prevailed over reconciliation, and when he who was sent (viz. Hosius) as the arbitrator of peace, returned without having effected anything, he (i.e. Constantine)" called together a Council at Nice in Bithynia, and wrote every where to the prelates of the Churches to be present at appointed day, and an there participated in this Council of the Apostolic sees (or thrones), Macarius, the Bishop of Jerusalem; and Eustathius, who was entrusted with the Church of Antioch on the Orontes ; and Alexander, who had the Church near the Marean lake (i.e. Alexandria.) But Julius, the Bishop of the Romans, was absent on account of age; and Vitus and Vicentius, priests of that Church, were present in his stead, &c. The Emperor Theodosius called the Council of Ephesus. Ων επειδη Κυριλλος ο της αοιδήμου μνήμης, επίσκοπος της Αλεξανδρέων, δι' οικείων επελαμβάνετο συλλαβων, Νεστοριος τε αυ τούτοις αντεπιπτε, και ουδε τοις Κυρίλλω ουδε τοις Καλεστινω τας πρεσβυτέρας Ρώμης επισκόποις επείθετο. Τον δε ίδιον αμοτον κατα πάσης εξέχεε της εκκλησιας μηδεν ευλαβούμενος, εικοτως εδέησε νευτου νεου Θεοδοσιου τα μασι σκήπτρα τας εωας διέποντος την Which things, when Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, of great celebrity, had succinctly corrected by his letters, and Nestorius had again replied to them, and would not obey these bishops, viz. Cyril and Celestinus, the Bishop of ancient Rome, but fearlessly poured forth his own restless whole spirit against the Church; he reasonably requested that the first Coun εν Εφέσω πρωτην συνοδον αλισθηναι. Γραμματων βασιλικων γενομένων προς τε Κυριλλον και τους απανταχη των αγιων εκκλησιων προεστηκότας. Ος κυριαν της συνελεύσεως απέφηνε την αγιαν πεντηκοστην ημεραν, εν η το ζωοποιον ημιν επεφοίτησε πνευμα. cil of Ephesus should be assembled by the command of Theodosius* the younger, who swayed the sceptre of the East. Royal letters, therefore, having been sent to Cyril and everywhere to all the prelates of the holy Churches; he declared the holy day of Pentecost, on which the life-giving Spirit descended upon us, to be the appointed day of the sembly. as In the primitive Church the election of the bishops was not confirmed by the Bishop of Rome, except in his own province, but by the metropolitan bishop. Sacrosancta Concilia, &c. Studio P. Labbæi et G. Cossartii. Tom. ii. p. 30. (Lutetia, Parisiorum, 1671.) Concilium Nicenum. An. Chr. 325. δ.-Επισκοπον προσήκει μα λιστα μεν υπο παντων των εν τη επαρχία καθιστασθαι. Ει δε δυσχερες ειη το τοτούτο, η δια κατεπειγουσαν αναγκην, η δια μηκος οδου, εξ απαντος τρεις επι ΤΟ αυτο συναγόμενους, συμψήφων γινομένων και των απαντων, και συντιθεμένων δια γραμμάτων, τότε την χειροτονιαν ποιεισθαι. Το δε κυρος των γινομένων διδόσθαι καθ' εκαστην επαρχιαν τω μετρω πολιτῃ. 4. Episcopumt oportet maxime quidem ab omnibus qui sunt in provinciâ constitui. Si autem sit hoc difficile, vel propter urgentem necessitatem, vel viæ longitudinem, tres omnino eumdem in lo cum congregatos, absentibus quoque suffragium parentibus, scriptisque assentientibus, tunc electionem feri; eorum autem quæ fiunt confirmationem in unaquaque provincia a metropolitano fieri. * We thus see that Theodosius, the Emperor, called the Council at the request of the Bishop of Alexandria, and the Emperor seems to have sent the first notice of the Council to Cyril: and not only was the Council not called by the Bishop of Rome, but he does not seem to have been consulted about it. The Latin translation of the conciliar decrees is appended, because it is generally quoted by the Roman priests. τα εν Αιγύπτω, και Λιβυη και Πενταπόλει, ωστε τον Αλεξ. ανδρειας επισκοπον παντων τουτων έχειν την εξουσιαν. Επει και τω εν τη Ρωμη επεσκοπω τουτο συνηθές εστιν. Ομοιως δε και κατα την Αντιοχειαν, και εν ταις αλλαις επιάρχαις, τα πρεσβεια σωζεσθαι ταις εκκλησιαις. Καθολου δε προσδηλον εκείνο, ότι ει τις χωρις γνωμης του μητροπολίτου γενοιτο επιστ κοπος, τον τοιουτον η μεγαλη συνοδος ωρισε μη δειν ειναι επισκοπον. Εαν μεντοι τη κοι νῃ παντων ψήφω ευλογω ουση, και κατά κανόνα εκκλησιαστικον, δι' οικείαν φιλονει αντιλεγωσι, κρατείτω η των πλειόνων ψηφος. δυο Each metropolitan Church is to preserve its privileges. 5. Τα αρχαία εθη κρατείτω, 6. Antiqui mores serventur, qui sunt in Ægypto, Libya et Pentapoli, ut Alexandrinus Episcopus horum omnium habeat potestatem ; quandoquidem et Episcopo Romano hoc est consuetum. Similiter et in Antiochiâ, et in aliis provinciis sua privilegia ac suæ dignitates et auctoritates* ecclesiis serventur. Illud autem est omnino manifestum, quod si quis absque metropolitani sententia factus sit episcopus, eum magna synodus definivit non esse episcopum. Quod si quidem communi omnium electioni, quæ et rationi consentanea, et ex regula ecclesiasticâ facta est, duo vel tres propter suam, quâ delectantur, contentionem contradicant, vincant plurium suffragia. κιαν η τρεις Subscripserunt trecenti decem et octo episcopi, qui in eodem concilio convenerunt.. Osius, episcopus civitatis Cordubensis, provincia Hispaniæ, dixit, ita credo, sicut superius dictum est. Victor et Vincentius presbyteri urbis Romæ pro venerabili viro papa et episcopo nostro sancto Sylvestro subscripsimus, ita credentes, sicut scriptum est. Provincia Egypti Alexandria Magnæ, &c. &c. &c. The Emperor Constantine in his letter to the Church of Alexandria states that he called the Council of Nice, and that the edicts of that Council ought to be deemed the * The Latin translation here is rather too diffuse. τα πρεσβεια (ηθεα) "let the ancient customs" or privileges "be preserved." Divine will; and he makes no mention of the Bishop of Rome. Επιστολη Κωνσταντινου βασιλέως τη εκκλησία Αλεξανδρεων. Κωνσταντινος σεβαστος τη καθολική Αλεξανδρέων εκκλησια. Χαιρετε, αγαπητοι αδελφοι, κ. τ. λ. Ένα τοιγαρουν άπαντες και τω ονόματι προσκυνούμεν, και είναι πεπιστεύκαμεν. Ινα δε τούτο γενηται, υπομνήσει Θεου συνεκάλεσα εις την Νικαεων πολιν τους πλείστους των επιστ κόπων, μεθ' ωνπερ εις εξ υμων εγω ο συνθεράπων υμέτερος καθ' υπερβολην είναι χαίρων, και αυτός την της αληθειας εξετασιν ανεδεξαμην, κ. τ. λ. Ο γαρ τοις τριακοσίοις ήρεσεν επισκόποις, ουδεν εστιν ετερον η του Θεου γνώμη, μαλιστα γε όπου το αγιον πνεύμα, τοιούτων και τηλικουτων ανδρων ταις διανοιαις εγκειμενον, την θειαν βουλησιν εξεφωτισε, κ. τ. λ. Epistola Constantini imperatoris ad ecclesiam Alexandrinam. Constantinus Augustus Catholicæ Alexandrinorum ecclesiæ. Salvete fratres carissimi, &c. Unum igitur Deum omnes et nomine veneramur et esse credimus. Ut autem istud ad exitum perduceretur, Dei admonitione, magnam episcoporum turbam ad urbem Nicæam accersivi: quibuscum ego, qui unus ex vestrum numero sum, quique quod vester sim conservus plurimum gaudeo, operam dedi ut veritas diligenter investigaretur, &c. Nam quod trecentis episcopis visum est, non est aliud, quam Dei sententia; præsertim cùm in talium et tam præclarorum virorum mentibus sacer insideret Spiritus, qui illis divinam voluntatem aperuerit, &c. The following letter, to which Pope Sylvester is made to give a favourable reply, is said to have been written to him by the Council; but its genuineness seems to be denied, and as it should seem justly; though the desire to obtain the assent of the metropolitan of the Western Church and his bishops, does not involve in it a recognition of his supremacy over the Universal Church. Sac. Concil. &c. studio P. Labbæi et G. Cossartii. Tom. ii. p. 58. Lutetia, Parisiorum, 1671. Synodi Nicænæ Epistola ad Silvestrum Papam. Epistola hæc a Surio primùm edita fuit ex vetusto libro Coloniensi, quæ reperitur etiam in antiquis codicibus manuscriptis Cresconianae collectionis, sed ubique valdè corrupta. Beatissimo papæ urbis Romæ cum omni reverentiâ, colendo Silvestro, Osius episcopus provinciæ Hispaniæ civitatis Cordubæ, Macarius episcopus ecclesiæ Hierosolymitana; Victor et Vincentius presbyteri urbis Romæ ordinati ex directione tuâ. Quoniam omnia corroborata de divinis mysteriis ecclesiasticæ utilitatis quæ ad robur pertinent sanctæ ecclesiæ catholicæ et apostolicæ, ad sedem tuam Romanam explanata, et de Græco redacta scribere confitemur; nunc itaque ad vestræ sedis (in margine, "ad veræ fidei") argumentum accurrimus roborari. Itaque censeat vestra apostolica doctrina episcopos totius vestræ apostolicæ urbis in unum convenire, vestrumque habere concilium, sicut docet mystica veritas; ut firmetur nostra sanctimonia, gradusque fixos vel textus ordinationis tuæ sanctimonia nostra possit habere regula: quoniam decet numerum dictorum coepiscoporum a te discere gradus, vel ordines constituere urbis. Quidquid autem constituimus in Concilio Nicæno, precamus vestri oris consortio confirmetur. Oret beatitudo tua pro universo concilio. Data viii. Kalendas Julias. Accepta xiii. Kalendas Novembris, Paulino et Juliano summis consulibus. Rescriptum Silvestri Episc. ad Synodum Nicænan. Silvester episcopus sedis apostolicæ et S. ecclesiæ Catholicæ, reverendæ religionis urbis Romæ fratribus et coepiscopis, qui in Nicænum concilium convenerunt, in domino salutem. Nam et Gaudeo promptam vos benignitatem servare. confirmo figoque ad doctrinæ vestræ reclamantes de mysterio, vel unitate Trinitatis, chrismatis vos secundum dicta, et doctrinam evangelium, sanctam accepisse gratiam; de quo examinationis, &c. &c. Respecting the letter to Sylvester, the Benedictine editor says, "stylus arguit suppositionem cum temporis notâ ;" and respecting Pope Sylvester's reply, the editor's note is as follows: "Nec sincerius est hoc responsum, quod commentitium et mendosissimum verè dixeris, et non tantum ferè, ut Binnius." |