We therefore preserving the order, and all the forms concerning the faith of the holy Synod, which formerly took place in Ephesus, of which Celestine of Rome, and Cyril of Alexandria of holy memory, were the leaders, declare, that the exposition of the right of blameless faith by the 318 holy and blessed Fathers who were assembled at Nice, in the times of the then Sovereign Constantine of pious memory, should have the first place, and that those things also should be maintained which were defined by the 150 holy Fathers of Constantinople, for the taking away of the heresies which had then sprung up, and the confirmation of the same our Catholic and Apostolic Faith.

The Creed of the 318 Fathers of Nice.

We believe, &c.

Also the Creed of the 150 holy Fathers who were assembled at Constantinople.

We believe, &c.

This wise and saving Creed of the Divine grace would be sufficient for the full acknowledgment and confirmation of the true religion; for it teaches completely the perfect doctrine concerning the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and fully explains the Incarnation of the Lord to those who receive it faithfully. But forasmuch as they who endeavored to make void the preaching of the truth, have by their particular heresies given rise to vain babblings, some daring to corrupt the mystery of the Lord's Incarnation for us, and refusing to the Virgin the appellation of Theotocos, others bringing in a confusion and mixture, and absurdly imagining the nature of the flesh and of the Godhead to be one, and teaching the monstrous doctrine that the divine nature of the Onlybegotten was by commixture capable of suffering, therefore the present holy, great, and Ecumenical Synod,

wishing to shut out all devices against the truth, and to teach the doctrine which has been unalterably held from the beginning, has in the first place decreed, that the faith of the 318 holy Fathers should remain free from assault. Further on account of those who in later times have contended against the Holy Spirit, it confirms the doctrine concerning the substance of the Spirit, which was delivered by the 150 holy Fathers who were assembled in the royal city, which they published, not as adding anything that was wanting to the things which they had before received, but declaring by written testimonies their sentiments concerning the Holy Spirit, against those who endeavored to destroy his dominion. And further on account of those who endeavor to corrupt the mystery of the Incarnation, and who impudently utter their vain conceits, that He who was born of the holy Virgin Mary, was a mere man, it has received the Synodal letters of Cyril of blessed memory, Pastor of the Church of Alexandria, to Nestorius, and those of the East, being suitable for the refutation of the frenzied imaginations of Nestorius, and for the instruction of those who with godly zeal desire to understand the saving faith. And in addition to these it has properly added for the confirmation of the orthodox doctrines, the letter of the President of great Rome, the most holy and blessed Archbishop Leo, which was written to the holy Archbishop Flavian, for the removal of the evil opinions of Eutyches, as being agreeable to the confession of the great Peter, and being, as it were, a common pillar against those who are of wrong opinions; for it is directed against those who attempt to rend the mystery of the Incarnation into a duad of Sons: and it repels from the sacred congregation those who dare to say that the divinity of the Only-begotten is capable of suffering; and it is opposed to those who imagine

a mixture of confusion of the two natures of Christ; and it drives away those who fancy that the form of a servant, which was taken by Him of us, is of an heavenly or any other substance; and it condemns those who speak of two natures of the Lord before the union, and feign one after the union.

We then following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess, one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God, and truly man of a reasonable soul and body; consubstantial with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the manhood; in all things like unto us without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the Virgin Mary, the bringer forth of God, according to the Manhood; to be acknowledged one and the same, Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, of two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably, the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the propriety of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and onlybegotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Prophets from the beginning have declared concerning Him, and the Lord Jesus Christ himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy Fathers has delivered to us.

These things then being expressed by us with the utmost accuracy and attention, the holy and Ecumenical Synod has decreed that it shall not be lawful for any one to bring forward, or to write, or compose, or devise, or to teach men any other Creed. But those who dare to compose any other Creed, or to bring forward, or teach,

or deliver any other Creed to those who are desirous of turning to the acknowledgment of the truth from Heathenism or Judaism, or any heresy whatsoever, if they are Bishops or of the Clergy they shall be deposed, the Bishops from the Episcopate, and the Clergymen from the Clergy; but if they are monks or laymen, they shall be anathematized.

The letters of Cyril and Leo referred to and approved in this definition, are of considerable length, and are to be found in all the collections of Councils, amongst the Acts of this Council. As however from their adoption by the Council they are to be considered as authoritative expositions of the Catholic doctrine, I have added a translation of the more important portions of them.

Extracts from the Encyclical Letter of Leo to Flavian. Conc. Chalc. Act. 2.

S. 3. The property therefore of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one person, humility was assumed by majesty, weakness by power, mortality by eternity; and in order to discharge the debt of our condition, the nature which is incapable of violation was united to the nature which is capable of suffering; that (as was requisite to our recovery) the one and same Mediator of God and man, the man Christ Jesus, might be capable of dying by the one, and incapable of dying by the other. True God therefore was born in the entire and perfect nature of true man, complete in his own properties, complete also in ours. But we call those things ours, which the Creator made in us at the beginning, and which he took upon himself to repair; for those things which the deceiver brought in, and which man being deceived admitted, had no trace in

our Saviour; neither did he, because he took upon himself the communion of our infirmities, become therefore a partaker of our sins. He took upon him the form of a servant without the stain of sin, raising what was human, not lessening what was divine; for that emptying of himself whereby he who was invisible gave himself to be visible, and the Creator and Lord of all things chose to become a mortal man, was the inclination of compassion not the failing of power. Therefore he who being in the form of God made even man, the same in the form of a servant was made man. Each nature consequently preserves its own propriety without any defect, and as the form of God does not take away the form of a servant, so the form of a servant does not lessen the form of God.

S. 4. The Son of God therefore enters into this lower world, coming down from his heavenly seat, and not departing from his Father's glory, being brought forth in a new manner, and by a new birth. In a new manner, inasmuch as he who is invisible in his own properties, became visible in ours: he who is incomprehensible became comprehended: he who abides before all time began to be in time: the Lord of the universe took upon him the form of a servant, shading the immensity of his majesty: God who is incapable of suffering did not disdain to become man capable of suffering, and the immortal to submit to the laws of death. Being brought forth moreover by a new birth, because undefiled virginity, which knew not lust, furnished the matter of his flesh. From the mother of the Lord therefore was taken nature, not sin: and although the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ produced from the Virgin's womb was miraculous, the nature is not dissimilar to ours, for he who is true God, the same is true man: and in the unity there is no falsehood, whilst together there are the humility of man and