Lateran Council, A. D. 642, under Martin I., who was seized in consequence, by Constans, and exiled to the Chersonese, where he died. The troubles still continuing, Constantine Pogonatus, the successor of Constans, summoned this Ecumenical Synod at Constantinople, which was attended (amongst other Bishops) by George Archbishop or Patriarch of Constantinople, and Macerius of Antioch; and by Peter a Presbyter of Alexandria, and George a Presbyter of Jerusalem, on the part of those Sees; and by George and Theodore, Presbyters, John a Deacon, and Constantine a Subdeacon, on the part of Agatho Archbishop of Rome: and also by John Bishop of Portus, Abundantius of Paternum, and John of Rhegium, as representatives of 125 Bishops who had attended a Council at Rome, under Agatho, in the beginning of the same year, and upon the same subject. The Synod of Constantinople, having fully examined the controversy, published a definition of faith, in which they received the five preceding Ecumenical Councils, and the Creeds of Nice and Constantinople, and condemned the authors and supporters of the Monothelite heresy. The decrees of this Council were universally approved and received by the Catholic Church. The Acts of the Council remain, but some of the Roman writers, in their anxiety to free Honorius from the charge of heresy, assert (but without any apparent reason), that they have been corrupted in parts, and particularly in those relating to that Pope. See Palmer, Hist. of Ch. vol. ii. p. 187, and the authorities there referred to. And also the notes of Binius upon the life of Honorius, and his preface to the Council.

Neither this nor the preceding Council enacted any new Canons of discipline, but a Council was afterwards convened for this purpose at Constantinople, according

to some authors A.D. 692, and according to others A.D. 707. This Council is therefore sometimes called the Quinisextine, as supplemental to the fifth and sixth, but more commonly the Council in Trullo, from the hall in the imperial palace in which the Bishops assembled. It enacted 102 Canons: but these are not to be considered as sanctioned by the authority of the whole Church, never having been formally received by the Western Churches. The first of these Canons acknowledges and confirms all the decrees respecting faith of the six preceding Councils, and anathematizes all persons who do not receive and hold them, or who teach anything contrary to them. The second Canon gives a list of all the Canons of discipline which the Council received and confirmed, and acknowledged as the standing rules of the Church. These are as follows. The 85 Canons which have been delivered in the name of the holy and glorious Apostles. The Canons of Nice, Ancyra, Neocæsarea, Gangra, Antioch, Laodicea, Constantinople, Ephesus, and Chalcedon; and in addition to these, the Canons of Sardica, and Carthage; and those enacted at Constantinople under Nectarius and Theophilus; the Canons of Dionysius Archbishop of Alexandria; of Basil Archbishop of Cæsarea in Cappadocia; of Gregory Bishop of Nyssa; of Gregory the divine; of Amphilochius of Iconium; of Timothy, Theophilus, and Cyril Archbishops of Alexandria; and Gennadius Patriarch of Constantinople; and lastly a Canon of Cyprian. This last is a decision of Cyprian and other African Bishops contained in an Epistle from Cyprian to Januarius, and other Bishops of Numidia, respecting the baptism of heretics. Cyp. Ep. 70. It is to the same effect as the 47th Apostolical Canon.

THE DEFINITION OF FAITH OF THE THIRD COUNCIL OF

CONSTANTINOPLE.

ACT. XVIII.

The holy, great, and Ecumenical Synod which has been assembled by the grace of God, and the religious decree of the most religious and faithful and mighty Sovereign Constantine, in this protected of God and royal city of Constantinople, New Rome, in the Hall of the imperial Palace, called Trullus, has decreed as follows.

The only-begotten Son, and Word of God the Father, who was made man in all things like unto us without sin, Christ our true God, has declared expressly in the words of the Gospel, “ I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." And again," My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." Our most gentle Sovereign, the champion of orthodoxy, and opponent of evil doctrine, being reverentially led by this divinely uttered doctrine of peace, and having convened this our holy and Ecumenical assembly, has united the judgment of the whole Church. Wherefore this our holy and Ecumenical Synod having driven away the impious error which had prevailed for a certain time until now, and following closely the straight path of the holy and approved Fathers, has piously given its full assent to the five holy and Ecumenical Synods (that is to say, to that of the 318 holy Fathers who assembled in Nice against the raging Arius; and the next in Constantinople of the 150 inspired men against Macedonius the adversary of the Spirit, and the impious Apollinarius; and also the first in Ephesus of 200 venerable men convened against Nestorius the Judaizer; and that in Chalcedon

of 630 inspired Fathers against Eutyches and Dioscorus hated of God; and in addition to these, to the last, that is the 5th holy Synod assembled in this place, against Theodorus of Mopsuestia, Origen, Didymus, and Euagrius, and the writings of Theodoret against the twelve Chapters of the celebrated Cyril, and the Epistle which was said to be written by Ibas to Maris the Persian), renewing in all things the ancient decrees of religion, and chasing away the impious doctrines of irreligion. And this holy and Ecumenical Synod has by the inspiration of God set its seal to the Creed which was put forth by the 318 Fathers, and again religiously confirmed by the 150, which also the other holy Synods cordially received and ratified for the taking away of every soul-destroying heresy.

The Nicene Creed of the 318 holy Fathers.

We believe, &c.

The Creed of the 150 holy Fathers assembled at Constantinople.

We believe, &c.

The holy and Ecumenical Synod further says, this pious and orthodox Creed of the Divine grace would be sufficient for the full knowledge and confirmation of the orthodox faith. But as the author of evil, who, in the beginning, availed himself of the aid of the serpent, and by it brought the poison of death upon the human race, has not desisted, but in like manner now, having found suitable instruments for working out his will (we mean Theodorus, who was Bishop of Pharan, Sergius, Pyrrhus, Paul and Peter, who were presidents of this royal city, and moreover, Honorius who was Pope of the elder Rome, Cyrus Bishop of Alexandria, Macarius who was lately President of Antioch, and Stephen his disciple), has actively employed them in raising up for the whole

Church the stumbling-blocks of one will and one operation in the two natures of Christ our true God, one of the Holy Trinity; thus disseminating, in novel terms, amongst the orthodox people, an heresy similar to the mad and wicked doctrine of the impious Apollinarius, Severus, and Themistius, and endeavoring craftily to destroy the perfection of the incarnation of the same our Lord Jesus Christ, our God, by blasphemously representing his flesh endowed with a rational soul as devoid of will or operation. Christ, therefore, our God, has raised up our faithful Sovereign, a new David, having found him a man after his own heart, who, as it is written, has not suffered his eyes to sleep nor his eyelids to slumber, until he has found a perfect declaration of orthodoxy by this our collected of God, and holy Synod; for, according to the sentence spoken of God, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Which present holy and Ecumenical Synod faithfully receiving and embracing with open hands the report which was made by the most holy and blessed Pope of old Rome, Agatho, unto our most religious and faithful Sovereign Constantine, and which rejected by name those who preached and taught (as aforesaid) one will and one operation in the incarnate dispensation of Christ our true God; and in like manner receiving another synodical report of the 125 God-loving Bishops to his Godly-wise serenity, as both agreeing with the holy Synod of Chalcedon, and the book of Leo, the most holy and blessed Pope of the said old Rome, which was sent to the holy Flavian, and which the said Synod called a pillar of orthodoxy; and also following the Synodical letters which were written by the blessed Cyril against the impieties of Nestorius, and to the Bishops of the East; and the five holy Synods, and the holy