Letters (first part: Migne letters 1-55) 56–75

On the need to overlook some point of strictness for the sake of a greater good.

The vigour of your Godliness in reverence I have not learned now; I have known it for a long time, and I praise it highly, since it wishes to live with such strictness. But the management of affairs sometimes compels some to be carried a little outside what is proper, in order to gain something greater. For as those who sail the sea, when a storm is upon them and the ship is in danger, in their distress throw some of the cargo overboard to save the rest, so we too in affairs, when it is not possible to preserve complete strictness, overlook some things so as not to suffer the loss of the whole. I write this because I have learned that your Godliness has been grieved with our most holy and most God-fearing brother and fellow minister, Bishop Proclus, for receiving into communion the bishop of Aelia, whom the ordinances of the church do not recognize as the head of Palestine. An empty love of honour, which has a bitter end, rouses an unbridled desire for the thing. Let your Godliness, then, not shun communion with the most holy and most God-beloved Bishop Proclus; for my concern and that of his Holiness has been one, and so has the manner of the arrangement, which has displeased none of the sensible.

I have learned from the beloved monk Paul that your Godliness until today refuses communion with the most pious John, because some in the church of Antioch either still hold the opinions of Nestorius, or held them and have perhaps now given them up. Let your Reasonableness, then, examine whether those who are said to assemble hold and speak to others the opinions of Nestorius nakedly and shamelessly, or whether they once had their conscience seared but now assemble having repented of the things by which they were carried away, though perhaps ashamed to confess their fall openly. For things of this kind do happen to those who have been deceived. And if you see them now running together with the right faith, bear no grudge about the past. For we would rather see them denying it than with a shameless mind advocating the evils of Nestorius. And so that we may not seem to honour contentiousness, let us embrace communion with the most reverent Bishop John, making allowance for him, and, for the sake of management, not being too exacting about those who change their minds. For the matter, as I said, needs much management.

The letter of your Godliness has again been delivered to me by the beloved monk Paul, and I was very glad when I read it, and recognized that the zeal which you have always shown for the right faith is flourishing even now: you have it now, and you will have it in the future. For it is written: "He who began a good work in you, let him bring it to completion." When the most reverent presbyter Presentinus arrived and informed me of certain things, I wrote what was fitting to the most reverent and most God-fearing Bishop John and to the archimandrites he wished; and your Reverence will learn the force of what was written by reading the letters themselves. But this I say: it was the work of your Reverence to receive none of those whose mind is limping either into communion or into the love that is in Christ. But the nature of present affairs sometimes forces us, even against our will, to put up with things contrary to our aim and judgment. For I see that the most reverent Bishop John himself also needs much management in order to win those who have broken loose. For harsh resistance often drives many out into shamelessness, and it is better to bear with those who resist by soothing them rather than to grieve them with the leanness of strictness. For as, if their body fell sick, one would surely have to stretch out a hand, so when the soul has suffered there is need of some management, offered to them as a remedy. For little by little they too will come to a sincere disposition; and these are the "helps" and "administrations" which the blessed Paul named. Let your Godliness not be troubled, then, even if you see affairs not managed with complete strictness, especially at the present time. For we do not wish to cut off, but to join together, following the words of the Saviour: "For those who are well," he says, "have no need of a physician, but those who are sick"; and also what he again says: "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

I supposed that the most reverent Theodoret, together with the other most God-fearing bishops, had wiped off the stain of the novel expressions of Nestorius. For I was of the opinion that, having written once and embraced the peace, and having received my greetings in return, he too had removed what seemed to stand in the way of the agreement. But, as the most reverent presbyter Daniel has informed me, he persists to this day, not departing from his first positions, but holding to that man's slanders; and it is plain that he has neither anathematized him nor consented to sign his deposition. Let your Holiness give me freedom to speak out of love: for what reason are some so stiff-necked as not to follow the admirable aim of your Godliness, not even in matters of the whole church, but, like some who scorn the herd, enforce what seems good to themselves alone? And if what I have learned is true, the most God-fearing man mentioned ought to feel the goads of your Godliness.

The dragon, the apostate, the truly most dangerous and God-fighting beast, has not been quiet, nor has he ever ceased from the perversity that is in him; but, labouring within himself with unceasing envy against the holy churches, he has dared to raise up against the doctrines of the truth the unbridled tongues of unholy and profane men who have their conscience seared. But he has been caught everywhere and defeated, since Christ, the Saviour of us all, shows his clumsiness and the force of his attempts to be ineffective. Very many before us fought against our holy fathers and moved the weapons of their unbridled mouths against the ineffable glory; but they were convicted of being rash and ignorant, and of talking emptily rather than knowing in truth any of the things that are witnessed by the truth itself to be right and blameless and above all slander. And since, besides those, the inventor and teacher of all impiety has raised up against us the novel expressions of Nestorius, behold, by the grace of God and the understanding given us by him, all of us with one tongue anathematize the apostate, following the glorious zeal of the fathers, acting manfully against the enemies of the cross of Christ, upholding the true faith, and teaching in the churches not to attach oneself to the impieties of that man, who says there are two Christs and sons, one by nature and true, the Word from God the Father, the other by adoption and grace, the one from the seed of David; but, according to the pure and blameless faith that has come down to us from above, to confess one Son and Lord Jesus Christ, the Word from God the Father, who became man and was made flesh, according to the confession of the holy fathers; so that the same one is and is said to be from God the Father divinely, as his Word, having come forth naturally from his essence, and from the seed of David according to the flesh, that is, from the holy Mother of God, Mary. For those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word did not hand down one and another, as I said, but one and the same, God and man together, only-begotten and firstborn: so that he has the one divinely and the other humanly, because he came to be among many brothers, having entered into likeness with us; not joining another man to himself, as some have seemed to think, but becoming man in very truth, and not ceasing to be what he was. For being God by nature and impassible, he suffered willingly in his own flesh. For he did not give the body of some other for us; but the only-begotten Word of God himself, having become man, offered himself to God the Father as a spotless victim.

It was necessary, then, for us to hold a bright festival over these things, since, clearly, every expression of any kind is cast out together with the false opinions of Nestorius if it agrees with his falsehoods. For it has gone forth against all who think as he does, or have ever thought so, that we and your Holiness say absolutely: we anathematize those who say two sons and two Christs. For one, as I said, is proclaimed both by us and by you, Christ and Son and Lord, the only-begotten Word of God, "having come in the likeness of men, and being found in form as a man," according to the word of the most wise Paul.

That we say the flesh of the Lord was ensouled with a rational soul has been shown in very many places; and in his letter to the Armenians, rightly dividing the word of truth, our most holy and most God-fearing brother and fellow bishop Proclus proclaimed it clearly, a pious man practised in contending against those who pervert what is right; for it is his custom to win when he upholds the truth. But the condemned opinions, I mean those of Diodore and Theodore, or of certain others whom it would be better not to praise (not to say anything burdensome), and who were carried down with full sails, as it were, against the glory of Christ, let no one, we beg, ascribe to our holy and orthodox fathers, I mean Athanasius and Basil, Gregory and Theophilus, and the rest; lest the thing somehow become an occasion of stumbling to some, who might think that those guardians of all orthodoxy really thought and taught so, and not that they left behind books raised not only against the false opinions of Nestorius but also against those of the others who thought and wrote the things of Nestorius before him.

We pray that all may mind their own business, and that those who have already been quieted by the grace of Christ and through the watchfulness of the initiators in the mysteries everywhere may neither raise disturbances in the churches nor stir up troubles for themselves or others. Those who at any time held the opinions of Nestorius, if they truly change their minds, depart from his nonsense, and come round to wishing to choose the blameless faith, must be received and not reproached for what is past, lest this somehow produce for some a pretext for hesitating to run over to better things. For if we pray that those who are in bodily sicknesses be freed from them, and rejoice with them when this happens to them, how much more should one rejoice when one who has strayed turns back and hastens with a good conscience to the light of true knowledge? For your Holiness knows that it is the custom even of the angels to keep festival over these things; you teach this and explain it in all the churches, and are not ignorant of the words of our Saviour.

This, however, we ask: that, as brothers and fellow teachers, you charge the clergy not to say other things, especially in churches, contrary to what is right, tested, and judged sound, but rather to follow the confession of the right faith; and above all not to run over the arguments about these things. But if somewhere there should be some necessity, because some must be initiated into the mysteries, never to let the word about the faith be diverted from orthodoxy. And since the occasions of disturbance must be cut off through the watchfulness of your Holiness, we have also written what we thought good. If, then, any of the clergy or monks are accused by anyone of having entered communion with the church while still holding to this day the opinions of the impious Nestorius, let a hearing be set before them in the churches rather, and before you who direct them, and a careful inquiry into what is said. For it is likely that those who wish to accuse, on the ground that no one will admit their charges, will trouble the courts outside. But it is much better and more just that ecclesiastical inquiries be raised and settled in the churches and not before certain others, to whom the judging of these matters would be altogether unfitting.

Greet the brotherhood with you. The brotherhood with us greets you in the Lord.

The most reverent and most God-beloved deacon and archimandrite Maximus has come to me; and I have seen the man to be such as one would expect of one I had long wished to see. I have seen his zeal and his orthodoxy, and the goad of his piety toward Christ. For he is so distressed, and has his mind so full of cares, that he is ready to undergo any labour so that the false doctrine of Nestorius may perish root and all from the regions of the East. He also read to me the letter of your Holiness written to the most God-beloved bishop of Antioch, John, full of much freedom of speech together with love of God. I too have written such letters to him; but, as it seems, the worse prevails. For, pretending to hate the opinions of Nestorius, they put them together again in another way, admiring those of Theodore, although they are sick with an equal, or rather a much worse, impiety. For Theodore did not become a disciple of Nestorius, but Nestorius of him; and they speak as from one mouth, and spit out from their own heart one poison of false doctrine. At any rate, those from the East have written to me that the writings of Theodore must not be attacked, lest, they say, those of the blessed Athanasius and Theophilus and Basil and Gregory be attacked too; for what Theodore said, those men said too. I did not put up with them when they wrote this, but said with freedom that Theodore had a blasphemous tongue and a pen that served it, while those men became teachers of all orthodoxy and were distinguished in this. They have so disposed those from the East that there have even been shouts in the churches from the people: "May the faith of Theodore increase! We believe as Theodore did!"; although they once threw stones at him in their church when he dared to let slip a slightly improper word. But as the teacher wishes, so the flock thinks. I, then, have neither ceased nor will cease to rebuke what they have written. And since there needed to be written refutations among them as well, I bent over the books of Theodore and Diodore, which they wrote not so much about the incarnation of the Only-begotten as against the incarnation, and I selected some of the chapters; and I answered them in the way that was possible, showing everywhere that their opinion is full of abomination. And when the most reverent deacon and archimandrite Maximus, whom I mentioned, urged me to explain the Creed of the faith set out by the holy fathers who met at Nicaea, I applied myself to this too. For he affirms that some cunningly pretend to recite it and to follow it, yet no longer hold right thoughts, but rather carry off what was said rightly and without swerving to what seems good to themselves. So that these things may not escape your Holiness, we have sent the book and the volume. Having read it, let your Holiness deign to make the usual prayers for me.

While I was staying in Aelia, a man, one of the distinguished officers serving in the palace, brought me a long and large letter, sealed, saying that he had received it from the orthodox in Antioch. There were signatures in it of very many clergy, monks, and laymen. They accused the bishops of the East of having, to be sure, kept silent about the name of Nestorius and pretending to turn away from him, but of having leapt over to the books of Theodore on the incarnation, in which are set down blasphemies much harsher than those of Nestorius. For he became the father of the false doctrine of Nestorius, and the impious man, by speaking his opinions, came to be in the state in which he now is. And I wrote to the most pious bishop of Antioch that no one should speak the impious doctrines of Theodore in church. But the most reverent deacon and archimandrite Maximus, having come to Alexandria, made many loud complaints, saying that the orthodox have no place there, nor freedom to speak the things of the right faith. He said that they pretend to confess the Creed set out at Nicaea by the fathers, but misinterpret it. And he urged me to explain clearly the whole statement of those at Nicaea, so that they might not carry some away by expounding one thing in place of another; and this I have done. He is bringing, then, the volumes, so that they may be presented to the most reverent ladies and to the Christ-loving and most pious lord. For I have had a volume made on parchment. With consideration, then, as you see how things stand, present it at a suitable time. For we must contend on every side for the right faith, and try, as far as possible, to remove the impiety that has been raised up against Christ.

From Cyril to Proclus, bishop of Constantinople, about Theodore of Mopsuestia, asking him not to allow him to be anathematized, since this was becoming a cause of disturbance.

Barely, and with much sweat on the part of your Holiness and of the holy synod assembled at Ephesus, have the churches of God everywhere cast off the empty expressions of Nestorius; but some in the East are very much aggrieved at this, not only laymen but also those appointed to sacred ministry. For as the more chronic diseases are somehow harder to cure, or perhaps refuse cure altogether, so too a soul that has fallen sick with the rot of perverted thoughts and doctrines has a disease hard to cast off. Yet by the grace of God, whether in pretence or in truth, they speak of and preach the one Christ, and they have anathematized the impious verbiage of Nestorius. And until now affairs there have been in great calm, and even those who once wavered run daily toward steadiness in the faith. But now, as my lord the most divine bishop of Antioch, John, has written to me, the beginning of another storm has arisen among them, and perhaps there is great fear lest some of those who are easily carried away should slip back into their first position. For they say that certain people reached that great city and then approached the most pious and Christ-loving emperors, and asked that by their sacred decree the books of Theodore of Mopsuestia be anathematized, and the man himself. His name is great in the East, and his writings are greatly admired. And, as they say, all are aggrieved that a distinguished man, who died in the communion of the churches, is now being anathematized. That in his writings we find some things said outrageously and full of unmixed blasphemy is doubtful to none of those accustomed to think rightly. But let your Holiness know that when a statement composed by him, as those who brought it forward said, which had nothing sound in it, was brought before the holy synod, the holy synod condemned it as counterfeit, as full of perverted thoughts and, in a way, a spring of the impiety of Nestorius. But while condemning those who think so, it did not, by way of management, mention the man, nor did it subject him by name to the anathema, for the sake of management, lest some who were attached to the man's reputation should cast themselves out of the churches. The management in these matters is an excellent and wise thing. For if he were still among the living, and were armed together with the blasphemies of Nestorius, or wished to defend what he himself wrote, he would also have suffered the anathema against his own person. But since he has departed to God, it is enough, as I think, that what he wrote outrageously be rejected by those who hold right opinions, when they come across his books; and to go further sometimes gives rise to occasions of disturbance. And in another way too, now that the blasphemies of Nestorius have been anathematized and cast out, his writings, which have very great kinship with them, have been cast out with them. If, then, some in the East were doing this without delay, and no disturbance was to be expected from it, I would have said that there is nothing grievous in their being asked for this now, even in writing. But if, as my lord the most holy bishop of Antioch, John, writes, they would rather be burned in the fire than do any such thing, why do we fan into flame a fire that has been put to sleep, and stir up disturbances that have ceased, at an unsuitable time, lest perhaps the last state be found worse than the first? And I say this while strongly rebuking what the said Theodore wrote, but suspecting the disturbances that some will raise over the matter, lest perhaps some begin, by contrivance, to lament the cause of Nestorius, according to that saying of the poet among the Greeks: "Patroclus their pretext, but each for her own sorrows." If, then, these things please your Holiness, deign to let me know, so that the matter may be settled by a common letter as well. For it is possible to explain the management of the matter to those who asked for these things, and to persuade them to choose rather to keep quiet and not to become an occasion of stumbling to the churches. I have also sent a copy of what was written to me by my lord the most holy bishop John; when your Holiness has read it, you will surely take a view of the matter.

[Letter of Atticus, bishop of Constantinople, to Cyril]

Atticus to Cyril: greetings.

We have fallen into things we did not choose, and we are compelled to accept what has befallen us against our judgment, preferring what is expedient to what is strictly just, and inclining in our reasonings toward the concord of the peoples, not damaging the canons of the fathers, but setting the peace of the world before exact hair-splitting. I know that the blessed Paul too, in laying down laws for the churches, plainly managed matters by economy. And I know that your father among the saints, Theophilus, equal to the apostles, at the time of the pagan disorder preferred peace to a little strictness. For the greatest cities, like the waves of a stormy sea in the minds of their inhabitants, are not so much disposed to obey laws and strict ordinances as decisions easy to handle that look to peace and harmony. Learn for what reason I set out this letter. Your Holiness surely knows, or rather has seen with those eyes with which our father among the saints, Theophilus, saw, what and how great a disturbance seized the great city, and how the pious faith was in danger of being shaken from its very foundations, so that the people itself, divided for the most part, assembled outside the walls, and the priests and fellow bishops were torn from communion with one another, all but tearing apart the good plant of the Master Christ, I mean the good of peace. Therefore, with much toil and much sweat and with dangers that for the most part were full of despair, by the prayers and harmony of our common fathers, and also of your Godliness, that disturbance was put to rest, and concord and calm hold the churches throughout the world. But since some wished only that the name of the blessed John be written in the mystical tablets, so that even the blessed bishop Alexander, I mean of Antioch, when he came to the great city, spoke very boldly and wished to stir up the peoples greatly, so as to compel, even against our will, the name of the man mentioned to be written. The servants of God, the most reverent deacons Peter and Aedesius, have surely related these things to your Godliness with all exactness. When much time had passed, and we had resisted the pressure of the populace and had in no way turned toward this remnant of the schism, the most God-beloved bishop Acacius wrote to us from the East that the most reverent bishop of Antioch, Theodotus, had been compelled by the people to write the name of John, and he asked us to grant pardon to one who had done this under compulsion. When that noble presbyter who carried the letter had already sown the report among the multitude of the great city, because of the business on which he had come, and had conveyed the sense of the letter to us to the peoples, so that the whole crowd was all but filled with confusion, then indeed, then I was troubled, and, suspecting danger to the greatest things, I went to the most pious emperor and spoke about peace and stability. He answered that there was no harm in writing the name of a man who had departed, for the sake of stability and the concord and peace of the peoples. And so, persuaded by these things (for how was I not to forestall the compulsion?), so that our affairs might not become a following of the multitude, nor the city be accustomed to the rule of the populace, I arranged for the name to be written, having sinned in nothing, as I think, either against the canons themselves or by doing damage to the judgment of the fathers. For there are commemorated with the departed not only bishops, but also presbyters and deacons, laymen and women, with none of whom we have communion of the priesthood, nor a sharing in the things mystically performed at the holy table. For there is a great difference between those who have reached the end and those who are still on the earth; so that the books are divided according to the state of those commemorated. For neither did the honourable burial of Saul harm David, nor did Eudoxius, the follower of the impiety of Arius, lying under the same altar, harm the apostles; nor did Paulinus and Evagrius, who became leaders of the schism of the church in Antioch, [harm anyone] because after their death, a long time since, they were written in the mystical diptychs for the sake of the peace and concord of the peoples. Therefore do you too order the name of the departed to be written in the churches of Egypt, for the sake of the peace of the world, neither breaking the canons of the fathers, and setting the greatest store by the concord of all the churches together. That you will write to us too what is fitting I am fully assured, looking to unity of soul and to what the brotherhood has in common. I and those with me greet all the brotherhood with you.