Letters of Celestine I (to and concerning the Council of Ephesus)

Contents

Only the letters of Celestine in the Ephesine collection (ACO I.2) are on the site so far.

Reading pages: 1.0–6.5 · 7.0–24.2 · 25.0–25.17 · 26.0–26.5

1. 1.0Address of Celestine's letter to Cyril (430).
2. 1.1Celestine rejoices at Cyril's letter, which supplies a remedy for the errors preached at Constantinople.
3. 1.2Celestine praises Cyril as a good shepherd; Nestorius is worse than a hireling, for he tears the sheep himself.
4. 1.3Celestine agrees with all that Cyril has written and commends his defence of the faith.
5. 1.4Nestorius, a lover of novelty, has poisoned his people with questions that Scripture says to avoid.
6. 1.6Christ taught us to seek the one lost sheep; how much more must the church try to recall a shepherd who has become a wolf.
7. 1.7Nestorius may be pardoned if he corrects himself; if he persists he must be cut off, and those he excommunicated remain in communion.
8. 1.8Celestine commissions Cyril, in the name of the Roman see, to give Nestorius ten days to recant in writing, or else to depose him.
9. 2.0Address of Celestine's letter to Nestorius (430).
10. 2.1Celestine recalls that the Pelagians had been condemned by East and West, and that Atticus and Sisinnius kept the faith at Constantinople.
11. 2.2Celestine recalls the good reports that accompanied Nestorius's election.
12. 2.3Cyril's report and Nestorius's own letters, now translated, show open blasphemy; Nestorius's books evade, but his letters declare his position.
13. 2.5Celestine rebukes Nestorius as a wolf in the fold, warns him of the account he must give for his talent, and declares that nothing may be added to or taken from the apostolic faith.
14. 2.8Celestine prepares to cut off the wound: Nestorius's letters show that he has taken from the apostolic faith words that carry the hope of salvation.
15. 2.9After three admonitions, Nestorius is cut off from the Christian college unless he corrects himself; instead of feeding the flock he poisons it.
16. 2.10Nestorius tears the flock he should protect; Christ's voice gathers one flock, his scatters it.
17. 2.11Paul's warning about wolves arising from within fits Nestorius, who is now accused when he should be teaching.
18. 2.12Because Nestorius attacks the source of all hope, Celestine will not spare him; no human tie may be preferred to Christ.
19. 2.13Nestorius's vigilance serves plunder, not guarding; without the foundation of Christ his building is in vain.
20. 2.14Celestine protests that Nestorius is persecuting the catholic clergy of Constantinople.
21. 2.15Heretics like Paul of Samosata have always been cast out; the condemned Pelagian bishops found shelter with Nestorius because his teaching makes them look innocent.
22. 2.16Although Nestorius professes original sin, he shelters the condemned Pelagians; he should attend to his own case first.
23. 2.17Celestine approves Cyril's faith and demands that Nestorius agree with him and recall all whom he excluded.
24. 2.18Celestine's sentence: Nestorius must condemn his teaching in writing within ten days of notice or be excommunicated; Cyril is to act for Rome.
25. 5.0Address of Celestine's letter to the clergy and people of Constantinople (430).
26. 5.1Celestine, quoting Paul's anxiety for all the churches, says he burns with concern for Constantinople.
27. 5.2Nestorius's writings and Cyril's report show that he preaches abominable things about the virgin birth and divides the human and divine natures in Christ.
28. 5.3Celestine refuses to listen to such false prophets; the text breaks off here.
29. 6.0Address of Celestine's circular letter to the bishops of Antioch, Jerusalem, Thessalonica, and Philippi.
30. 6.1Hidden error among a few is less grievous than error from a bishop's chair.
31. 6.2Error preached by a bishop in the imperial capital is far graver than error outside the church, like a wolf in the shepherd's place.
32. 6.3Nestorius's teaching against the virgin birth is attested by the faithful, by his books, and by his signed letters.
33. 6.4Celestine separates Nestorius and his followers from communion until he recants, and declares that those Nestorius excommunicated remain in communion.
34. 6.5Celestine asks the Eastern bishops to defend their flocks and informs them of the ten-day sentence on Nestorius.
35. 7.0Address of Celestine's letter to the Council of Ephesus (431).
36. 7.1The gathering of bishops at Ephesus, like the apostles' council, has the presence of the Holy Spirit and of Christ the teacher.
37. 7.2The bishops have inherited the apostles' commission to teach and must guard what was handed down, as Paul warns.
38. 7.3The faith is on trial; at Ephesus, where Paul left Timothy, the bishops must fight with spiritual arms and be of one mind.
39. 7.4Christ himself is put on trial by the new teaching; the bishops are to arm themselves, confident of peace.
40. 7.5Celestine reminds the council of Paul's charge to the Ephesian elders, urges unity in love and prayer, and announces his legates, Arcadius, Projectus, and Philip.
41. 8.0Heading of Celestine's instructions to his legates at Ephesus.
42. 8.1Celestine instructs his legates to follow Cyril's counsel, guard the authority of the apostolic see, judge rather than debate, and deliver his letters to the emperor.
43. 9.0Address of Celestine's letter to Emperor Theodosius II (431).
44. 9.1Celestine thanks the emperor for defending the faith and asks him to allow no room for novelty at the council.
45. 9.2The emperor should put the faith above the empire, as Abraham, Moses, and David show; Celestine commends his legates to him.
46. 10.0Address of Celestine's letter to Cyril (May 431).
47. 10.1Answering Cyril, Celestine says that God wills the repentance of sinners, so Nestorius may still be received if he corrects himself.
48. 10.3Celestine is present at the council in spirit; he desires Nestorius's salvation but, if he persists, the earlier sentence stands.
49. 23.0Address of Celestine's letter to Theodosius II after the Council of Ephesus (432).
50. 23.1Celestine thanks the emperor for the victory of the faith at Ephesus, won by devotion rather than arms, and compares him to Abraham, David, and Elijah.
51. 23.2The emperor, like Elijah, has driven out false teachers, and has also given Constantinople a worthy bishop, Maximian, long known to Rome.
52. 23.3Celestine asks the emperor to support Bishop Maximian, keep Nestorius from all fellowship, and protect the Asian estates that Proba left for the clergy and the poor.
53. 24.0Address of Celestine's letter to Maximian, Nestorius's successor (432).
54. 24.1Celestine welcomes Maximian and urges him to steer the storm-tossed church of Constantinople like a helmsman, following Peter who walked on the water.
55. 24.2Celestine urges Maximian to follow John Chrysostom, Atticus, and Sisinnius, to gather the scattered, and to resist the Pelagian error.
56. 25.0Address of Celestine's letter to Constantinople after the deposition of Nestorius (432).
57. 25.1The church rejoices that her scattered children are gathered again; only the son of perdition, Nestorius, is lost, and Christ has conquered in the faithful.
58. 25.2No one may put God's coming to save on trial; Nestorius, like the enemy who sowed darnel, sowed error, but the people's patience and simple faith bore fruit.
59. 25.4Nestorius, like Judas, has lost his office to another; but Judas repented, while Nestorius glories in his impiety.
60. 25.5The people of Constantinople resisted Nestorius's arrows; Christ the shepherd protected them, and they refused the poisoned food he offered.
61. 25.7Cyril, like a faithful servant, rebuked and tried to correct Nestorius, and has multiplied his talent; Nestorius, worse than Eli, has not spared even himself.
62. 25.9Rome offered Nestorius healing as well as the knife, following Christ's order of admonition; he refused and so cut himself off.
63. 25.10Nestorius demanded a council and then refused to attend it, hiding like Adam; at Ephesus truth prevailed over falsehood.
64. 25.11By hiding from the council Nestorius imitated Adam, but no one can hide from God, who is everywhere present, as the psalm says.
65. 25.12The council, led by the Spirit, cut off the quarrelsome man; the church, the Lord's vineyard, was kept, and the proud have no place in God's house.
66. 25.13The penitent thief on the cross confessed the Lord and found paradise; a bishop has lost what a thief found.
67. 25.14The thief in his torment knew Christ, whom the bishop in his honour did not; true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord.
68. 25.15Pagans praised Nestorius, and the Pelagians supported him; Scripture foretells the end of such allies.
69. 25.16Celestine commends Maximian, known at Rome, who will teach the people the ancient faith.
70. 25.17Celestine exhorts the people of Constantinople to build on Christ the foundation with gold, silver, and precious stones, to be of one mind, and to enter the narrow gate.
71. 26.0Celestine rejoices with the council at the victory over Nestorius, won by faith alone.
72. 26.1Celestine never doubted the outcome, knowing the bishops to hate the assembly of the wicked.
73. 26.2Celestine welcomes the deposition of Nestorius and the election of Maximian, a worthy successor of Sisinnius.
74. 26.3Celestine shares spiritually in Maximian's consecration, welcomes the emperor's approval, and praises Maximian's humble path to the episcopate.
75. 26.4Celestine warns that Nestorius, returned to Antioch, is still dangerous there and urges the council to have him removed far away.
76. 26.5Celestine asks the council to enlist the emperors, to help Antioch, to condemn Nestorius and his named associates while allowing others to return, and to summon John of Antioch.