with a strange title. It runs thus: “Against those who, because of the conjunction, either diminish the Godhead of the Only-begotten or deify the manhood.” Its preface stretches out against the abuse of the heretics, as though it had been uttered against hard men. And it tries, forsooth, to show that it was the body that suffered and not God the Word, as though some were saying that the impassible Word of God is passible. But no one is so mad. As we have often said, the holy synod said that the Word himself, through whom all things came to be, suffered; but suffered in the flesh, according to the Scriptures. For when his body suffered, he himself is said to have suffered; just as the soul of a man too, though suffering nothing in its own nature, is said to suffer when its body suffers. But since their aim is to speak of two Christs and two sons, the one specially man and the other specially God, and then to make the union one of the persons only, for this reason they twist and turn and invent excuses in sins, as it is written.
When you meet them, then, say this: “You do wrong in bringing in certain people to prattle against our bishop, cherishing and abetting them and making them instruments of your own wickedness. But this is not the reason for his grief; nor is your bishop an enemy of the one there at all. What grieves all the bishops of East and West is that the doctrine about Christ is not being taught rightly, but perversely.” Sufficient proof and refutation of them is that no one ever said in the churches anything like what is found in his expositions. Nestorius says this: “I do not judge your affection for me by your shouts, but by your longing for doctrine and by your remembering both the Godhead and the manhood of the Master.” And a little further: “I observe that our congregations have great reverence and the warmest piety, but in the knowledge of God that concerns doctrine they are full of ignorance. This is not a charge against the people; but how am I to say it politely? Their teachers have not had time to set before you any of the more exact doctrines.” What? Had those before him no leisure? Is he more eloquent than John? Is he equal to the blessed Atticus, and wiser? What arrogance is this! Or rather, has he not plainly confessed that he has introduced a strange and unfamiliar teaching, unknown to those before him because of its absurdity, whether in a gathering of the faithful or in the holy churches? For my part, then, I have so far not a word to say to him about practical matters. May he rather repent and confess the right faith; and for what he has done to provoke me and to stir up enemies against me he will give account to God.
It is no wonder if Sophronas and the little slave of Flavian the dough-kneader speak ill of us; they have always been wicked both to themselves and to everyone. But let the one who brought them in know that we fear neither a journey nor a defence against them, if the occasion for it should arise. For it happens that the Saviour's dispensation, through small and very mean things, gathers a synod, so that it may purify its church, keeping its noble faith spotless and unconfused. Let the wretch not expect that, even if those who are going to accuse us through his efforts are more numerous and of some standing, he will be judge of our affairs, even if the charge is brought by both parties; for when we come there we shall decline him, and, God willing, he will have to answer for his own blasphemies. As for Chaeremon and Victor, whom they call the dregs of the city … We are in no way fleeing from peace, but rather seizing it, if the right faith is confessed and they stop saying such things as, by their strange talk, call down death. For the quire that was sent contains such perversity of his blasphemies that even the reader is defiled.
Since he accuses Scripture, or rather the holy synod, of having used an unfamiliar word in naming the holy Virgin Mother of God, let them be asked where they found “Mother of Christ” or “receiver of God” written. Besides this he added, in these very words: “Let us not proclaim as God, together with God, the Virgin who received God.” He does not know what he is saying. For if she did not bear God, nor had in her womb Christ who is God, how is she still the receiver of God? He even called the Father himself “Theotokos.” Where he read these words, I do not know. But since many other charges are drawn from his expositions, they will be kept until the proper time, unless some change of mind takes place.
The draft of the petition you sent, which was to be presented to the emperor, though not without your consent, I received and read. But since it contained a strong attack on the one there, whether brother or whatever I should call him, I have held it back for the present, so that he may not come at us saying, “You have accused me before the emperor as a heretic.” We have dictated another, which also declines his jurisdiction, states the manner of his enmity, and asks that the case be transferred to other magistrates, if those men press it at all. Read the draft, then, and present it if need arises; and if you see that he persists in plotting and is truly moving every means against us, write urgently. I will choose reverent and prudent men, bishops and monks, and send them at the first opportunity. For, as it is written, I will not give sleep to my eyes nor slumber to my eyelids nor rest to my temples, until I have fought the contest for the salvation of all. Therefore, knowing our mind, play the man; for letters will soon be written by us, those that are needed, to those to whom they are needed. For my aim, for the sake of the faith in Christ, is to toil and to undergo anything whatever of what are thought to be terrible torments, until I endure even death, which is sweet to me for this cause. Therefore …
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
John 19:34 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Pet 4:1 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 141:4 (140:4 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 5:27 (echo, low confidence) · Ps 132:4–5 (131:4-Ps LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril instructs his clergy at Constantinople how to answer Nestorius's supporters, quotes Nestorius's sermons, explains how the Word is said to suffer in his flesh, and says he will refuse Nestorius as his judge.
- Written to Cyril's agents in Constantinople (430). The Greek breaks off after “Therefore”; Migne prints the rest only in Latin, which is not translated here. Footnote debris inside the text (a stray “8 Παρθένον. ἡ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ.” and, at the end, repeated phrases from the notes) is removed by logged corrections. The sentence about Chaeremon and Victor is jumbled in the edition by lines out of place and is translated by sense only; “…” marks words that cannot be recovered. The accusers named (Chaeremon, Victor, Sophronas, a servant of Flavian) had appealed against Cyril at Constantinople; Cyril's descriptions of them are his own. “Excuses in sins” is Ps 141:4 (LXX 140:4); the vow not to sleep is Ps 132:4.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (footnote material (variant readings repeating earlier phrases) printed after the end of the Greek text; footnote variants leaked into the text): 8 Παρθένον. ἡ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ. → ; ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι ἑνωθεὶς ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ, εἶτα πασχούσης αὐτῆς, ὡς τοῦ ἰδίου πάσχοντος σώματος, αὐτὸς πρὸς αὐτὸν οἰκειοῦται τὸ πάθος. Θεοτόκον, τόκον τὴν Θεοδόχον τῷ Θεῷ Λόγῳ συνθεολογῶμεν μορφήν, Θεοδόχον Παρθένον τῷ Θεῷ μὴ συνθεολογῶμεν, → .
Extrabiblical texts: Conc. Nic. 0 (Creed and Canons of the Council of Nicaea (325); allusion)
Topics: Christology, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Ep. 10 (PG 77 77:63; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/10
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 77 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters 4, 17 and 39 compared with NPNF² 14; the rest re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 11
11PG 77 77:79
Τῷ ὀσιωτάτῳ καὶ θεοφιλεστάτῳ Πατρὶ Κελεστίνῳ Κύριλλος ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν. Εἰ μὲν ἦν σιωπῆσαι, καὶ μὴ πάντα τῇ σῇ θεοσεβείᾳ γράφοντα τὰ κινούμενα, καὶ μέμψεως ἔξω γενέσθαι, καὶ διαφυγεῖν δύνασθαι τὸ δοκοῦν λυπηρόν, καὶ μάλιστα ἐν ἀναγκαίοις οὕτω πράγμασιν, ὅπου καὶ ἡ τῆς πίστεως ὀρθότης παρασαλεύεται παρά τινων, ἔφην ἂν ἐν ἐμαυτῷ· Καλὴ καὶ ἀκίνδυνος ἡ σιωπή, καὶ τὸ ἠρεμεῖν τοῦ ταράττεσθαι κρείττον. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ Θεὸς ἀπαιτεῖ παρ' ἡμῶν τὸ νηφάλιον ἐν τούτοις, καὶ τὰ μακρὰ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἔθη πείθουσιν ἀνακοινοῦσθαι τῇ σῇ ὁσιότητι, γράφω πάλιν ἀναγκαίως, ἐκεῖνο δηλῶν ὅτι διακυκᾷ τὰ πάντα καὶ νῦν ὁ Σατανᾶς, καὶ μετὰ κατὰ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ μαίνεται, καὶ ὀρθοποδοῦντας ἐν πίστει τοὺς ἁπανταχόσε λαοὺς πειρᾶται διαστρέφειν. Οὐ γὰρ ἠρεμεῖ τὸ παμπόνηρον ἐκεῖνο θηρίον καὶ εὐφόρητον εἰς ἀσέβειαν. Ἐσίγων μὲν οὖν παρωχηκότα καιρόν· καὶ οὐδὲν ὅλως οὔτε πρὸς τὴν σὴν θεοσέβειαν γέγραφα περὶ τοῦ νῦν ὄντος ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει, καὶ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν διέποντος, οὔτε μὴν πρὸς ἕτερον τῶν συλλειτουργῶν, τὸ ἐν τούτοις προπετὲς οὐκ ἔξω μώμου κεῖσθαι πιστεύων. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἰς ἀκμὴν ὥσπερ ἥκομεν τοῦ κακοῦ, δεῖν ᾠήθην ἀναγκαίως ἀνεῖναι λοιπὸν τὴν γλῶτταν καὶ πάντα εἰπεῖν τὰ κεκινημένα. Ὁ γὰρ μνημονευθεὶς ἅμα κεχειροτόνηται, καὶ δέον ταῖς παραινέσεσι, ταῖς εἰς τὸ ἀγαθὸν, ὠφελεῖν τοὺς τε ἐκεῖσε λαοὺς καὶ τοὺς παρεπιδημοῦντας ξένους· πάμπολλοι δὲ οὗτοι, καὶ ἀπὸ πάσης, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, πόλεώς τε καὶ χώρας· σπουδὴν ἔθετο λαλεῖν ἔκτοπά τινα, καὶ ἔξω λόγου, καὶ ὅσα μακράν ἐστι τῆς ἀποστολικῆς καὶ εὐαγγελικῆς πίστεως, ἣν μέχρι παντὸς τετηρήκασιν οἱ Πατέρες, παρέδοσάν τε ἡμῖν ὡς πολύτιμον μαργαρίτην. Καὶ τὰς μὲν ὁμιλίας, ἃς ἐπ᾿ ἐκκλησίας εἴρηκε, καὶ τοῦτο πλειστάκις, καὶ λέτων οὐ παύεται, πεπομφα τῇ σῇ θεοσεβείᾳ, ὡς ε!δησιν ἀκριβῆ. Ἐγὼ δὲ ὁμολογῶ, καίτοι βουληθεὶς συνοδικῷ γράμματι φανερὸν αὐτῶ καταστῆσαι, ὅτι ταῦτα λέγοντι καὶ φρονοῦντι κοινωνεῖν οὐ δυνάμεθα· τοῦτο μὲν οὐ πεποίηκα. Λογισάμενος δὲ, ὅτι χρὴ τοῖς ὀλισθήσασι χεῖρα διδόναι, καὶ ὡς ἀδελφοὺς πεσόντας ἐγεῖραι, παρήνεσα διὰ γραμμάτων ἀποσχέσθαι τῆς τοιαύτης κακοδοξίας. ᾿Αλλ' ὠνήσαμεν οὐδέν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ μεμάθηκεν ὅτι τοσοῦτον ἀφεστήκαμεν τοῦ τὰ αὐτὰ φρονεῖν, ὡς καὶ ἐπιπλήττειν αὐτὸν μεταστῆναι τῶν οἰκείων εὑρημάτων, οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἴποιμι δογμάτων, πάντα τρόπον ἐπιβουλῆς κεκίνηκε, καὶ εἰς ἔτι σαλεύων οὐ παύεται. Ὅτε δὲ προσεδοκῶμεν αὐτὸν θεραπεύεσθαι, καὶ ἀποσχέσθαι τῶν κατὰ Χριστοῦ. δογμάτων, ἔγνωμεν ὅτι διημαρτήκαμεν τῆς ἐλπίδος, τοιούτου τινὸς γεγονότος. ὧν ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει ἐπίσκοπος ὀνόματι Δωρόθεος, τὰ αὐτὰ φρονῶν αὐτῷ, ἀνὴρ χρειοκόλαξ καὶ προπετὴς χείλεσι, καθὼς γέγραπται, ὃς ἐν συνάξει καθεζομένου ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως εὐλαβεστάτου Νεστορίου, ἀναστὰς, μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ τετόλμηκεν εἰπεῖν· Εἴ τις Θεοτόκον εἶναι λέγει τὴν Μαρίαν, οὗτος ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. Καὶ γέγονε μὲν κραυγή μεγάλη παρὰ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἐκδρομή. Οὐ γὰρ ἤθελον ἔτι κοινωνεῖν αὐτοῖς τοιαῦτα φρονοῦσιν· ὥστε καὶ νῦν ἀποσυνάκτους εἶναι τοὺς λαοὺς τῆς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, πλὴν ὀλίγων ἐλαφροτέρων καὶ τῶν κολακευόντων αὐτόν. Τὰ δὲ μοναστήρια σχεδὸν ἅπαντα καὶ οἱ τούτων ἀρχιμαν-, ὀρῖται, καὶ τῆς συγκλήτου πολλοὶ οὐ συνάγονται, δε- - διότες μὴ ἀδικηθῶσιν εἰς πίστιν, αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ, οὓς ἀπὸ τῆς ᾿Αντιοχείας ἀναβαίνων ἤγαγε, πάντων λαλούντων τὰ διεστραμμένα. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τῶν ὁμιλιῶν αὐτοῦ ἐνεχθεισῶν εἰς τὴν Αίγυπτον, ἔμαθον ὅτι ἐλαφρότεροί τινες συνηρπάσθησαν, καὶ λοιπὸν ἐνδοιάζοντες πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἔφασκον· Ἆρα ὀρθῶς λέγει; ἆρα ἐπλανήθη; δεδο:-κὼς μὴ ῥιζωθῇ τὰ τῆς νόσου ἐν ταῖς τῶν ἁπλουστέρων ψυχαῖς, ἔγραψα τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον μοναστηρίοις καθολικὴν ἐπιστολὴν, βεβαιῶν αὐτοὺς εἰς πίστιν ὀρθήν. Εἶτά τινες ἀπήγαγον ἐν τῇ Κωνσταντινουπόλει͵ τὰ ἴσα, καὶ ὠφέληνται μὲν ἀναγνόντες πάνυ πολλὰ,, ὥστε καὶ γεγράφασιν εὐχαριστοῦντες πλεῖστοι τῶν ἐν τέλει. Γέγονε δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ τοῦτο τροφὴ τῆς κατ᾿ ἐμοῦ λύπης, καὶ ὡς ἐχθρῷ μάχεται, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἔχων ἐγκαλεῖν, ἢ ὅτι μόνον οὐκ ἀνέχομαι τὰ ἴσα φρονεῖν αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπηνώρθωσα πολλοὺς, ἣν παρελάβομεν ἐκ Πατέρων πίστιν, καὶ ἃ ἐμάθομεν ἐκ τῆς θείας Γραφῆς, ἐκεῖνα δὴ καταπείθων αὐτοὺς οἴεσθαι δεκτά. Ὅμως καὶ οὐ φροντίσας τῶν παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ γενομένων κατ' ἐμοῦ, ἀλλὰ Θεῷ δοὺς τῷ πάντα εἰδότι καὶ ἰσχύοντι, πάλιν ἑτέραν ἐπιστολὴν γέγραφα τῷ μνημονευθέντι, τὴν ἔκθεσιν ὡς ἐν συντόμῳ τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως ἔχουσαν, παρακαλῶν τε ἅμα καὶ διαμαρτυρούμενος οὕτω καὶ φρονεῖν καὶ λαλεῖν. Ἀλλ᾽ ὤνησα πάλιν οὐδέν. Ἔχεται δὲ καὶ εἰς δεῦρο τῶν ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς, καὶ οὐ παύεται λαλῶν τὰ διεστραμμένα. Γινωσκέτω δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἡ σὴ θεοσέβεια, ὅτι καὶ ἅπασι τοῖς κατὰ τὴν ᾿Ανατολὴν ἐπισκόποις συνάδει τὰ λεγόμενα· καὶ δυσχεραίνουσι πάντες καὶ λυποῦνται, καὶ μάλιστα οἱ κατὰ τὴν Μακεδονίαν εὐλαβέστατοι ἐπίσκοποι. Καὶ τοῦτο εἰδὼς, οἴεται ὅτι πάντων ἐστὶ σοφώτερος, καὶ μόνος οἶδε τὸν σκοπὸν τῆς θεσπνεύστου Γραφῆς, καὶ τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον. Καίτοι πῶς οὐκ ἔδει πληροφορεῖσθαι μᾶλλον αὐτὸν, ὅτι πάντων τῶν κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ὀρθοδό ξων ἐπισκόπων καὶ λαϊκῶν ὁμολογούντων ὅτι καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ Θεοτόκος ἡ τεκοῦσα αὐτὸν Παρθένος, πλανᾶται μόνος αὐτὸς τοῦτο ἀρνούμενος; ᾿Αλλ᾿ ὀφρύεται, καὶ οἴεται ὅτι, τῇ δυναστείᾳ τοῦ θρό νου πᾶσιν ἐπιβουλεύων, καὶ ἡμᾶς ἢ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας ἀναπείσει τὰ αὐτὰ φρονεῖν αὐτῷ. Τί τοίνυν δράσομεν, οὔτε ἀναπείθοντες αὐτὸν, ( οὔτε παῦσαι δυνάμενοι τῶν τοιούτων ὁμιλιῶν, καὶ ὀσημέραι κατεφθαρμένων τῶν ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει, καὶ δυσχεραινόντων μὲν, ἐκδεχομένων δὲ τὴν παρὰ τῶν ὀρθοδόξων διδασκάλων ἐπικουρίαν; Καὶ οὐ περὶ τῶν τυχόντων ὁ λόγος ἡμῖν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ἀκίνδυνος ἡ σιωπή. Εἰ γὰρ δυσφημείται Χριστὸς, πῶς ἡμεῖς σιωπήσωμεν, καίτοι τοῦ Παύλου γράφοντος· « Εἰ γὰρ ἑκὼν τοῦτο πράσσω, μισθὸν ἔχω· εἰ δὲ ἄκων, οἰκονομίαν πεπίστευμαι; » Οἱ τοίνυν ἐμπεπιστευμένοι τοῦ λόγου τὴν οἰκονομίαν, καὶ τῆς πίστεως τὴν ἀσφάλειαν, τί ἐροῦμεν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως, ὅταν ἐπὶ τούτοις σιγήσωμεν; σῇ θεοσεβείᾳ ἀνακοινωσώμεθα. Διὸ δὴ καταξίωσον Οὐ πρότερον δὲ τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν κοινωνίας ἐκβάλ· λομεν ἑαυτοὺς μετὰ παῤῥησίας, πρὶν ἂν ταῦτα τῇ τυπῶσαι τὸ δοκοῦν, καὶ πότερόν ποτε χρή κοινωνεῖν αὐτῷ, ἢ λοιπὸν ἀπειπεῖν μετὰ παῤῥησίας, ὅτι τοιαῦτα φρονοῦντι καὶ διδάσκοντι οὐδεὶς κοινωνεῖ. Τὸν δὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις σκοπὸν τῆς σῆς θεοσεβείας χρὴ γενέσθα: διὰ γραμμάτων καταφανῆ καὶ τοῖς εὐσεβεστάτοις καὶ θεοφιλεστάτοις ἐπισκόποις τοῖς κατὰ Μακεδονίαν, καὶ ἅπασι τοῖς κατὰ τὴν ᾿Ανατολήν. Ἐπιθυμοῦσι γὰρ αὐτοῖς δώσομεν ἀφορμὰς τοῦ πάντας μιᾷ ψυχῇ καὶ μιᾷ γνώμῃ στῆναι, καὶ ἐπαγωνίσασθαι τῇ ὀρθῇ πίστει πολεμουμένῃ. Ὅσον γὰρ τὸ κατ᾿ αὐτὸν, καὶ οἱ Πατέρες ἡμῶν οἱ μεγάλοι καὶ θαυμαστοὶ καὶ εὐδόκιμοι Θεοτόκον εἶναι τὴν ἁγίαν εἰπόντες Παρθένον ἀνεθεματίσθησαν, καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ σὺν αὐτοῖς οἱ ζῶντες ἔτι. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἰδίᾳ φωνῇ τοῦτο ποιῆσαι οὐκ ἠθέλησεν, ἄλλον ἔστησε τὸν μνημονευθέντα Δωρόθεον, καὶ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν παρεσκεύασεν, αὐτοῦ καθεζομένου καὶ ἀκούοντος· ᾧ καὶ κατελθὼν ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου εὐθὺς κεκοινώνηκεν, ἐπιτελέσας τὰ θεῖα μυστήρια. Ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ εἰδέναι σαφῶς τὴν σὴν ὁσιότητα, τίνα ἐστὶν ἃ αὐτὸς μὲν λέγει καὶ φρονεῖ, τίνα δὲ οἱ μακάριοι καὶ μεγάλοι Πατέρες ἡμῶν, ἀπέστειλα τόμους, κεφαλαίων περικοπὰς ἔχοντας. Ἑρμηνευθῆναι δὲ παρεσκεύασα, ὡς ἐνεδέχετο τοῖς ἐν ᾿Αλεξανδρείᾳ, καὶ τὰς παρ᾿ ἐμοῦ γραφείσας ἐπιστολὰς δέδωκα τῷ ἀγαπητῷ Ποσειδωνίῳ, ἐντειλάμενος καὶ αὐτὰς προσαγαγεῖν τῇ σῇ ὁσιότητι. Υπομνηστικὸν τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου ἐπισκόπου Κυρίλλου γενόμενον πρὸς Ποσειδώνιον ἀποσταλέντα παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ῾Ῥώμῃ τῶν κατὰ Νεστόριον ἕνεκεν. Ἡ Νεστορίου πίστις, μᾶλλον δὲ κακοδοξία, ταύτην ἔχει τὴν δύναμιν. Φησὶν ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος προεγνωκὼς ὅτι ὁ ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας Παρθένου γενόμενος, ἅγιος ἔσται καὶ μέγας, εἰς τοῦτ᾽ ἐξελέξατο αὐτὸν, καὶ παρεσκεύασε μὲν γεννηθῆναι δίχα ἀνδρὸς ἐκ τῆς Παρθένου, ἐχαρίσατο δὲ αὐτῷ τὸ καλεῖσθαι τοῖς αὐτοῦ ὀνόμασιν, καὶ ἤγειρεν αὐτόν. Ὥστε κἂν ἐνανθρωπήσας λέγηται ὁ μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, ὅτι συνῆν ἀεὶ, ὡς ἀνθρώπῳ ἁγίῳ τῷ ἐκ τῆς Παρθένου, διὰ τοῦτο λέγεται ἐνανθρωπῆσαι· ὥσπερ δὲ συνῆν τοῖς προφήταις, οὕτω, φησὶ, καὶ τούτῳ κατὰ μείζονα συνάφειαν. Διά τοῦτο φεύγει πανταχοῦ τὸ λέγειν τὴν ἕνωσιν, άλλ' ὀνομάζει συνάφειαν, ὥσπερ ἐστὶν ὃς ἔξωθεν, καὶ ὡς ἂν λέγῃ πρὸς Ἰησοῦν, ὅτι «Καθ' ὡς ἦν μετὰ Μωϋσῆ, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ τῆς συναφείας ὄνομα παραιτούμεθα, ὡς οὐκ ἔχον ἱκανῶς σημῆναι τὴν λέγει ὅτι ἐκ μήτρας συνῆν αὐτῷ. οὕτως ἔσομαι μετὰ σοῦ. » Κρύπτων δὲ τὴν ἀσέβειαν, Διὰ τοῦτο οὔτε Θεὸν ἀληθινὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι λέγει, ἀλλ' ὡς εὐδοκίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ κεκλημένον οὕτως· κἂν Κύριος ὠνομάσθη, οὕτως πάλιν αὐτὸν βούλεται Κύριον, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου χαρισαμένου αὐτῷ τὸ καλεῖσθαι καὶ οὕτω. Μή φησιν ὅτι ὅπερ λέγομεν, ἀποθανεῖν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἀναστῆναι, ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἀπέθανε, καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἀνέστη· καὶ οὐδὲν τοῦτο πρὸς τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον. Καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ ὁμολογοῦμεν ὅτι καὶ ἀθάνατός ἐστιν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος καὶ ζωή ἐστιν· ἀλλὰ πιστεύομεν ὅτι γέγονε σάρξ, τουτέστιν, ἑνώσας ἑαυτῷ τὴν σάρκα μετὰ ψυχῆς λογικῆς, ἔπαθε σαρκὶ, κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς· καὶ ἐπειδὴ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ πέπονθεν, αὐτὸς λέγεται παθεῖν, καίτοι τὴν φύσιν ἀπαθής ὧν · καὶ ἐπειδὴ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἀνέστη, οὐ γὰρ εἶδε διαφθορὰν ἡ σάρξ αὐτοῦ, λέγεται ὅτι αὐτὸς ἀνέστη ὑπὲρ νεκρῶν. Ἐκείνῳ δὲ οὐ ταῦτα δοκεῖ, ἀλλά φησιν ὅτι ἀνθρώπου γέγονε τὸ πάθος, καὶ ἀνθρώπου ἡ ἀνάστασις, καὶ ἐν τοῖς μυστηρίοις σῶμὰ ἐστιν ἀνθρώπου τὸ προκείμενον. Ἡμεῖς δὲ πιστεύομεν ὅτι τοῦ Λόγου ἐστὶ σάρξ ζωοποιεῖν ἰσχύουσα διὰ τοῦτο, ὅτι τοῦ τὰ πάντα ζωοποιοῦντος Λόγου γέγονε σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα. Ταῦτα οὐκ ἀνέχων λέγειν ἐκεῖνος, Κελέστιον παρ εσκεύασεν ἐπιδοῦναι λιβέλλους κατὰ Φιλίππου τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου, ἐλέγχοντα αὐτὸν καὶ μηκέτι θελήἕνωσιν, σαντα συναφθῆναι μετ' αὐτοῦ διὰ τὴν αἴρεσιν. δὲ τοῖς λιβέλλοις αἰτία τις ἦν ὅτι Μανιχαῖός ἐστιν. Εἶτα κέκληκε τὸν ἄνθρωπον εἰς συνέδριον. Κἀκεῖνος ἦλθεν, πρᾶγμα ποιῶν κανονικὸν, ἑτοίμως ἔχων ἀπολογήσασθαι. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐδὲν εἶχε δεῖξαι ὁ Κελέστιο,, ἀφανῆ ἑαυτὸν κατέστησε, καὶ οὐκ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸ συνέδριον. Οὐχ εὑρὼν αὐτὴν τὴν ἀφορμὴν, ἐφ᾿ ἑτέραν ἐχώρη - σεν. Ἔφη γὰρ, ὅτι Τίνος ἕνεκεν παρασύναξιν ἐποίησας, καὶ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ προσφορὰν ἐτέλεσας; Παντὸς σχεδὸν τοῦ κλήρου λέγοντος, ὅτι Καὶ ἡμῶν ἕκαστος ἐν καιρῷ καὶ χρείαις τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ἐξένεγκεν ἀπόφασιν καθαιρέσεως κατὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Ἰδοὺ ἔχεις τόμους ἔχοντας κεφάλαια τῶν βλασφημιῶν Νεστορίου.
Tǭ osiōtatǭ kai theophilestatǭ Patri Kelestinǭ Kyrillos en Kyriǭ chairein. Ei men ēn siōpēsai, kai mē panta tę̄ sę̄ theosebeią graphonta ta kinoumena, kai mempseōs exō genesthai, kai diaphygein dynasthai to dokoun lypēron, kai malista en anankaiois houtō pragmasin, hopou kai hē tēs pisteōs orthotēs parasaleuetai para tinōn, ephēn an en emautǭ; Kalē kai akindynos hē siōpē, kai to ēremein tou tarattesthai kreitton. Epeidē de kai Theos apaitei par' hēmōn to nēphalion en toutois, kai ta makra tōn Ekklēsiōn ethē peithousin anakoinousthai tę̄ sę̄ hosiotēti, graphō palin anankaiōs, ekeino dēlōn hoti diakyką ta panta kai nyn ho Satanas, kai meta kata tōn Ekklēsiōn tou Theou mainetai, kai orthopodountas en pistei tous hapantachose laous peiratai diastrephein. Ou gar ēremei to pamponēron ekeino thērion kai euphorēton eis asebeian. Esigōn men oun parōchēkota kairon; kai ouden holōs oute pros tēn sēn theosebeian gegrapha peri tou nyn ontos en Kōnstantinoupolei, kai tēn Ekklēsian diepontos, oute mēn pros heteron tōn sylleitourgōn, to en toutois propetes ouk exō mōmou keisthai pisteuōn. Epeidē de eis akmēn hōsper hēkomen tou kakou, dein ǭēthēn anankaiōs aneinai loipon tēn glōttan kai panta eipein ta kekinēmena. Ho gar mnēmoneutheis hama kecheirotonētai, kai deon tais parainesesi, tais eis to agathon, ōphelein tous te ekeise laous kai tous parepidēmountas xenous; pampolloi de houtoi, kai apo pasēs, hōs epos eipein, poleōs te kai chōras; spoudēn etheto lalein ektopa tina, kai exō logou, kai hosa makran esti tēs apostolikēs kai euangelikēs pisteōs, hēn mechri pantos tetērēkasin hoi Pateres, paredosan te hēmin hōs polytimon margaritēn. Kai tas men homilias, has ep᾿ ekklēsias eirēke, kai touto pleistakis, kai letōn ou pauetai, pepompha tę̄ sę̄ theosebeią, hōs e!dēsin akribē. Egō de homologō, kaitoi boulētheis synodikǭ grammati phaneron autō katastēsai, hoti tauta legonti kai phronounti koinōnein ou dynametha; touto men ou pepoiēka. Logisamenos de, hoti chrē tois olisthēsasi cheira didonai, kai hōs adelphous pesontas egeirai, parēnesa dia grammatōn aposchesthai tēs toiautēs kakodoxias. ᾿All' ōnēsamen ouden. Epeidē de memathēken hoti tosouton aphestēkamen tou ta auta phronein, hōs kai epiplēttein auton metastēnai tōn oikeiōn heurēmatōn, ou gar an eipoimi dogmatōn, panta tropon epiboulēs kekinēke, kai eis eti saleuōn ou pauetai. Hote de prosedokōmen auton therapeuesthai, kai aposchesthai tōn kata Christou. dogmatōn, egnōmen hoti diēmartēkamen tēs elpidos, toioutou tinos gegonotos. hōn en Kōnstantinoupolei episkopos onomati Dōrotheos, ta auta phronōn autǭ, anēr chreiokolax kai propetēs cheilesi, kathōs gegraptai, hos en synaxei kathezomenou epi tou thronou tēs ekklēsias tou Kōnstantinoupoleōs eulabestatou Nestoriou, anastas, megalę̄ tę̄ phōnę̄ tetolmēken eipein; Ei tis Theotokon einai legei tēn Marian, houtos anathema estō. Kai gegone men kraugē megalē para pantos tou laou kai ekdromē. Ou gar ēthelon eti koinōnein autois toiauta phronousin; hōste kai nyn aposynaktous einai tous laous tēs Kōnstantinoupoleōs, plēn oligōn elaphroterōn kai tōn kolakeuontōn auton. Ta de monastēria schedon hapanta kai hoi toutōn archiman-, oritai, kai tēs synklētou polloi ou synagontai, de- - diotes mē adikēthōsin eis pistin, autou kai tōn syn autǭ, hous apo tēs ᾿Antiocheias anabainōn ēgage, pantōn lalountōn ta diestrammena. Epeidē de tōn homiliōn autou enechtheisōn eis tēn Aigypton, emathon hoti elaphroteroi tines synērpasthēsan, kai loipon endoiazontes pros allēlous ephaskon; Ara orthōs legei? ara eplanēthē? dedo:-kōs mē rhizōthę̄ ta tēs nosou en tais tōn haplousterōn psychais, egrapsa tois kata tēn Aigypton monastēriois katholikēn epistolēn, bebaiōn autous eis pistin orthēn. Eita tines apēgagon en tę̄ Kōnstantinoupolei͵ ta isa, kai ōphelēntai men anagnontes pany polla,, hōste kai gegraphasin eucharistountes pleistoi tōn en telei. Gegone de autǭ kai touto trophē tēs kat᾿ emou lypēs, kai hōs echthrǭ machetai, ouden heteron echōn enkalein, ē hoti monon ouk anechomai ta isa phronein autǭ, alla kai epēnōrthōsa pollous, hēn parelabomen ek Paterōn pistin, kai ha emathomen ek tēs theias Graphēs, ekeina dē katapeithōn autous oiesthai dekta. Homōs kai ou phrontisas tōn par᾿ autou genomenōn kat' emou, alla Theǭ dous tǭ panta eidoti kai ischyonti, palin heteran epistolēn gegrapha tǭ mnēmoneuthenti, tēn ekthesin hōs en syntomǭ tēs orthēs pisteōs echousan, parakalōn te hama kai diamartyroumenos houtō kai phronein kai lalein. All᾽ ōnēsa palin ouden. Echetai de kai eis deuro tōn ap᾿ archēs, kai ou pauetai lalōn ta diestrammena. Ginōsketō de kai touto hē sē theosebeia, hoti kai hapasi tois kata tēn ᾿Anatolēn episkopois synadei ta legomena; kai dyscherainousi pantes kai lypountai, kai malista hoi kata tēn Makedonian eulabestatoi episkopoi. Kai touto eidōs, oietai hoti pantōn esti sophōteros, kai monos oide ton skopon tēs thespneustou Graphēs, kai to tou Christou mystērion. Kaitoi pōs ouk edei plērophoreisthai mallon auton, hoti pantōn tōn kata pasan tēn oikoumenēn orthodo xōn episkopōn kai laïkōn homologountōn hoti kai Theos ēn ho Christos, kai Theotokos hē tekousa auton Parthenos, planatai monos autos touto arnoumenos? ᾿All᾿ ophryetai, kai oietai hoti, tę̄ dynasteią tou thro nou pasin epibouleuōn, kai hēmas ē kai tous allous hapantas anapeisei ta auta phronein autǭ. Ti toinyn drasomen, oute anapeithontes auton, ( oute pausai dynamenoi tōn toioutōn homiliōn, kai osēmerai katephtharmenōn tōn en Kōnstantinoupolei, kai dyscherainontōn men, ekdechomenōn de tēn para tōn orthodoxōn didaskalōn epikourian? Kai ou peri tōn tychontōn ho logos hēmin, all᾽ oude akindynos hē siōpē. Ei gar dysphēmeitai Christos, pōs hēmeis siōpēsōmen, kaitoi tou Paulou graphontos; « Ei gar hekōn touto prassō, misthon echō; ei de akōn, oikonomian pepisteumai? » Hoi toinyn empepisteumenoi tou logou tēn oikonomian, kai tēs pisteōs tēn asphaleian, ti eroumen en hēmerą kriseōs, hotan epi toutois sigēsōmen? sę̄ theosebeią anakoinōsōmetha. Dio dē kataxiōson Ou proteron de tēs pros auton koinōnias ekbal; lomen heautous meta parrhēsias, prin an tauta tę̄ typōsai to dokoun, kai poteron pote chrē koinōnein autǭ, ē loipon apeipein meta parrhēsias, hoti toiauta phronounti kai didaskonti oudeis koinōnei. Ton de epi toutois skopon tēs sēs theosebeias chrē genestha: dia grammatōn kataphanē kai tois eusebestatois kai theophilestatois episkopois tois kata Makedonian, kai hapasi tois kata tēn ᾿Anatolēn. Epithymousi gar autois dōsomen aphormas tou pantas mią psychę̄ kai mią gnōmę̄ stēnai, kai epagōnisasthai tę̄ orthę̄ pistei polemoumenę̄. Hoson gar to kat᾿ auton, kai hoi Pateres hēmōn hoi megaloi kai thaumastoi kai eudokimoi Theotokon einai tēn hagian eipontes Parthenon anethematisthēsan, kai hēmeis de syn autois hoi zōntes eti. Kai epeidē idią phōnę̄ touto poiēsai ouk ēthelēsen, allon estēse ton mnēmoneuthenta Dōrotheon, kai touto eipein pareskeuasen, autou kathezomenou kai akouontos; hǭ kai katelthōn apo tou thronou euthys kekoinōnēken, epitelesas ta theia mystēria. Hyper de tou eidenai saphōs tēn sēn hosiotēta, tina estin ha autos men legei kai phronei, tina de hoi makarioi kai megaloi Pateres hēmōn, apesteila tomous, kephalaiōn perikopas echontas. Hermēneuthēnai de pareskeuasa, hōs enedecheto tois en ᾿Alexandreią, kai tas par᾿ emou grapheisas epistolas dedōka tǭ agapētǭ Poseidōniǭ, enteilamenos kai autas prosagagein tę̄ sę̄ hosiotēti. Ypomnēstikon tou hagiōtatou episkopou Kyrillou genomenon pros Poseidōnion apostalenta par' autou en tę̄ ῾Rhōmę̄ tōn kata Nestorion heneken. Hē Nestoriou pistis, mallon de kakodoxia, tautēn echei tēn dynamin. Phēsin hoti ho Theos Logos proegnōkōs hoti ho ek tēs hagias Parthenou genomenos, hagios estai kai megas, eis tout᾽ exelexato auton, kai pareskeuase men gennēthēnai dicha andros ek tēs Parthenou, echarisato de autǭ to kaleisthai tois autou onomasin, kai ēgeiren auton. Hōste kan enanthrōpēsas legētai ho monogenēs tou Theou Logos, hoti synēn aei, hōs anthrōpǭ hagiǭ tǭ ek tēs Parthenou, dia touto legetai enanthrōpēsai; hōsper de synēn tois prophētais, houtō, phēsi, kai toutǭ kata meizona synapheian. Dia touto pheugei pantachou to legein tēn henōsin, all' onomazei synapheian, hōsper estin hos exōthen, kai hōs an legę̄ pros Iēsoun, hoti «Kath' hōs ēn meta Mōÿsē, mallon de to tēs synapheias onoma paraitoumetha, hōs ouk echon hikanōs sēmēnai tēn legei hoti ek mētras synēn autǭ. houtōs esomai meta sou. » Kryptōn de tēn asebeian, Dia touto oute Theon alēthinon auton einai legei, all' hōs eudokią tou Theou keklēmenon houtōs; kan Kyrios ōnomasthē, houtōs palin auton bouletai Kyrion, hōs tou Theou Logou charisamenou autǭ to kaleisthai kai houtō. Mē phēsin hoti hoper legomen, apothanein hyper hēmōn ton Huion tou Theou, kai anastēnai, ho anthrōpos apethane, kai ho anthrōpos anestē; kai ouden touto pros ton tou Theou Logon. Kai hēmeis men gar homologoumen hoti kai athanatos estin ho tou Theou Logos kai zōē estin; alla pisteuomen hoti gegone sarx, toutestin, henōsas heautǭ tēn sarka meta psychēs logikēs, epathe sarki, kata tas Graphas; kai epeidē to sōma autou peponthen, autos legetai pathein, kaitoi tēn physin apathēs hōn ; kai epeidē to sōma autou anestē, ou gar eide diaphthoran hē sarx autou, legetai hoti autos anestē hyper nekrōn. Ekeinǭ de ou tauta dokei, alla phēsin hoti anthrōpou gegone to pathos, kai anthrōpou hē anastasis, kai en tois mystēriois sōma estin anthrōpou to prokeimenon. Hēmeis de pisteuomen hoti tou Logou esti sarx zōopoiein ischyousa dia touto, hoti tou ta panta zōopoiountos Logou gegone sarx kai haima. Tauta ouk anechōn legein ekeinos, Kelestion par eskeuasen epidounai libellous kata Philippou tou presbyterou, elenchonta auton kai mēketi thelēenōsin, santa synaphthēnai met' autou dia tēn airesin. de tois libellois aitia tis ēn hoti Manichaios estin. Eita keklēke ton anthrōpon eis synedrion. Kakeinos ēlthen, pragma poiōn kanonikon, hetoimōs echōn apologēsasthai. Epeidē de ouden eiche deixai ho Kelestio,, aphanē heauton katestēse, kai ouk apēlthen eis to synedrion. Ouch heurōn autēn tēn aphormēn, eph᾿ heteran echōrē - sen. Ephē gar, hoti Tinos heneken parasynaxin epoiēsas, kai en tę̄ oikią prosphoran etelesas? Pantos schedon tou klērou legontos, hoti Kai hēmōn hekastos en kairǭ kai chreiais touto poiei, exenenken apophasin kathaireseōs kata tou anthrōpou. Idou echeis tomous echontas kephalaia tōn blasphēmiōn Nestoriou.
Cyril to the most holy and most God-beloved father Celestine: greeting in the Lord.
If it were possible to keep silent, and, without writing to your Reverence about everything that is stirring, to be free of blame and to escape what seems painful, especially in such pressing matters, where the soundness of the faith is being shaken by some, I would have said to myself: “Silence is good and safe, and quiet is better than turmoil.” But since God demands of us sobriety in these matters, and the long-standing customs of the churches persuade us to communicate with your Holiness, I write again of necessity, to make known that Satan is now too throwing everything into confusion, raging against the churches of God, and trying to pervert the peoples everywhere who walk straight in the faith. For that utterly wicked beast, so ready for impiety, is never at rest.
For a time, then, I kept silent, and I wrote nothing at all, either to your Reverence or to any other of our fellow ministers, about the man who is now in Constantinople and governs the church there, believing that rashness in such matters is not free of blame. But since we have reached, as it were, the height of the evil, I thought it necessary to loose my tongue at last and to tell all that has been set in motion. For the man in question, as soon as he was ordained, when he ought to have helped the people there and the foreigners visiting (and these are very many, from practically every city and country) with exhortations to what is good, set himself to say strange things, beyond reason, things far from the apostolic and evangelical faith, which the fathers kept to the end and handed down to us like a pearl of great price. The homilies he has delivered in church, often, and which he does not stop delivering, I have sent to your Reverence for exact knowledge. I confess that, though I wished to make it plain to him by a synodical letter that we cannot be in communion with one who says and thinks these things, I did not do so. Reckoning that we must give a hand to those who have slipped and raise up the fallen as brothers, I urged him by letter to keep away from such false doctrine. But we accomplished nothing. When he learned that we were so far from thinking the same as he that we even rebuked him to depart from his own inventions (I would not call them doctrines), he set every kind of plot in motion and does not cease shaking things still.
When we were expecting him to be healed and to keep away from his doctrines against Christ, we learned that we had been disappointed in our hope, from something that happened. There is in Constantinople a bishop named Dorotheus, of the same mind as he, a self-seeking flatterer and “rash with his lips,” as it is written. At a liturgical assembly, while the most reverent Nestorius sat on the throne of the church of Constantinople, he stood up and dared to say in a loud voice, “If anyone says that Mary is Mother of God, let him be anathema.” There was a great outcry from all the people, and a rush out of the church; for they no longer wished to be in communion with men who think such things. So that now the people of Constantinople stay away from the services, except for a few of the more lightweight and those who flatter him. Nearly all the monasteries and their archimandrites, and many of the senate, do not attend, fearing that their faith will be harmed, since he and those he brought with him when he came up from Antioch all talk perversely.
When his homilies were brought to Egypt, I learned that some of the more lightweight were carried away and were doubting among themselves, saying, “Is he right? Has he gone astray?” Fearing that the disease might take root in the souls of the simpler, I wrote a general letter to the monasteries of Egypt, confirming them in the right faith. Then some took copies to Constantinople, and those who read them were greatly helped, so that very many of those in authority wrote to thank me. This too fed his grief against me, and he fights me as an enemy, having nothing else to accuse me of except that I will not think as he does, and that I have corrected many by persuading them to hold as acceptable the faith we received from the fathers and what we learned from the divine Scripture. Nevertheless, not caring about what he has done against me, but leaving it to God who knows and can do all things, I wrote yet another letter to the man in question, containing a brief exposition of the right faith, exhorting him and charging him to think and speak so. But again I accomplished nothing. He holds to his original views even now and does not stop saying perverse things.
Let your Reverence know this too: all the bishops of the East agree with what we say, and all are displeased and grieved, especially the most reverent bishops of Macedonia. He knows this, yet thinks himself wiser than all and that he alone knows the aim of the divinely inspired Scripture and the mystery of Christ. Yet ought he not rather to be fully persuaded that, when all the orthodox bishops and laity throughout the whole world confess that Christ was God and the Virgin who bore him Mother of God, he alone errs in denying it? But he puts on airs, and thinks that, plotting against everyone by the power of his throne, he will persuade us and all the others to think as he does. What, then, shall we do, since we can neither persuade him nor stop such homilies, while those in Constantinople are corrupted daily and, though displeased, are waiting for help from orthodox teachers? Our concern is with no trivial matter, nor is silence without danger. For if Christ is blasphemed, how shall we keep silent, when Paul writes, “For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if unwillingly, I have been entrusted with a stewardship”? What shall we who have been entrusted with the stewardship of the word and the safekeeping of the faith say on the day of judgement, if we keep silent about these things?
We do not cut ourselves off openly from communion with him before we have communicated these things to your Reverence. Be so good, therefore, as to set down what you judge: whether we ought to be in communion with him, or to declare openly at last that no one is in communion with one who thinks and teaches such things. Your Reverence's mind on these matters should also be made known by letter to the most pious and God-beloved bishops of Macedonia and to all those of the East. They desire it, and we shall give them occasion for all to stand with one soul and one mind and to contend for the right faith that is being attacked. For as far as he is concerned, our great, admirable, and renowned fathers who said that the holy Virgin is Mother of God have been anathematized, and we with them, who are still alive. And since he did not wish to do this with his own voice, he set up another, the Dorotheus mentioned above, and arranged for him to say it while he himself sat and listened; and when he came down from the throne he at once gave him communion, after celebrating the divine mysteries.
So that your Holiness may know clearly what he says and thinks, and what our blessed and great fathers say and think, I have sent treatises containing excerpts arranged under headings. I had them translated as well as could be done by those in Alexandria, and I have given the letters I wrote to the beloved Posidonius, instructing him to bring these also to your Holiness.
Memorandum of the most holy bishop Cyril, given to Posidonius when he was sent by him to Rome concerning the affairs of Nestorius.
The faith, or rather the false doctrine, of Nestorius has this meaning. He says that God the Word, foreknowing that the one born of the holy Virgin would be holy and great, chose him for this, arranged for him to be born of the Virgin without a man, granted him to be called by his own names, and raised him up. So that, if the only-begotten Word of God is said to have become man, it is because he was always with the holy man born of the Virgin; for this reason he is said to have become man. And as he was with the prophets, so, he says, he was with this one too, but by a greater conjunction. For this reason he everywhere avoids saying “union” and calls it “conjunction,” as of one who is outside, as when he says to Joshua, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” Concealing his impiety, he says that he was with him from the womb. (We, rather, reject the term “conjunction” as unable to signify the union adequately.) For this reason he does not say that he is true God, but that he was called so by God's good pleasure; and if he was named Lord, again he means him to be Lord in the sense that God the Word granted him to be called so too. He says that when we say the Son of God died for us and rose, it was the man who died and the man who rose, and this has nothing to do with the Word of God. We too confess that the Word of God is immortal and is life; but we believe that he became flesh, that is, having united to himself flesh with a rational soul, he suffered in the flesh, according to the Scriptures; and since his body suffered, he himself is said to have suffered, though he is impassible in nature; and since his body rose (for his flesh did not see corruption), it is said that he himself rose from the dead. But he does not hold this; he says that the suffering was a man's, the resurrection a man's, and that what is set forth in the mysteries is a man's body. We believe that the flesh is the Word's and is able to give life precisely because it has become the flesh and blood of the Word who gives life to all things.
Not bearing to say these things, he arranged for Celestius to present charges against the presbyter Philip, who was refuting him and would no longer be joined with him because of his heresy. The accusation in the charges was that he is a Manichaean. Then he summoned the man to a session. He came, doing what the canons require, ready to make his defence. But since Celestius had nothing to show, he made himself scarce and did not come to the session. Not finding that pretext, he passed to another. For he said, “Why did you hold a separate service and celebrate the offering in a house?” And when nearly all the clergy said, “Each of us too does this when there is occasion and need,” he pronounced a sentence of deposition against the man. See, you have the treatises containing the headings of Nestorius's blasphemies.
Prov 13:3 (echo, medium confidence) · Matt 13:46 (echo, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 9:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Josh 1:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 2:31 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 16:10 (15:10 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Pet 4:1 (allusion, medium confidence) · Acts 4:32 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril reports to Celestine of Rome on Nestorius's teaching and conduct, asks whether he should break communion with him, and attaches a memorandum summarizing Nestorius's views and his deposition of the presbyter Philip.
- Written in 430 and carried to Rome by the deacon Posidonius with the memorandum that follows it. Cyril's account of Nestorius's teaching is polemical and is translated as written. Lines in the memorandum are out of place in the edition: the words “We, rather, reject the term ‘conjunction’ as unable to signify the union adequately” are printed in the middle of the quotation from Joshua, and the word “union” has strayed into a later sentence; they are translated where the sense requires, with the parenthesis marking the uncertain placement. The paragraph asking Celestine for a ruling is also printed with its lines out of order and is translated by sense. “Rash with his lips” echoes Prov 13:3 (LXX).
Topics: Christology, Heresy, Eucharist, Church office
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Ep. 11 (PG 77 77:79; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/11
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 77 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters 4, 17 and 39 compared with NPNF² 14; the rest re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 12
12PG 77 77:89
Τῷ ἀγαπητῷ ἀδελφῷ Κυρίλλῳ Κελεστίνος. Τῇ ἡμετέρα στυγνότητι τὰ διὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ ἡμῶν Ποσει δωνίου τοῦ διακόνου ἀποσταλέντα παρὰ τῆς σῆς ἁγιώτητος γράμματα ἀπέδωκεν εὐθυμίαν, καὶ ἀντικατηλλαξάμεθα τὸ ἦδος πρὸς τὸ λυποῦν. Αποβλέποντες γὰρ καὶ ἐννοοῦντες ἄπερ εἶπεν ὁ τὴν ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει Ἐκκλησίαν διεστραμμέναις προσομιλίαις ταράττειν ἐπιχειρῶν, οὐ σμικρῷ κατ' αὐτὴν ψυχὴν πεπληγμένοι πόνῳ, διαφόροις σκέψεων κέντροις βασανιζόμεθα, ἐννοοῦντες ὅπως βοηθεῖν εἰς τὸ ἐμμένειν τῇ πίστει. Ὡς δὲ τὴν ἡμετέραν διάνοιαν εἰς τὰ παρὰ τῆς σῆς ἀδελφότητος γραφέντα μετεστήσαμεν, ὤφθη ἡμῖν εὐθὺς ἑτοιμοτάτη θεραπεία, δι' ἧς ἡ λοιμώδης νόσος ὑγιεινῷ φαρμάκῳ ἀπελαθείη· φημὶ δὴ τὴν τῆς καθαρᾶς πηγῆς ἔκροιαν, τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ λόγου τῆς σῆς ἀγάπης ἐκρέουσαν, δι' οὗ πᾶσα καθαριεῖται ἡ ἱλὺς τοῦ κακῶς διαχεομένου ῥείθρου, καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνοίγεται ὁ τρόπος τῆς δεούσης περὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν πίστιν ἐννοίας. "Ωσπερ οὖν ἐκεῖνον καὶ στίζομεν καὶ μεμφόμεθα, οὕτω τὴν σὴν ἁγιότητα, ὥσπερ παροῦσαν ἐν τοῖς ἰδίοις γράμμασι, τῇ τοῦ Κυρίου ἀγάπῃ περιπλεκόμεθα, ὁρῶντες ὅτι ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ περὶ τοῦ Δεσπότου φρονοῦμεν. Καὶ θαυμαστὸν οὐδὲν τὸν προνοητικώτατον τοῦ Κυρίου ἱερέα ὑπὲρ τοῦ τῆς πίστεως ἔρωτος τοιαύτῃ διαμάχεσθαι ἀρετῇ, ὥστε τῇ ἀτόπῳ τῶν ἐναντίων τόλμῃ ἀνθίστασθαι καὶ τοὺς ἑαυτῷ ἐμπεπιστευμένους τοιαύταις ὑπομνήσεσι βεβαιοῦν. "Ωσπερ ἐκεῖνα ἡμῖν πιψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τίθησιν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἰδίων προβάτων. ὡς κακὸς μισθωτὸς κατηγορεῖσθαι ἄξιος· ὃς οὐ διὰ ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι ηὑρέθη αὐτὸς διασπαράττων αὐτά. κρά, οὕτω ταῦτά ἐστιν ἡδέα· ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνα ἰλυώδη, οὕτω ταῦτα καθαρά. Καὶ χαίρομεν τοσαύτην ἐνεῖναι ὁρῶντες τῇ σῇ εὐλαβείᾳ ἐγρήγορσιν, ὡς ἤδη σε νενικηκέναι τὰ ὑποδείγματα τῶν σου προηγησαμένων, γενομένων ἀεὶ καὶ σὐτῶν ἐκδίκων τοῦ ὀρθοδόξου δόγματος. ᾿Αληθῶς τε ἐπὶ σοῦ ἁρμόσει ἡ εὐαγγελική μαρτυρία ἡ λέγουσα· « Ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ ἀγαθὸς τὴν ᾿Αλλ' ὥσπερ σὺ ποιμὴν ἀγαθὸς, οὕτως ἐκεῖνος οὐδὲ τοῦτο διαβάλλεται, ὡς τὰ ἑαυτοῦ καταλιπὼν πρόβατα, Προσθεῖναι δέ τινα καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐμέλλομεν, ἀγαπητέ ἀδελφέ, εἰ μὴ ἑωρῶμέν σε τὰ αὐτὰ φρονοῦντα πάντα, ἅπερ φρονοῦμεν, καὶ ἐν τῇ βεβαιώσει τῆς πίστεως ἐδοκιμάζομέν σε ἔκδικον ἰσχυρότατον. Ἀπεδόθη γὰρ -ἡμῖν πάντα κατὰ τάξιν διὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ ἡμῶν Ποσειδω - νίου τοῦ διακόνου, ὅσα περὶ τούτου τοῦ πράγματος ἡ σὴ ἁγιότης γεγράφηκε. Πάντα τὰ δίκτυα τῆς δολίας προσομιλίας ἐγύμνωσας, καὶ οὕτω τὴν πίστιν ὠχύρωσας, ὡς μὴ δύνασθαι τὴν καρδίαν τῶν τῷ Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν πιστευόντων εἰς ἕτερον ἑλκυσθῆναι μέρος. Μέγας οὗτός ἐστι τῆς ἡμετέρας πίστεως ὁ θρίαμβος, τὸ ἀποδεῖξαι τὰ ἡμέτερα οὕτως ἰσχυρῶς, καὶ οὕτω νενικηκέναι τὰ ἐναντία διὰ τῆς τῶν θείων Γραφῶν μαρτυρίας. Τί λοιπὸν διαπράξεται; Η ποῦ ἑαυτὸν ἐκεῖνος περιστρέψει; ὃς γενόμενος ἐραστὴς ἀσεβοῦς νεωτερισμοῦ, ὡς ἐβούλετο μᾶλλον ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ ἐννοίαις δουλεύειν ἑαυτῷ, ἢ τῷ Χριστῷ, τὸν ἐμπιστευθέντα ἑαυτῷ δῆμον βλάψαι ἠθέλησε τῷ τῆς ἰδίας προσομιλίας δηλητηρίῳ, δέον καὶ ἀναγνῶναι τοῦτο καὶ κατέχειν, ὅτι τὰ μάταια ζητήματα, καὶ μὴ προκόπτοντα εἰς ὑγίειαν, ἀλλὰ χωροῦντα εἰς ψυχῶν ἀπώλειαν, φεύγειν μᾶλλον, ἢ ἐπιζητεῖν δεῖ. Αλλ' ὅμως εἰς κρημνοὺς αὐτοὺς ἐπειγόμενον, μᾶλλον δὲ ἤδη ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ κρημνῷ, ὅθεν πεσεῖται, διάγοντα, εἴ γε δυνάμεθα, ἀνακαλεῖσθαι ὀφείλομεν, μὴ τὴν πτῶσιν αὐτοῦ τῷ βοηθεῖν προσωθήσωμεν. Ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἐπάγεται ζήτησις περὶ τῆς ἰδίας γεννήσεως, ἐδίδαξεν ἡμᾶς κάμνειν ὑπὲρ προβάτου ἑνὸς, θέλων καὶ διὰ τῶν ἰδίων ὤμων άνακαλεῖσθαι, ὡς μὴ ἐκκέηται τῷ λύκῳ εἰς ἀρπαγήν. Εἶτα ὁ διδάξας ἡμᾶς οὕτω δραμεῖν ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας προβάτου ἑνὸς, πῶς ἄρα ἡμᾶς κάμνειν βούλεται ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τοῦ τῶν προβάτων ποιμένος; ὃς τῆς προσηγορίας ταύτης καὶ τοῦ ἐπαγγέλματος· ἐπιλελησμένος, αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν εἰς ἁρπαγὴν λύκου μετήλλαξεν, ἐπιθυμῶν ἀπολέσαι τὴν ἀγέλην, ἣν αὐτὸς ὤφειλε συντηρῆσαι. Τοῦτον οὖν ἡμεῖς ἀπὸ τῆς περικλείσεως τῶν ἀμνῶν ἀποκινῆσαι ὀφείλομεν, ἐὰν μὴ αὐτὸν, ὡς θέακολουθῶν, καὶ τόν. βοηθεῖν τῷ μὴ βοηθεῖν, λομεν, διορθωσώμεθα. Εἴη ἔτι συγγνώμης ἐλπὶς διορθουμένῳ· θέλομεν γὰρ ἵνα ὑποστρέψῃ καὶ ζήσῃ, εἰ μὴ αὐτὸς τὴν ζωὴν τῶν ἐμπεπιστευμένων ἑαυτῷ ἀπολέσειεν. Εἴη δέ τις φανερὰ ἀπόφασις κατ' αὐτοῦ ἐμμένοντος· ἐκκοπτέον γὰρ τὸ τοιοῦτον τραῦμα δι' οὗ οὐχἓν μέλος βλάπτεται, ἀλλὰ πᾶν τὸ σῶμα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας διατιτρώσκεται. Τί γὰρ ποιεῖ μετὰ τῶν ἀλλήλοις ὁμονοούντων, ὃς μόνος ἑαυτῷ φρονεῖν δοκῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμετέρας διχονοεῖ πίστεως; Ὅθεν μενέτωσαν ἐν τῇ κοινωνίᾳ, οὓς αὐτὸς ἀντιλέγοντας αὐτῷ ἀπεκίνησε τῆς κοινωνίας · καὶ γινωσκέτω ὅτι αὐτὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν κοινωνίαν ἔχειν οὐ δυνήσεται, ἐὰν ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ τῆς διαστροφῆς ὁδῷ παραμείνῃ, ἐναντιούμενος τῇ ἀποστολικῇ διδαχῇ. Συναφθείσης σοι τοίνυν τῆς αὐθεντίας τοῦ ἡμετέρου θρόνου, τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ διαδοχῇ χρησάμενος ταύτην ἐκβιβάσεις ἀκριβεῖ στεῤῥότητι τὴν ἀπόφασιν, ἵνα ἢ ἐντὸς δέκα ἡμερῶν ἀριθμουμένων ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμέρας τῆς ὑπομνήσεως ταύτης, τὰ κακὰ κηρύγματα ἑαυτοῦ ἐγγράφῳ ὁμολογίᾳ ἀθετήσῃ, καὶ ἑαυτὸν διαβεβαιώσηται ταύτην κατέχειν τὴν πίστιν περὶ τῆς γεννήσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν, ἣν καὶ ἡ Ῥωμαίων καὶ ἡ τῆς σῆς ἁγιότητος Ἐκκλησία, καὶ ἡ καθόλου καθοσίωσις κατέχει· ἢ ἐὰν μὴ τοῦτο ποιήσῃ, εὐθὺς ἡ σὴ ἁγιότης ἐκείνης τῆς Ἐκκλησίας προνοησαμένη, μάθῃ αὐτὸν παντὶ τρόπῳ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἡμετέρου σωματίου ἀποκινητέον, ὅς οὔτε τὴν τῶν θεραπευόντων ἴασιν ἠθέλησε καταδέξασθαι, καὶ εἰς ἀπώλειαν αὐτοῦ τε δης ἠπείχθη. καὶ πάντων τῶν αὐτῷ πεπιστευμένων κακῶς λοιμώ Τὰ δὲ αὐτὰ ἐγράψαμεν πρὸς τοὺς ἁγίους ἀδελφοὺς καὶ συνεπισκόπους ἡμῶν Ἰωάννην, Ῥοῦφον, Ἰουβενάλιον καὶ Φλαβιανόν · ἵνα φανερὰ ἢ ἡ περὶ αὐτοῦ ἡμῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἡμῶν θεία ἀπόφασις.
Tǭ agapētǭ adelphǭ Kyrillǭ Kelestinos. Tę̄ hēmetera stygnotēti ta dia tou huiou hēmōn Posei dōniou tou diakonou apostalenta para tēs sēs hagiōtētos grammata apedōken euthymian, kai antikatēllaxametha to ēdos pros to lypoun. Apoblepontes gar kai ennoountes aper eipen ho tēn en Kōnstantinoupolei Ekklēsian diestrammenais prosomiliais tarattein epicheirōn, ou smikrǭ kat' autēn psychēn peplēgmenoi ponǭ, diaphorois skepseōn kentrois basanizometha, ennoountes hopōs boēthein eis to emmenein tę̄ pistei. Hōs de tēn hēmeteran dianoian eis ta para tēs sēs adelphotētos graphenta metestēsamen, ōphthē hēmin euthys hetoimotatē therapeia, di' hēs hē loimōdēs nosos hygieinǭ pharmakǭ apelatheiē; phēmi dē tēn tēs katharas pēgēs ekroian, tēn apo tou logou tēs sēs agapēs ekreousan, di' hou pasa katharieitai hē hilys tou kakōs diacheomenou rheithrou, kai pasin anoigetai ho tropos tēs deousēs peri tēn hēmeteran pistin ennoias. "Ōsper oun ekeinon kai stizomen kai memphometha, houtō tēn sēn hagiotēta, hōsper parousan en tois idiois grammasi, tę̄ tou Kyriou agapę̄ periplekometha, horōntes hoti hen kai to auto peri tou Despotou phronoumen. Kai thaumaston ouden ton pronoētikōtaton tou Kyriou hierea hyper tou tēs pisteōs erōtos toiautę̄ diamachesthai aretę̄, hōste tę̄ atopǭ tōn enantiōn tolmę̄ anthistasthai kai tous heautǭ empepisteumenous toiautais hypomnēsesi bebaioun. "Ōsper ekeina hēmin pipsychēn autou tithēsin hyper tōn idiōn probatōn. hōs kakos misthōtos katēgoreisthai axios; hos ou dia all᾽ hoti hēurethē autos diasparattōn auta. kra, houtō tauta estin hēdea; hōsper ekeina ilyōdē, houtō tauta kathara. Kai chairomen tosautēn eneinai horōntes tę̄ sę̄ eulabeią egrēgorsin, hōs ēdē se nenikēkenai ta hypodeigmata tōn sou proēgēsamenōn, genomenōn aei kai sytōn ekdikōn tou orthodoxou dogmatos. ᾿Alēthōs te epi sou harmosei hē euangelikē martyria hē legousa; « Ho poimēn ho agathos tēn ᾿All' hōsper sy poimēn agathos, houtōs ekeinos oude touto diaballetai, hōs ta heautou katalipōn probata, Prostheinai de tina kai hēmeis emellomen, agapēte adelphe, ei mē heōrōmen se ta auta phronounta panta, haper phronoumen, kai en tę̄ bebaiōsei tēs pisteōs edokimazomen se ekdikon ischyrotaton. Apedothē gar -hēmin panta kata taxin dia tou huiou hēmōn Poseidō - niou tou diakonou, hosa peri toutou tou pragmatos hē sē hagiotēs gegraphēke. Panta ta diktya tēs dolias prosomilias egymnōsas, kai houtō tēn pistin ōchyrōsas, hōs mē dynasthai tēn kardian tōn tǭ Christǭ tǭ Theǭ hēmōn pisteuontōn eis heteron helkysthēnai meros. Megas houtos esti tēs hēmeteras pisteōs ho thriambos, to apodeixai ta hēmetera houtōs ischyrōs, kai houtō nenikēkenai ta enantia dia tēs tōn theiōn Graphōn martyrias. Ti loipon diapraxetai? Ē pou heauton ekeinos peristrepsei? hos genomenos erastēs asebous neōterismou, hōs ebouleto mallon tais heautou ennoiais douleuein heautǭ, ē tǭ Christǭ, ton empisteuthenta heautǭ dēmon blapsai ēthelēse tǭ tēs idias prosomilias dēlētēriǭ, deon kai anagnōnai touto kai katechein, hoti ta mataia zētēmata, kai mē prokoptonta eis hygieian, alla chōrounta eis psychōn apōleian, pheugein mallon, ē epizētein dei. All' homōs eis krēmnous autous epeigomenon, mallon de ēdē en autǭ tǭ krēmnǭ, hothen peseitai, diagonta, ei ge dynametha, anakaleisthai opheilomen, mē tēn ptōsin autou tǭ boēthein prosōthēsōmen. Ho Christos ho Theos hēmōn, hǭ epagetai zētēsis peri tēs idias gennēseōs, edidaxen hēmas kamnein hyper probatou henos, thelōn kai dia tōn idiōn ōmōn anakaleisthai, hōs mē ekkeētai tǭ lykǭ eis arpagēn. Eita ho didaxas hēmas houtō dramein hyper sōtērias probatou henos, pōs ara hēmas kamnein bouletai hyper autou tou tōn probatōn poimenos? hos tēs prosēgorias tautēs kai tou epangelmatos; epilelēsmenos, autos heauton eis harpagēn lykou metēllaxen, epithymōn apolesai tēn agelēn, hēn autos ōpheile syntērēsai. Touton oun hēmeis apo tēs perikleiseōs tōn amnōn apokinēsai opheilomen, ean mē auton, hōs theakolouthōn, kai ton. boēthein tǭ mē boēthein, lomen, diorthōsōmetha. Eiē eti syngnōmēs elpis diorthoumenǭ; thelomen gar hina hypostrepsę̄ kai zēsę̄, ei mē autos tēn zōēn tōn empepisteumenōn heautǭ apoleseien. Eiē de tis phanera apophasis kat' autou emmenontos; ekkopteon gar to toiouton trauma di' hou ouchen melos blaptetai, alla pan to sōma tēs Ekklēsias diatitrōsketai. Ti gar poiei meta tōn allēlois homonoountōn, hos monos heautǭ phronein dokōn apo tēs hēmeteras dichonoei pisteōs? Hothen menetōsan en tę̄ koinōnią, hous autos antilegontas autǭ apekinēse tēs koinōnias ; kai ginōsketō hoti autos tēn hēmeteran koinōnian echein ou dynēsetai, ean en tautę̄ tę̄ tēs diastrophēs hodǭ parameinę̄, enantioumenos tę̄ apostolikę̄ didachę̄. Synaphtheisēs soi toinyn tēs authentias tou hēmeterou thronou, tę̄ hēmeterą diadochę̄ chrēsamenos tautēn ekbibaseis akribei sterrhotēti tēn apophasin, hina ē entos deka hēmerōn arithmoumenōn apo tēs hēmeras tēs hypomnēseōs tautēs, ta kaka kērygmata heautou engraphǭ homologią athetēsę̄, kai heauton diabebaiōsētai tautēn katechein tēn pistin peri tēs gennēseōs tou Christou tou Theou hēmōn, hēn kai hē Rhōmaiōn kai hē tēs sēs hagiotētos Ekklēsia, kai hē katholou kathosiōsis katechei; ē ean mē touto poiēsę̄, euthys hē sē hagiotēs ekeinēs tēs Ekklēsias pronoēsamenē, mathę̄ auton panti tropǭ apo tou hēmeterou sōmatiou apokinēteon, hos oute tēn tōn therapeuontōn iasin ēthelēse katadexasthai, kai eis apōleian autou te dēs ēpeichthē. kai pantōn tōn autǭ pepisteumenōn kakōs loimō Ta de auta egrapsamen pros tous hagious adelphous kai synepiskopous hēmōn Iōannēn, Rhouphon, Ioubenalion kai Phlabianon ; hina phanera ē hē peri autou hēmōn, mallon de hē tou Christou hēmōn theia apophasis.
Celestine to his beloved brother Cyril.
The letter your Holiness sent by our son Posidonius the deacon has brought cheerfulness to our gloom, and we have exchanged grief for delight. For as we looked at and considered what was said by the one who is trying to trouble the church of Constantinople with perverse sermons, we were struck in our very soul with no small pain and tormented by various stings of thought, considering how to help it to remain in the faith. But when we turned our mind to what your Brotherliness wrote, a most ready cure at once appeared to us, by which the pestilential disease may be driven out with a wholesome remedy: I mean the outflow of the pure spring that flows from the discourse of your Love, by which all the mud of the stream that is spreading so badly will be cleansed, and the way of the right understanding of our faith is opened to all. As, then, we brand and blame him, so we embrace your Holiness in the love of the Lord, as present in your own letter, seeing that we think one and the same thing about the Master. It is no wonder that the most provident priest of the Lord contends with such virtue for love of the faith as to resist the outrageous daring of its opponents and to strengthen those entrusted to him with such admonitions. As what came from him was bitter to us, so this is sweet; as that was muddy, so this is pure. And we rejoice to see such vigilance in your Reverence that you have already surpassed the examples of your predecessors, who themselves were always champions of orthodox doctrine. Truly the testimony of the Gospel fits you, which says, “The good shepherd lays down his life for his own sheep.” But as you are a good shepherd, so he is not even accused of deserting his own sheep, as a bad hireling deserves to be charged, but of being found himself tearing them apart.
We ourselves would have added something, beloved brother, if we did not see that you think all the same things we think, and had not found you a most powerful champion in confirming the faith. For everything your Holiness wrote about this matter was delivered to us in order by our son Posidonius the deacon. You have laid bare all the nets of his deceitful preaching and have so fortified the faith that the hearts of those who believe in Christ our God cannot be drawn to the other side. This is a great triumph of our faith, to have proved our position so strongly and to have overcome the opposite by the testimony of the divine Scriptures. What will he do now? Or where will he turn, he who became a lover of impious innovation and, since he wished to serve his own notions rather than Christ, chose to harm the people entrusted to him with the poison of his own preaching? He ought to have read and held fast that vain questions, which do not lead to health but go on to the destruction of souls, must be shunned rather than sought out.
Nevertheless, though he is hurrying to the very cliffs, or rather is already on the very cliff from which he will fall, we ought, if we can, to call him back, so that we do not push him into his fall by failing to help him. Christ our God, about whose own birth this inquiry is raised, taught us to labour for a single sheep, choosing to call it back even on his own shoulders, so that it should not be left exposed to the wolf as prey. Then he who taught us to run so for the salvation of a single sheep, how much does he want us to labour for the very shepherd of the sheep, who, forgetting this title and calling, has changed himself into a ravening wolf, desiring to destroy the flock he ought to have kept safe? We ought therefore to remove him from the fold of the lambs, unless we correct him, as we wish. Let there still be hope of pardon for him if he corrects himself; for we wish him to turn back and live, provided he does not destroy the life of those entrusted to him. But let there be a public sentence against him if he persists; for such a wound must be cut out, by which not one member only is harmed but the whole body of the church is pierced. For what has he to do with those who are of one mind with one another, he who, thinking he alone is wise, dissents from our faith? Therefore let those whom he removed from communion for contradicting him remain in communion; and let him know that he himself cannot have our communion if he remains on this road of perversion, opposing the apostolic teaching.
Therefore, the authority of our see being joined to you, you will, acting in our place, carry out this sentence with exact firmness: that either within ten days, counted from the day of this admonition, he reject his evil preaching by a written confession and affirm that he holds the faith about the birth of Christ our God which the church of the Romans, the church of your Holiness, and the whole religion hold; or, if he does not do this, your Holiness, providing for that church, should know at once that he must in every way be removed from our body, since he would not accept the healing of those who tried to cure him and, like a pestilential disease, has rushed to the destruction of himself and of all entrusted to him. We have written the same to our holy brothers and fellow bishops John, Rufus, Juvenal, and Flavian, so that our sentence about him, or rather the divine sentence of our Christ, may be made public.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
John 10:11 (quotation, high confidence) · John 10:12 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 6:4 (echo, medium confidence) · 2 Tim 2:23 (echo, medium confidence) · Luke 15:4–5 (allusion, high confidence) · Ezek 33:11 (echo, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 12:26 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Celestine of Rome praises Cyril's defence of the faith and commissions him, acting with Rome's authority, to give Nestorius ten days to recant in writing or be removed from communion.
- Letter of Celestine of Rome to Cyril (August 430), written in Latin; Migne prints a Greek version, translated here. Lines are out of place in the edition (the comparison “bitter … sweet” and the good-shepherd sentence are interleaved); they are translated in the order the sense requires. The phrase “unless we correct him, as we wish” is printed with stray words from the notes and is translated by sense. John, Rufus, Juvenal, and Flavian are the bishops of Antioch, Thessalonica, Jerusalem, and Philippi.
Topics: Christology, Heresy, Church office
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Ep. 12 (PG 77 77:89; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/12
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 77 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters 4, 17 and 39 compared with NPNF² 14; the rest re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 13
13PG 77 77:93
Ἔγνω που πάντως καὶ διὰ πολλῶν ἡ σὴ θεοσέβεια τῆς ἁγίας Κωνσταντινουπολιτῶν Ἐκκλησίας τὴν νῦν οὖσαν κατάστασιν, ὅτι τεθορύβηται λίαν, καὶ λεστίνῳ, καὶ δὴ καὶ τοῖς ἰδίοις ἐνέθηκε γράμμασι ἀποσύνακτοι μεμενήκασι πολλοὶ, καὶ τῶν ἄγαν σπουδαίων καὶ ἐπιεικῶν, οὐ τὸν τυχόντα θόρυβον εἰς αὐτὴν ὑπομένοντες τὴν πίστιν, ἐκ τῶν λεγομένων ἐπ᾿ ἐκκλησίας αὐτῆς παρὰ τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου ἐπισκόπου Νεστορίου, ᾧ καὶ συνεβούλευσα διὰ γραμμάτων ἀποσχέσθαι τῶν οὕτω σκαιῶν καὶ ἐξεστραμμένων ζητημάτων, καὶ τῇ τῶν Πατέρων ἀκολουθῆσαι πίστει. ᾿Ἀλλ᾿ ἐμὲ μὲν ᾠήθη ταῦτα γράφοντα δυσμενῆ, καὶ τοσοῦτον ἀπέσχε τοῦ προσέχειν τῷ ἐξ ἀγάπης ἐκεῖνα γεγραφότι πρὸς τὴν αὐτοῦ εὐλάβειαν, ὥστε ᾠήθη τὰ τοιαῦτα φρονῶν καὶ λέγων, καὶ τὰς Ῥωμαίων ἀκοὰς συναρπάσαι δύνασθαι. Γέγραφε γὰρ ἔκτοπά τινα, συνθεὶς ἐν ἐπιστολῇ μακρᾷ τῷ κυρίῳ μου καὶ θεοσεβεστάτῳ ἐπισκόπῳ τῆς Ῥωμαίων Ἐκκλησίας Κεκατὰ τῶν ἐναντία δοξαζόντων αὐτῷ, ὅτι Τὴν ἁγίαν Παρθένον Θεοτόκον λέγοντες οὐ φρίττουσιν. Εἶτα καὶ τετράδας ἰδίων ἐξηγήσεων ἀπέστειλεν, ἃς καὶ ἀναγνόντες οἱ κατὰ τὴν μεγάλην πόλιν Ῥώμην εύρεθέντες θεοσεβέστατοι ἐπίσκοποι, καὶ συνεδρίων πολλῶν γενομένων, κατεβόησαν αὐτοῦ, φάσκοντες έναρε γῶς, αἴρεσιν αὐτὸν καινοτομῆσαι παγχάλεπον, τὴν οὐδενὶ τῶν πάλαι γεγονότων ἐξευρημένην. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀνάγκη με, γραψάσης τῆς αὐτοῦ εὐλαβείας ἐκεῖσε, ταῦτα τὰ γεγονότα εἰπεῖν ἅπαντα, πέμψαι δὲ καὶ τὰ ἴσα τῶν παρ᾿ ἐμοῦ γραφέντων πρὸς αὐτὸν γραμμάτων· ἐκδεδήμηκεν ἀναγκαίως κληρικὸς τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρέων ὁ ἀγαπητὸς διάκονος Ποσειδώνιος. Αναγνωσθεισῶν τοίνυν ἐν συνεδρίῳ τῶν ἐξηγήσεων αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῶν ἐπιστολῶν μάλιστα, ἐν οἷς οὐκ ἔστι συκοφαντίας τόπος (ἔχουσι γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὴν ὑπογραφὴν), ἡ ἁγία Ῥωμαίων σύνοδος φανερά τετύπωκε, καὶ δὴ καὶ γεγράφηκε πρὸς τὴν σὴν θεοσέβειαν, οἷς καὶ ἀνάγκη πείθεσθαι τοὺς ἀντεχομένους τῆς πρὸς ἅπασαν τὴν Δύσιν κοινωνίας. Γεγράφασι γὰρ καὶ τὰ ἴσα καὶ πρὸς τὸν θεοφιλέστατον ἐπίσκοπον Θεσσαλονίκης Ῥοῦφον, καὶ πρὸς ἑτέρους τινὰς τῶν κατὰ τὴν Μακεδονίαν θεοσεβεῖς ἐπισκόπους, οἱ καὶ ἀεὶ συντρέχουσι ταῖς παρ' αὐτοῦ ψήφοις. Γεγράφασι δὲ οὐδὲν ἦττον καὶ πρὸς τῆς Αἰλιέων θεοσε βέστατον ἐπίσκοπον Ἰουβενάλιον. Τῆς σῆς τοίνυν θεοσεβείας ἐστὶ σκοπῆσαι τὸ συμφέρον. Ἡμεῖς γὰρ ἐφ᾽ ἑτέροις. τοῖς παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἀκολουθήσομεν κρίμασι, δεδιότες ἀπολισθαίνειν τῆς τοσούτων κοινωνίας, οὐχ ὑφ᾽ ἐτέροις· τισὶν ἡγανακτηκότων πράγμασιν, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ μικροῖς πεποιημένων τὴν κρίσιν καὶ κίνησιν· ἀλλ᾿ ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς τῆς πίστεως, καὶ τῶν πανταχοῦ κεκινημένων Ἐκκλησιῶν, καὶ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς τῶν λαῶν. Πρόσειπε τὴν παρὰ σοὶ ἀδελφότητα· σὲ ἡ σὺν ἐμοὶ ἐν Κυρίῳ προσαγορεύει.
Egnō pou pantōs kai dia pollōn hē sē theosebeia tēs hagias Kōnstantinoupolitōn Ekklēsias tēn nyn ousan katastasin, hoti tethorybētai lian, kai lestinǭ, kai dē kai tois idiois enethēke grammasi aposynaktoi memenēkasi polloi, kai tōn agan spoudaiōn kai epieikōn, ou ton tychonta thorybon eis autēn hypomenontes tēn pistin, ek tōn legomenōn ep᾿ ekklēsias autēs para tou eusebestatou episkopou Nestoriou, hǭ kai synebouleusa dia grammatōn aposchesthai tōn houtō skaiōn kai exestrammenōn zētēmatōn, kai tę̄ tōn Paterōn akolouthēsai pistei. ᾿All᾿ eme men ǭēthē tauta graphonta dysmenē, kai tosouton apesche tou prosechein tǭ ex agapēs ekeina gegraphoti pros tēn autou eulabeian, hōste ǭēthē ta toiauta phronōn kai legōn, kai tas Rhōmaiōn akoas synarpasai dynasthai. Gegraphe gar ektopa tina, syntheis en epistolę̄ makrą tǭ kyriǭ mou kai theosebestatǭ episkopǭ tēs Rhōmaiōn Ekklēsias Kekata tōn enantia doxazontōn autǭ, hoti Tēn hagian Parthenon Theotokon legontes ou phrittousin. Eita kai tetradas idiōn exēgēseōn apesteilen, has kai anagnontes hoi kata tēn megalēn polin Rhōmēn eurethentes theosebestatoi episkopoi, kai synedriōn pollōn genomenōn, kateboēsan autou, phaskontes enare gōs, airesin auton kainotomēsai panchalepon, tēn oudeni tōn palai gegonotōn exeurēmenēn. Epeidē de anankē me, grapsasēs tēs autou eulabeias ekeise, tauta ta gegonota eipein hapanta, pempsai de kai ta isa tōn par᾿ emou graphentōn pros auton grammatōn; ekdedēmēken anankaiōs klērikos tēs ᾿Alexandreōn ho agapētos diakonos Poseidōnios. Anagnōstheisōn toinyn en synedriǭ tōn exēgēseōn autou, kai tōn epistolōn malista, en hois ouk esti sykophantias topos (echousi gar autou tēn hypographēn), hē hagia Rhōmaiōn synodos phanera tetypōke, kai dē kai gegraphēke pros tēn sēn theosebeian, hois kai anankē peithesthai tous antechomenous tēs pros hapasan tēn Dysin koinōnias. Gegraphasi gar kai ta isa kai pros ton theophilestaton episkopon Thessalonikēs Rhouphon, kai pros heterous tinas tōn kata tēn Makedonian theosebeis episkopous, hoi kai aei syntrechousi tais par' autou psēphois. Gegraphasi de ouden ētton kai pros tēs Ailieōn theose bestaton episkopon Ioubenalion. Tēs sēs toinyn theosebeias esti skopēsai to sympheron. Hēmeis gar eph᾽ heterois. tois par᾿ autou akolouthēsomen krimasi, dediotes apolisthainein tēs tosoutōn koinōnias, ouch hyph᾽ eterois; tisin hēganaktēkotōn pragmasin, oude epi mikrois pepoiēmenōn tēn krisin kai kinēsin; all᾿ hyper autēs tēs pisteōs, kai tōn pantachou kekinēmenōn Ekklēsiōn, kai tēs oikodomēs tōn laōn. Proseipe tēn para soi adelphotēta; se hē syn emoi en Kyriǭ prosagoreuei.
Your Reverence surely knows, through many reports, the present state of the holy church of Constantinople: that it is greatly troubled, and that many, including some of the most earnest and reasonable, have stayed away from the services, suffering no small disturbance in the faith itself because of what was said in that very church by the most pious bishop Nestorius. I advised him by letter to keep away from such crooked and twisted questions and to follow the faith of the fathers. But he thought me hostile for writing this, and he was so far from attending to one who had written to his Reverence out of love that he thought, holding and saying such things, he could even carry off the ears of the Romans. For he wrote certain outlandish things, composing a long letter to my lord the most God-fearing bishop of the church of the Romans, Celestine, and he even put into his own letter, against those who think the opposite of him, that “they do not shudder to call the holy Virgin Mother of God.” Then he also sent quires of his own expositions. When the most God-fearing bishops who were in the great city of Rome read them, after many sessions had been held, they cried out against him, saying plainly that he had introduced a most grievous heresy, invented by none of those of old.
Since his Reverence had written there, it was necessary for me to tell all that had happened and to send copies of the letters I had written to him; and so the beloved deacon Posidonius, a cleric of Alexandria, had to make the journey. When his expositions were read in session, and especially his letters, in which there is no room for misrepresentation (for they bear his signature), the holy synod of the Romans laid down plain decisions and has also written to your Reverence. Those who hold to communion with the whole West must obey them. They have written the same to the most God-beloved bishop of Thessalonica, Rufus, and to certain other God-fearing bishops of Macedonia, who always agree with his judgements; and they have written no less to the most God-fearing bishop of Aelia, Juvenal. It is for your Reverence, then, to consider what is expedient. For we shall follow their judgements, fearing to slip out of communion with so many, who have not been angered by other matters, nor have made their judgement and their move about trifles, but for the faith itself, for the churches that have been shaken everywhere, and for the building up of the people. Greet the brotherhood with you. The brotherhood with me greets you in the Lord.
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril informs John of Antioch that the Roman synod has condemned Nestorius's teaching and that he himself will follow Rome's judgement, urging John to consider his course.
- Written in 430. The opening lines of the printed text are mixed with stray Greek from the notes to the preceding letter of Celestine; they are removed by a logged correction. The name “Celestine” is split by a displaced line (“and he even put into his own letter”), which is translated where the sense requires. Aelia is Jerusalem.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (footnote variants belonging to the previous letter leaked into the opening line): μένῳ, δυνήσεται περιλείπεσθαι· θέλομεν. καὶ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ τοῦ τόπου διαδοχῇ ἐπ᾿ ἐξου- ) οἷα λοιμώδης νόσος ἠπείχθη δραμεῖν διὰ τοῦ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας σώματος ἐλαυνόμενος. σία χρησάμενος, → .
Topics: Christology, Heresy, Church office
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Ep. 13 (PG 77 77:93; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/13). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/13
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 77 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters 4, 17 and 39 compared with NPNF² 14; the rest re-read against the Greek.