Traditional Roman Catholicism
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The Definition that Mary is the Mother of God
The Definition that Mary is the Mother of God. Made at the Council of
Ephesus in A.D. 431
Containing also an illustration of the universal acceptance of the Papal Primacy in the early Church.
Contents:
- Thomas’ Introduction.
- The XII Anathematisms of St. Cyril against the Heretic Nestorius.
- The Epistle of St. Cyril sent to Nestorius with the XII Anathematisms.
- Decree of the Council Against Nestorius.
- The Letter of Pope St. Coelestine to the Synod of Ephesus.
- The Papal Legates Reside (Extracts from the Acts, Session III.)
- The Relation which the Holy Council of Ephesus sent to Pope St. Celestine.
- (Again:) From the Speech of Phillip the Roman Legate in the Third Acts of the Council.
Thomas’ Introduction.
That Mary is the Mother of God (Theotokos), was defined against the heretic Nestorius who was saying
that there were two Christs, one God and one man, rather than that there is One Christ who is both God
and man in One Person. Mary is the Mother of God according to the humanity of Christ which was
created as assumed into the Person of God the Son from the first moment of its existence.
St. Cyril of Alexandria led the Catholic defence of truth and he drew up twelve anathemas of the
Nestorian heresy, which also state the Catholic truth. Those canons were confirmed by Pope St.
Celestine through the Third Ecumenical Council of the Holy Catholic Church held at Ephesus, which
acted according to his Papal instruction and under the direction of his legates, all of which is clear in the
following extracts from the Acts of the Council. Hence this wonderful council shows us both that the
Sacred Virgin is the Mother of God, and illustrates to us Papal Primacy in operation in the early Church
and accepted by all of the Church east and west. He who is not subject to the Pope is
outside of the Church where no one can be saved.
The XII Anathematisms of St. Cyril against the Heretic Nestorius.
I
IF anyone will not confess that the Emmanuel is very God, and that therefore the Holy Virgin is the
Mother of God (Theotokos), inasmuch as in the flesh she bore the Word of God made flesh: let him be
anathema.
II.
IF anyone shall not confess that the Word of God the Father is united hypostatically to flesh, and that
with that flesh of his own, he is one only Christ both God and man at the same time: let him be anathema.
III.
IF anyone shah after the [hypostatic] union divide the hypostases in the one Christ, joining them by that
connexion alone, which happens according to worthiness, or even authority and power, and not rather by
a coming together, which is made by natural union: let him be anathema.
IV.
IF anyone shall divide between two persons or subsistences those expressions which are contained in
the Evangelical and Apostolical writings, or which have been said concerning Christ by the Saints, or by
himself, and shall apply some to him as to a man separate from the Word of God, and shall apply others
to the only Word of God the Father, on the ground that they are fit to be applied to God: let him be
anathema.
V.
IF anyone shall dare to say that the Christ is a Theophorus [that is, God-bearing] man and not rather that
he is very God, as an only Son through nature, because "the Word was made flesh," and "hath a share in
flesh and blood as we do:" let him be anathema.
VI.
IF anyone shall dare say that the Word of God the Father is the God of Christ or the Lord of Christ, and
shall not rather confess him as at the same time both God and Man, since according to the Scriptures,
"The Word was made flesh": let him be anathema.
VII.
IF anyone shah say that Jesus as man is only energized by the Word of God, and that the glory of the
Only-begotten is attributed to him as something not properly his: let him be anathema.
VIII.
IF anyone shall dare to say that the assumed man ought to be worshipped together with God the Word,
and glorified together with him, and recognised together with him as God, and yet as two different things,
the one with the other (for this "Together with" is added [i. e., by the Nestorians] to convey this meaning);
and shall not rather with one adoration worship the Emmanuel and pay to him one glorification, as [it is
written] "The Word was made flesh": let him be anathema.
IX.
IF any man shall say that the one Lord Jesus Christ was glorified by the Holy Ghost, so that he used
through him a power not his own and from him received power against unclean spirits and power to work
miracles before men and shall not rather confess that it was his own Spirit through which he worked
these divine signs; let him be anathema.
X.
Whosoever shall say that it is not the divine Word himself, when he was made flesh and had become
man as we are, but another than he, a man born of a woman, yet different from him, who is become our
Great High Priest and Apostle; or if any man shall say that he offered himself in sacrifice for himself and
not rather for us, whereas, being without sin, he had no need of offering or sacrifice: let him be anathema.
XI.
Whosoever shall not confess that the flesh of the Lord giveth life and that it pertains to the Word of God
the Father as his very own, but shall pretend that it belongs to another person who is united to him [i.e.,
the Word] only according to honour, and who has served as a dwelling for the divinity; and shall not
rather confess, as we say, that that flesh giveth life because it is that of the Word who giveth life to all: let
him be anathema.
XII.
Whosoever shall not recognize that the Word of God suffered in the flesh, that he was crucified in the
flesh, and that likewise in that same flesh he tasted death and that he is become the first-begotten of the
dead, for, as he is God, he is the life and it is he that giveth life: let him be anathema.
The Epistle of St. Cyril sent to Nestorius with the XII Anathematisms.
To the most reverend and God-loving fellow-minister Nestorius, Cyril and the synod assembled in
Alexandria, of the Egyptian Province, Greeting in the Lord.
When our Saviour says clearly: "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and
he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me," what is to become of us, from whom
your Holiness requires that we love you more than Christ the Saviour of us all? Who can help us in the
day of judgment, or what kind of excuse shall we find for thus keeping silence so long, with regard to the
blasphemies made by you against him? If you injured yourself alone, by teaching and holding such
things, perhaps it would be less matter; but you have greatly scandalized the whole Church, and have
cast among the people the leaven of a strange and new heresy. And not to those there [i.e. at
Constantinople] only; but also to those everywhere [the books of your explanation were sent]. How can
we any longer, under these circumstances, make a defence for our silence, or how shall we not be forced
to remember that Christ said: "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send
peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against
her mother." For if faith be injured, let there be lost the honour due to parents, as stale and tottering, let
even the law of tender love towards children and brothers be silenced, let death be better to the pious
than living; "that they might obtain a better resurrection," as it is written.
Behold, therefore, how we, together with the holy synod which met in great Rome, presided over by the
most holy and most reverend brother and fellow-minister, Celestine the Bishop, also testify by this third
letter to you, and counsel you to abstain from these mischievous and distorted dogmas, which you hold
arid teach, and to receive the right faith, handed down to the churches from the beginning through the
holy Apostles and Evangelists, who "were eye-witnesses, and ministers of the Word." And if your
holiness have not a mind to this according to the limits defined in the writings of our brother of blessed
memory and most reverend fellow-minister Celestine, Bishop of the Church of Rome, be well assured
then that you have no lot with us, nor place or standing among the priests and bishops of God. For it is
not possible for us to overlook the churches thus troubled, and the people scandalized, and the right faith
set aside, and the sheep scattered by you, who ought to save them, if indeed we are ourselves
adherents of the right faith, and followers of the devotion of the holy fathers. And we are in communion
with all those laymen and clergymen cast out or deposed by your holiness onaccount of the faith; for it is
not right that those, who resolved to believe rightly, should suffer by your choice; for they do well in
opposing you. This very thing you have mentioned in your epistle written to our most holy and fellow-
bishop Celestine of great Rome.
But it would not be sufficient for your reverence to confess with us only the symbol of the faith set out
some time ago by the Holy Ghost at the great and holy synod convened in Nice: for you have not held
and interpreted it rightly, but rather perversely; even though you confess with your voice the form of
words. But in addition, in writing and by oath, you must confess that you also anathematize those
polluted and unholy dogmas of yours, and that you will hold and teach that which we all, bishops,
teachers, and leaders of the people both East and West, hold. The holy synod of Rome and we all
agreed on the epistle written to your Holiness from the Alexandrian Church as being right and blameless.
We have added to these our own letters and that which it is necessary for you to hold and teach, and
what you should be careful to avoid. Now this is the Faith of the Catholic and Apostolic Church to which
all Orthodox Bishops, both East and West, agree:
"We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible, and in one Lord
Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father, that is, of the substance of the
Father; God of God, Light of Light, Very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance
with the Father, by whom all things were made, both those in heaven and those in the earth. Who for us
men and for our salvation, came down, and was incarnate, and was made man. He suffered, and rose
again the third day. He ascended into the heavens, from thence he shall come to judge both the quick
and tile dead. And in the Holy Ghost: But those that say, There was a time when he was not, and, before
he was begotten he was not, and that he was made of that which previously was not, or that he was of
some other substance or essence; and that the Son of God was capable of change or alteration; those
the Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes."
Following in all points the confessions of the Holy Fathers which they made (the Holy Ghost speaking in
them), and following the scope of their opinions, and going, as it were, in the royal way, we confess that
the Only begotten Word of God, begotten of the same substance of the Father, True God from True God,
Light from Light, through Whom all things were made, the things in heaven and the things in the earth,
coming down for our salvation, making himself of no reputation, was incarnate and made man; that is,
taking flesh of the holy Virgin, and having made it his own from the womb, he subjected himself to birth
for us, and came forth man from a woman, without casting off that which he was; but although he
assumed flesh and blood, he remained what he was, God in essence and in truth. Neither do we say that
his flesh was changed into the nature of divinity, nor that the ineffable nature of the Word of God has laid
aside for the nature of flesh; for he is unchanged and absolutely unchangeable, being the same always,
according to the Scriptures. For although visible and a child in swaddling clothes, and even in the bosom
of his Virgin Mother, he filled all creation as God, and was a fellow-ruler with him who begat him, for the
Godhead is without quantity and dimension, and cannot have limits.
Confessing the Word to be made one with the flesh according to substance, we adore one Son and Lord
Jesus Christ: we do not divide the God from the man, nor separate him into parts, as though the two
natures were mutually united in him only through a sharing of dignity and authority (for that is a novelty
and nothing else), neither do we give separately to the Word of God the name Christ and the same name
separately to a different one born of a woman; but we know only one Christ, the Word from God the
Father with his own Flesh. For as man he was anointed with us, although it is he himself who gives the
Spirit to those who are worthy and not in measure, according to the saying of the blessed Evangelist
John.
But we do not say that the Word of God dwelt in him as in a common man born of the holy Virgin, lest
Christ be thought of as a God-bearing man; for although the Word tabernacled among us, it is also said
that in Christ "dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily"; but we understand that be became flesh, not
just as he is said to dwell in the saints, but we define that that tabernacling in him was according to
equality. But being made one and not converted into flesh, he made his indwelling in such a way, as we
may say that the soul of man does in his own body.
One therefore is Christ both Son and Lord, not as if a man had attained only such a conjunction with God
as consists in a unity of dignity alone or of authority. For it is not equality of honour which unites natures;
for then Peter and John, who were of equal honour with each other, being both Apostles and holy
disciples [would have been one, and], yet the two are not one. Neither do we understand the manner of
conjunction to be apposition, for this does not suffice for natural oneness. Nor yet according to relative
participation, as we are also joined to the Lord, as it is written "we are one Spirit in him." Rather we
deprecate the term of "junction" as not having sufficiently signified the oneness. But we do not call the
Word of God the Father, the God nor the Lord of Christ, lest we openly cut in two the one Christ, the Son
and Lord, and fall under the charge of blasphemy, making him the God and Lord of himself. For the Word
of God, as we have said already, was made hypostatically one in flesh, yet he is God of all and he rules
all; but he is not the slave of himself, nor his own Lord. For it is foolish, or rather impious, to think or teach
thus. For he said that God was his Father, although he was God by nature, and of his substance. Yet we
are not ignorant that while he remained God, he also became man and subject to God, according to the
law suitable to the nature of the manhood. But how could he become the God or Lord of himself?
Consequently as man, and with regard to the measure of his humiliation, it is said that he is equally with
us subject to God; thus he became under the Law, although as God he spake the Law and was the Law-
giver.
We are careful also how we say about Christ: "I worship the One clothed on account of the One clothing
him, and on account of the Unseen, I worship the Seen." It is horrible to say in this connexion as follows:
"The assumed as well as the assuming have the name of God." For the saying of this divides again
Christ into two, and puts the man separately by himself and God also by himself. For this saying denies
openly the Unity according to which one is not worshipped in the other, nor does God exist together with
the other; but Jesus Christ is considered as One, the Only-begotten Son, to be honoured with one
adoration together with his own flesh.
We confess that he is the Son, begotten of God the Father, and Only-begotten God; and although
according to his own nature he was not subject to suffering, yet he suffered for us in the flesh according
to the Scriptures, and although impassible, yet in his Crucified Body he made his own the sufferings of
his own flesh; and by the grace of God he tasted death for all: he gave his own Body thereto, although
he was by nature himself the life and the resurrection, in order that, having trodden down death by his
unspeakable power, first in his own flesh, he might become the first born from the dead, and the first-
fruits of them that slept. And that he might make a way for the nature of man to attain incorruption, by the
grace of God (as we just now said), he tasted death for every man, and after three days rose again,
having despoiled hell. So although it is said that the resurrection of the dead was through man, yet we
understand that man to have been the Word of God, and the power of death was loosed through him,
and he shall come in the fulness of time as the One Son and Lord, in the glory of the Father, in order to
judge the world in righteousness, as it is written.
We will necessarily add this also. Proclaiming the death, according to the flesh, of the Only-begotten Son
of God, that is Jesus Christ, confessing his resurrection from the dead, and his ascension into heaven,
we offer the Unbloody Sacrifice in the churches, and so go on to the mystical thanksgivings, and are
sanctified, having received his Holy Flesh and the Precious Blood of Christ the Saviour of us all. And not
as common flesh do we receive it; God forbid: nor as of a man sanctified and associated with the Word
according to the unity of worth, or as having a divine indwelling, but as truly the Life-giving and very flesh
of the Word himself. For he is the Life according to his nature as God, and when he became united to his
Flesh, he made it also to be Life-giving, as also he said to us: Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat
the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood. For we must not think that it is flesh of a man like us (for
how can the flesh of man be life-giving by its own nature?) but as having become truly the very own of
him who for us both became and was called Son of Man. Besides, what the Gospels say our Saviour
said of himself, we do not divide between two hypostases or persons. For neither is he, the one and only
Christ, to be thought of as double, although of two and they diverse, yet he has joined them in an
indivisible union, just as everyone knows a man is not double although made up of soul and body, but is
one of both. Wherefore when thinking rightly, we transfer the human and the divine to the same person.
For when as God he speaks about himself: "He who hath seen me hath seen the Father," and "I and my
Father are one," we consider his ineffable divine nature according to which he is One with his Father
through the identity of essence- "The image and impress and brightness of his glory." But when not
scorning the measure of his humanity, he said to the Jews: "But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath
told you the truth." Again no less than before we recognize that he is the Word of God from his identity
and likeness to the Father and from the circumstances of his humanity. For if it is necessary to believe
that being by nature God, he became flesh, that is, a man endowed with a reasonable soul, what reason
can certain ones have to be ashamed of this language about him, which is suitable to him as man? For if
he should reject the words suitable to him as man, who compelled him to become man like us? And as he
humbled himself to a voluntary abasement for us, for what cause can any one reject the words suitable to
such abasement? Therefore all the words which are read in the Gospels are to be applied to One
Person, to One hypostasis of the Word Incarnate. For the Lord Jesus Christ is One, according to the
Scriptures, although he is called "the Apostle and High Priest of our profession," as offering to God and
the Father the confession of faith which we make to him, and through him to God even the Father and
also to the Holy Spirit; yet we say he is, according to nature, the Only-begotten of God. And not to any
man different from him do we assign the name of priesthood, and the thing, for be became "the Mediator
between God and men," and a Reconciler unto peace, having offered himself as a sweet smelling savour
to God and the Father. Therefore also he said: "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not; but a body hast
thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I
come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God." For on account of us he offered
his body as a sweet smelling savour, and not for himself; for what offering or sacrifice was needed for
himself, who as God existed above all sins? For "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God," so
that we became prone to fall, and the nature of man has fallen into sin, yet not so he (and therefore we
fall short of his glory). How then can there be further doubt that the true Lamb died for us and on our
account? And to say that he offered himself for himself and us, could in no way escape the charge of
impiety. For he never committed a fault at all, neither did he sin. What offering then did he need, not
having sin for which sacrifices are rightly offered? But when he spoke about the Spirit, he said: "He shall
glorify me." If we think rightly, we do not say that the One Christ and Son as needing glory from another
received glory from the Holy Spirit; for neither greater than he nor above him is his Spirit, but because he
used the Holy Spirit to show forth Iris own divinity in his mighty works, therefore he is said to have been
glorified by him just as if any one of us should say concerning his inherent strength for example, or Iris
knowledge of anything, "They glorified me.” For although the Spirit is the same essence, yet we think of
him by himself, as he is the Spirit and not the Son; but he is not different from him; for he is called the
Spirit of truth and Christ is the Truth, and he is sent by him, just as, moreover, he is from God and the
Father. When then the Spirit worked miracles through the hands of the holy apostles after the Ascension
of Our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven, he glorified him. For it is believed that he who works through his
own Spirit is God according to nature. Therefore he said: "He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it
unto you." But we do not say this as if the Spirit is wise and powerful through some sharing with another;
for he is all perfect and indeed of no good thing. Since, therefore, he is the Spirit of the Power and
Wisdom of the Father (that is, of the Son), he is evidently Wisdom and Power.
And since the holy Virgin brought forth corporally God made one with flesh according to nature, for this
reason we also call her Mother of God, not as if the nature of the Word had the beginning of its existence
from the flesh.
For "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God, and the Word was with God," and he is the
Maker of the ages, coeternal with the Father, and Creator of all; but, as we have already said, since he
united to himself hypostatically human nature from her womb, also he subjected himself to birth as man,
not as needing necessarily in his own nature birth in time and in these last times of the world, but in order
that he might bless the beginning of our existence, and that that which sent the earthly bodies of our
whole race to death, might lose its power for the future by his being born of a woman in the flesh. And
this: "In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children,” being removed through him, he showed the truth of that
spoken by the prophet, "Strong death swallowed them up, and again God hath wiped away every tear
from off all faces." For this cause also we say that he attended, having been called, and also blessed, the
marriage in Cana of Galilee, with his holy Apostles in accordance with the economy. We have been
taught to hold these things by the holy Apostles and Evangelists, and all the God-inspired Scriptures, and
in the true confessions of the blessed Fathers.
To all these your reverence also should agree, and give heed, without any guile. And what it is
necessary your reverence should anathematize we have subjoined to our epistle.
Decree of the Council against Nestorius.
As, in addition to other things, the impious Nestorius has not obeyed our citation, and did not receive the
holy bishops who were sent by us to him, we were compelled to examine his ungodly doctrines. We
discovered that he had held and published impious doctrines in his letters and treatises, as well as in
discourses which he delivered in this city, and which have been testified to. Compelled thereto by the
canons and by the letter of our Most Holy Father and fellow-servant Coelestine, the Roman Bishop, we
have come, with many tears, to this sorrowful sentence against him, namely, that our Lord Jesus Christ,
whom he has blasphemed, decrees by the holy Synod that Nestorius be excluded from the episcopal
dignity, and from all priestly communion.
The Letter of Pope St. Coelestine to the Synod of Ephesus.
Coelestine the bishop to the holy Synod assembled at Ephesus, brethren beloved and most longed for,
greeting in the Lord.
A Synod of priests gives witness to the presence of the Holy Spirit. For true is that which we read, since
the Truth cannot lie, to wit, the promise of the Gospel; "Where two or three are gathered together in my
name, there am I in the midst of them." And since tiffs is so, if the Holy Spirit is not absent from so small a
number how much more may we believe he is present when so great a multitude of holy ones are
assembled together! Every council is holy on account of a peculiar veneration which is its due; for in
every such council the reverence which should be paid to that most famous council of the Apostles of
which we read is to be had regard to. Never was the Master, whom they had received to preach, lacking
to this, but ever was present as Lord and Master; and never were those who taught deserted by their
teacher. For he that had sent them was their teacher; he who had commanded what was to be taught,
was their teacher; he who affirms that he himself is heard in his Apostles, was their teacher. This duty of
preaching has been entrusted to all the Lord's priests in common, for by right of inheritance we are bound
to undertake this solicitude, whoever of us preach the name of the Lord in divers lands in their stead for
he said to them, "Go, teach all nations." You, dear brethren, should observe that we have received a
general command: for he wills that all of us should perform that office, which he thus entrusted in
common to all the Apostles. We must needs follow our predecessors. Let us all, then, undertake their
labours, since we are the successors in their honour. And we shew forth our diligence in preaching the
same doctrines that they taught, beside which, according to the admonition of the Apostle, we are
forbidden to add aught. For the office of keeping what is committed to our trust is no less dignified than
that of handing it down.
They sowed the seed of the faith. This shall be our care that the coming of our great father of the family,
to whom alone assuredly this fulness of the Apostles is assigned, may find fruit uncorrupt and many fold.
For the vase of election tells us that it is not sufficient to plant and to water unless God gives the
increase. We must strive therefore in common to keep the faith which has come down to us to-day,
through the Apostolic Succession. For we are expected to walk according to the Apostle. For now not our
appearance (species) but our faith is called in question. Spiritual weapons are those we must take,
because the war is one of minds, and the weapons are words; so shall we be strong in the faith of our
King. Now the Blessed Apostle Paul admonishes that all should remain in that place in which he bid
Timothy remain. The same place therefore, the same cause, lays upon us the same duty. Let us now
also do and study that which he then commanded him to do. And let no one think otherwise, and let no
one pay heed to over strange fables, as he himself ordered. Let us be unanimous thinking the same
thing, for this is expedient: let us do nothing out of contention, nothing out of vain glory: let us be in all
things of one mind, of one heart, when the faith which is one, is attacked. Let the whole body grieve and
mourn in common with us. He who is to judge the world is called into judgment; he who is to criticise all,
is himself made the object of criticism, he who redeemed us is made to suffer calumny. Dear Brethren,
gird ye with the armour of God. Ye know what helmet must protect our head, what breast-plate our
breast. For this is not the first time the ecclesiastical camps have received you as their rulers. Let no one
doubt that by the favour of the Lord who maketh twain to be one, there will be peace, and that arms will
be laid aside since the very cause defends itself.
Let us look once again at these words of our Doctor, which he uses with express reference to bishops,
saying, "Take heed to yourselves and to the whole flock, over which the Holy Ghost has placed you as
bishop, that ye rule the church of God, which he hath purchased with his blood."
We read that they who heard this at Ephesus, the same place at which your holiness is come together,
were called thence. To them therefore to whom this preaching of the faith was known, to them also let
your defence of the same faith also be known. Let us shew them the constancy of our mind with that
reverence which is due to matters of great importance; which things peace has guarded for a long time
with pious understanding.
Let there be announced by you what things have been preserved intact from the Apostles; for the words
of tyrannical opposition are never admitted against the King of Kings, nor can the business of truth be
oppressed by falsehood. I exhort you, most blessed brethren, that love alone be regarded in which we
ought to remain, according to the voice of John the Apostle whose reliques we venerate in this city. Let
common prayer be offered to the Lord. For we can form some idea of what will be the power of the divine
presence at the united intercession of such a multitude of priests, by considering how the very place was
moved where, as we read, the Twelve made together their supplication. And what was the purport of that
prayer of the Apostles? It was that they might receive grace to speak the word of God with confidence,
and to act through its power, both of which they received by the favour of Christ our God. And now what
else is to be asked for by your holy council, except that ye may speak the Word of the Lord with
confidence? What else than that he would give you grace to preserve that which he has given you to
preach? that being filled with the Holy Ghost, as it is written, ye may set forth that one truth which the
Spirit himself has taught you, although with divers voices.
Animated, in brief, by all these considerations (for, as the Apostle says: "I speak to them that know the
law, and I speak wisdom among them that are perfect"), stand fast by the Catholic faith, and defend the
peace of the Churches, for so it is said, both to those past, present, and future, asking and preserving
"those things which belong to the peace of Jerusalem."
Out of our solicitude, we have sent our holy brethren and fellow priests, who are at one with us and are
most approved men, Arcadius, and Projectus, the bishops, and our presbyter, Philip, that they may be
present at what is done and may carry out what things have been already decreed be Us.
To the performing of which we have no doubt that your holiness will assent when it is seen that what has
been decreed is for the security of the whole church. Given the viij of the Ides of May, in the consulate of
Bassus and Antiochus.
The Papal Legates Reside (Extracts from the Acts, Session III.)
Juvenal the bishop of Jerusalem said to Arcadius and Projectus the most reverend bishops, and to Philip
the most reverend presbyter; “Yesterday while this holy and great synod was in session, when your
holiness was present, you demanded after the reading of the letter of the most holy and blessed bishop
of Great Rome, Coelestine, that the minutes made in the Acts with regard to the deposition of Nestorius
the heretic should be read. And thereupon the Synod ordered this to be done. Your holiness will be good
enough to inform us whether you have read them and understand their power.”
Philip the presbyter and legate of the Apostolic See said: “From reading the Acts we have found what
things have been done in your holy synod with regard to Nestorius. We have found from the minutes that
all things have been decided in accordance with the canons and with ecclesiastical discipline. And now
also we seek from your honour, although it may be useless, that what things have been read in your
synod, the same should now again be read to us also; so that we may follow the formula of the Most Holy
Pope Coelestine (who committed this same care to us), and of your holiness also, and may be able to
confirm the judgment.”
[Arcadius having seconded Philip's motion, Memnon directed the acts to be read which was done by the
primicerius of the notaries.]
Philip the presbyter and legate of the Apostolic See said: “There is no doubt, and in fact it has been
known in all ages, that the holy and most blessed Peter, prince and head of the Apostles, pillar of the
faith, and foundation stone of the Catholic Church, received the keys of the kingdom from our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer of the human race, and that to him was given the power of loosing and
binding sins: who down even to to-day and forever both lives and judges in his successors. The holy and
most blessed Pope Coelestine, according to due order, is his successor and holds his place, and us he
sent to supply his place in this holy synod, which the most humane and Christian Emperors have
commanded to assemble, bearing in mind and continually watching over the Catholic faith. For they both
have kept and are now keeping intact the apostolic doctrine handed down to them from their most pious
and humane grandfathers and fathers of holy memory down to the present time, etc.”
Arcadius the most reverend bishop and legate of the Apostolic See said: “Nestorius hath brought us
great sorrow. […] And since of his own accord he hath made himself an alien and an exile from us, we
following the sanctions handed down from the beginning by the holy Apostles, and by the Catholic
Church (for they taught what they had received from our Lord Jesus Christ), also following the types of
Coelestine, Most Holy Pope of the Apostolic See, who has condescended to send us as his executors of
this business, and also following the decrees of the holy Synod [we give this as our conclusion]: Let
Nestorius know that he is deprived of all episcopal dignity, and is an alien from the whole Church and
from the communion of all its priests.”
Projectus, bishop and legate of the Roman Church said: “Most clearly from the reading, etc, […]
Moreover I also, by my authority as legate of the holy Apostolic See, define, being with my brethren an
executor of the aforesaid sentence, that the before named Nestorius is an enemy of the truth, a corrupter
of the faith, and as guilty of the things of which he was accused, has been removed from the grade of
Episcopal honour, and moreover from the communion of all orthodox priests.”
Cyril, the bishop of Alexandria said: “The professions which have been made by Arcadius and Projectus,
the most holy and pious bishops, as also by Philip, the most religious presbyter of the Roman Church,
stand manifest to the holy Synod. For they have made their profession in the place of the Apostolic See,
and of the whole of the holy synod of the God-beloved and most holy bishops of the West. Wherefore let
those things which were defined by the most holy Coelestine, the God-beloved bishop, be carried into
effect, and the vote east against Nestorius the heretic, by the holy Synod, which met in the metropolis of
Ephesus be agreed to universally; for this purpose let there be added to the already prepared acts the
proceedings of yesterday and today, and let them be shewn to their holiness, so that by their subscription
according to custom, their canonical agreement with all of us may be manifest.”
Arcadius the most reverend bishop and legate of the Roman Church, said: “According to the acts of this
holy Synod, we necessarily confirm with our subscriptions their doctrines.”
The Holy Synod said: “Since Arcadius and Projectus the most reverend and most religious bishops and
legates and Philip, the presbyter and legate of the Apostolic See, have said that they are of the same
mind with us, it only remains, that they redeem their promises and confirm the acts with their signatures,
and then let the minutes of the acts be shewn to them.” [The three then signed.]
The Relation which the Holy Council of Ephesus sent to Pope St. Celestine.
The Holy Synod which by the grace of God was assembled at Ephesus the Metropolis to the most holy
and our fellow-minister Coelestine, health in the Lord.
The zeal of your holiness for piety, and your care for the right faith, so grateful and highly pleasing to
God the Saviour of us all, are worthy of all admiration. For it is your custom in such great matters to make
trial of all things, and the confirmation of the Churches you have made your own care. And since it is right
that all things which have taken place should be brought to the knowledge of your holiness, we are
writing of necessity [to inform you] that, by the will of Christ the Saviour of us all, and in accordance with
the orders of the most pious and Christ-loving Emperors, we assembled together in the Metropolis of the
Ephesians from many and far scattered regions, being in all over two hundred bishops. Then, in
accordance with the decrees of the Christ-loving Emperors by whom we were assembled, we fixed the
date of the meeting of the holy Synod as the Feast of the Holy Pentecost, all agreeing thereto, especially
as it was contained in the letters of the Emperors that if anyone did not arrive at the appointed time, he
was absent with no good conscience, and was inexcusable both before God and man. The most
reverend John bishop of Antioch stopped behind; not in singleness of heart, nor because the length of
the journey made the impediment, but hiding in his mind his plan and his thought (which was so
displeasing to God,) [a plan and thought] which he made clear when not long afterwards he arrived at
Ephesus. Therefore we put off the assembling [of the council] after the appointed day of the Holy
Pentecost for sixteen whole days; in the meanwhile many of the bishops and clerics were overtaken with
illness, and much burdened by the expense, and some even died. A great injury was thus being done to
the great Synod, as your holiness easily perceives. For he used perversely such long delay that many
from much greater distances arrived before him.
Nevertheless after sixteen days had passed, certain of the bishops who were with him, to wit, two
Metropolitans, the one Alexander of Apamea, and the other Alexander of Hierapolis, arrived before him.
And when we complained of the tardy coming of the most reverend bishop John, not once, but often, we
were told, "He gave us command to announce to your reverence, that if anything should happen to delay
him, not to put off the Synod, but to do what was right." After having received this message,-and as it was
manifest, as well from his delay as from the announcements just made to us, that he refused to attend the
Council, whether out of friendship to Nestorius, or because he had been a cleric of a church under his
sway, or out of regard to petitions made by some in his favour,-the Holy Council sat in the great church of
Ephesus, which bears the name of Mary.
But when all with zeal had come together, Nestorius alone was found missing from the council, thereupon
the holy Synod sent him admonition in accordance with the canons by bishops, a first, second, and third
time. But he surrounding his house with soldiers, set himself up against the ecclesiastical laws, neither
did he shew himself, nor give any satisfaction for his iniquitous blasphemies.
After this the letters were read which were written to him by the most holy and most reverend bishop of
the Church of Alexandria, Cyril, which the Holy Synod approved as being orthodox and without fault, and
in no point out of agreement either with the divinely inspired Scriptures, or with the faith banded down
and set forth in the great synod of holy Fathers, which assembled sometime ago at Nice in Bithynia, as
your holiness also rightly having examined this has given witness.
On the other hand there was read the letter of Nestorius, which was written to the already mentioned
most holy and reverend brother of ours and fellow-minister, Cyril, and the Holy Synod was of opinion that
those things which were taught in it were wholly alien from the Apostolic and Evangelical faith, sick with
many and strange blasphemies.
His most impious expositions were likewise read, and also the letter written to him by your holiness, in
which he was properly condemned as one who had written blasphemy and had inserted irreligious views
in his private exegesis, and after this a just sentence of deposition was pronounced against him;
especially is this sentence just, because he is so far removed from being penitent, or from a confession
of the matters in which he blasphemed, while yet he had the Church of Constantinople, that even in the
very metropolis of the Ephesians, he delivered a sermon to certain of the Metropolitical bishops, men
who were not ignorant, but learned and God-fearing, in which he was bold enough to say, "I do not
confess a two or three months old God," and he said other things more outrageous than this.
Therefore as an impious and most pestilent heresy, which perverts our most pure religion and which
overthrows from the foundation the whole economy of the mystery [i.e. the Incarnation], we cast it down,
as we have said above. But it was not possible, as it seemed, that those who had the sincere love of
Christ, and were zealous in the Lord should not experience many trials. For we had hoped that the most
reverend John, bishop of Antioch would have praised the sedulous care and piety of the Synod, and that
perchance he would have blamed the slowness of Nestorius' deposition. But all things turned out
contrary to our hope. For he was found to be an enemy, and a most warlike one, to the holy Synod, and
even to the orthodox faith of the churches, as these things indicate.
For as soon as he was come to Ephesus, before he had even shaken off the dust of the journey, or
changed his travelling dress, he assembled those who had sided with Nestorius and who had uttered
blasphemies against their head, and only not derided the glory of Christ, and gathering as a college to
himself, I suppose, thirty men, having the name of bishops (some of whom were without sees, wandering
about and having no dioceses, others again had for many years been deposed for serious causes from
their metropolises, and with these were Pelagians and the followers of Celestius, and some of those who
were turned out of Thessaly),he had the presumption to commit a piece of iniquity no man had ever done
before. For all by himself he drew up a paper which he called a deposition, and reviled and reproached
the most holy and reverend Cyril, bishop of Alexandria, and the most reverend Memnon, bishop of
Ephesus, our brother, and fellow-minister, none of us knowing anything about it, and not even those who
were thus reviling knew what was being done, nor for what reason they had presumed to do this. But
ignoring the anger of God for such behaviour, and unheeding the ecclesiastical canons, and forgetting
that they were hastening to destruction by such a course of action, under the name of an
excommunication, they then reviled the whole Synod. And placing these acts of theirs on the public
bulletin boards, they exposed them to be read by such as chose to do so, having posted them on the
outside of the theatres, that they might make a spectacle of their impiety. But not even was this the limit
of their audacity; but as if they had done something in accordance with the canons, they dared to bring
what they had done to the ears of the most pious and Christ-loving Emperors. Things being in this
condition, the most holy and reverend Cyril, bishop of Alexandria and the most reverend Memnon bishop
of the city of Ephesus, offered some books composed by themselves and accusing the most reverend
Bishop John and those who with him had done this thing, and conjuring our holy Synod that John and
those with him should be summoned according to the canons, so that they might apologize for their
dating acts, and if they had any complaints to make they might speak and prove them, for in their written
deposition, or rather sheet of abuse, they made this statement as a pretext, "They are Apollinarians, and
Arians, and Eunomians, and therefore they have been deposed by us." When, therefore, those who had
endured their reviling were present, we again necessarily assembled in the great church, being more
than two hundred bishops, and by a first, second, and third call on two days, we summoned John and his
companions to the Synod, in order that they might examine those who had been reviled, and might make
explanations, and tell the causes which led them to draw up the sentence of deposition; but he did not
dare to come.
But it was right that he, if he could truly prove the before-mentioned holy men to be heretics, both should
come and prove the truth of that which, accepted as a true and indubitable crime, induced the
temerarious sentence against them. But being condemned by his own conscience he did not come. Now
what he had planned was this. For he thought that when that foundationless and most unjust reviling was
done away, the just vote of the Synod which it cast against the heretic Nestorius would likewise be
dissolved. Being justly vexed, therefore, we determined to inflict according to law the same penalty upon
him and those who were with him, which he contrary to law had pronounced against those who had been
convicted of no fault. But although most justly and in accordance with law he would have suffered this
punishment yet in the hope that by our patience his temerity might be conquered, we have reserved this
to the decision of your holiness. In the meanwhile, we have deprived them of communion and have taken
from them all priestly power, so that they may not be able to do any harm by their opinions. For those
who thus ferociously, and cruelly, and uncanonically are wont to rush to such frightful and most wicked
things, how was it not necessary that they should be stripped of the powers which [as a matter of fact]
they did not possess, of being able to do harm.
With our brethren and fellow-ministers, both Cyril the bishop and Memnon, who had endured reproval at
their hands, we are all in communion, and after the rashness [of their accusers] we both have and do
perform the liturgy in common, all together celebrating the Synaxis, having made of none effect their play
in writing, and having thus shewn that it lacked all validity and effect. For it was mere reviling and nothing
else. For what kind of a synod could thirty men hold, some of whom were marked with the stamp of
heresy, and some without sees and ejected [from their dioceses]? Or what strength could it have in
opposition to a synod gathered from all the whole world? For there were sitting with us the most reverend
bishops Arcadius and Projectus, and with them the most holy presbyter Philip, all of whom were sent by
your holiness, who gave to us your presence and filled the place of the Apostolic See. Let then your
holiness be angered at what took place. But if license were granted to such as wished to pour reproval
upon the greater sees, and thus unlawfully and uncanonically to give sentence or rather to utter revilings
against those over whom they have no power, against those who for religion have endured such great
conflicts, by reason of which now also piety shines forth through the prayers of your holiness [if, I say, all
this should be tolerated], the affairs of the Church would fall into the greatest confusion. But when those
who dare to do such things shall have been chastised aright, all disturbance will cease, and the
reverence due to the canons will be observed by all. When there had been read in the holy Synod what
had been done touching the deposition of the most irreligious Pelagians and Coelestines, of Coelestius,
and Pelagius, and Julian, and Praesidius, and Florus, and Marcellian, and Orontius, and those inclined to
like errors, we also deemed it right that the determinations of your holiness concerning them should stand
strong and firm. And we all were of the same mind, holding them deposed. And that you may know in full
all things that have been done, we have sent you a copy of the Acts, and of the subscriptions of the
Synod. We pray that you, dearly beloved t and most longed for, may be strong and mindful of us in the
Lord.
(Again:) From the Speech of Phillip the Roman Legate in the Third Acts of the
Council.
No one doubts, but rather it has been known to all generations, that the holy and most reverend Peter,
chief and head of the Apostles, the pillar of the Faith, the foundation stone of the Catholic Church,
received the keys of the kingdom from Our Lord Jesus Christ the Saviour and Redeemer of the human
race, and that the power of binding and loosing sins was given to him, who up to this moment and always
lives in his successors and judges.