THE SAGE DIGITAL LIBRARY COLLECTIONS THE NICENE AND POST-NICENE FATHERS SECOND SERIES, VOLUME 14 by Philip Schaff, editor To the Students of the Words, Works and Ways of God: Welcome to the SAGE Digital Library. We trust your experience with this and other volumes in the Library fulfills our motto and vision which is our commitment to you: M AKING THE WORDS OF THE WISE AVAILABLE TO ALL — INEXPENSIVELY. SAGE Software Albany, OR USA Version 1.0 © 1996 2 SELECT LIBRARY OF THE NICENE AND POST-NICENE FATHERS OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH SECOND SERIES TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH WITH PROLEGOMENA AND EXPLANATORY NOTES UNDER THE EDITORIAL SUPERVISION OF PHILIP SCHAFF, D.D., LL.D., AND HENRY WACE,D.D., Professor of Church History in the Professor of King’s Union Theological Seminary, New York. College, London. IN CONNECTION WITH A NUMBER OF PATRISTIC SCHOLARS OF EUROPE AND AMERICA VOLUME 14 THE SEVEN ECUMENICAL COUNCILS SAGE Software Albany, Oregon © 1996 3 THE SEVEN ECUMENICAL COUNCILS OF THE UNDIVIDED CHURCH THEIR CANONS AND DOGMATIC DECREES, TOGETHER WITH THE CANONS OF ALL THE LOCAL SYNODS WHICH HAVE RECEIVED ECUMENICAL ACCEPTANCE. EDITED WITH NOTES GATHERED FROM THE WRITINGS OF THE GREATEST SCHOLARS BY HENRY R. PERCIVAL, M.A., D.D 4 CONTENTS PREFACE, GENERAL INTRODUCTION, 1. Method of Treatment. 2. Concerning Ecumenical Councils in General. 3. The Number of the Ecumenical Synods,. BIOGRAPHICAL INTRODUCTION, APPENDED NOTE ON THE EASTERN EDITIONS OF S YNODICAL LITERATURE, A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL INDEX OF THE PRINTED EDITIONS OF THE CANONS OF THE APOSTLES AND OF THE COUNCILS IN THE S LAVONIC AND RUSSIAN LANGUAGES, EXCURSUS ON THE HISTORY OF THE ROMAN LAW AND ITS RELATIONS TO THE CANON LAW, I. THE FIRST ECUMENICAL COUNCIL — THE FIRST COUNCIL OF NICE, A.D. 325, Historical Introduction, The Nicene Creed, Excursus on the Word Homousios, Excursus on the Words gennhqe>nta oju poihqe>nta, The Canons of 318 Holy Fathers assembled in the City of Nice, in Bithnyia, Excursus on the Use of the word “Canon,” Excursus on the Word prosqe>rein, Excursus on the Extent of the Jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome over the Suburbicarian Churches, Excursus on the Rise of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Excursus on the Chorepiscopi, Excursus on the Public Discipline or Exomologesis of the Early Church, Excursus on the Communion of the Sick, Excursus on the Translation of Bishops, Excursus on Usury, Excursus on the Deaconess of the Early Church, Excursus on the Number of the Nicene Canons, The Captions of the Arabic Canons Attributed to the Council of Nice, 5 Proposed Action on Clerical Celibacy, The Synodal Letter, Excursus on the Subsequent History of the Eastern Question, II. THE CANONS OF THE COUNCILS OF ANCYRA, GANGRA, NEOCAESAREA, ANTIOCH AND LAODICEA — WHICH CANONS WERE ACCEPTED AND RECEIVED BY THE ECUMENICAL SYNODS, Introductory Note to the Canons of Provincial Synods, 1. The Council of Ancyra, A.D. 314 — Historical Note, The Canons of the Councilof Ancyra Excursus on Second Marriages, called Digamy 2. The Council of Neocaesarea c. A.D. 315 — Historical Note, The Canons of the Holy and Blessed Fathers who Assembled at Neocaesarea, 3. The Council of Gangra, A.D. 325-381 — Historical Introduction, Synodical Letter of the Council of Gangra, The Canons of the Holy Fathers Assembled at Gangra, 4. The Synod of Antioch in Encaeniis — A.D. 341, Historical Introduction, The Synodal Letter, The Canons of the Blessed and Holy Fathers Assembled at Antioch in Syria, 5. Synod of Laodicea, A.D. 343-381, Historical Introduction, The Canons of the Synod held in the City of Laodicea, in Phrygia Pacatiana, Excursus on the Choir Offices of the Early Church, Excursus on the Worship of the Early Church, Excursus on the Vestments of the Early Church, Excursus on the Minor Orders of the Early Church, 6 III. THE S ECOND ECUMENICAL COUNCIL — THE FIRST COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE, A.D. 381, Historical Introduction, The Holy Creed which the 150 Fathers set forth, which is Consonant with the Holy and Great Synod of Nice, Historical Excursus on the Introduction into the Creed of the Words “and the Son,” Historical Note on the lost “Tome” of the Second Council, Letter of the Same Holy Synod to the Most Pious Emperor Theodosius the Great, to which are Appended the Canons Enacted by Them. Introduction on the Number of the Canons, Canons of the 150 Fathers who Assembled at Constantinople, Excursus on the Heresies Condemned in Canon I., Warning to the Reader Touching Canon VII., Excursus on the Authority of the Second Ecumenical Council, The Council of Constantinople, A.D. 382 — The Synodical Letter, IV. THE THIRD ECUMENICAL COUNCIL — THE COUNCIL OF EPHESUS, A.D. 431, Historical Introduction, Note on the Emperor’s Edict to the Synod. Extracts from the Acts — Session I., The Epistle of Cyril to Nestorius, Extracts from the Acts — Session I. (continued), Historical Introduction to St. Cyril’s Anathematisms, The Epistle of Cyril to Nestorius with the XII. Anathematisms, The Anathematisms of St. Cyril Against Nestorius, Excursus on the Word Qeoto>kov, Excursus on How Our Lord Worked Miracles, Extracts from the Acts — Session I. (Continued), Decree of the Council Against Nestorius, Extracts from the Acts — Session II., The Letter of Pope Coelestine to the Synod of Ephesus, Extracts from the Acts — Session II. (Continued), 7 Extracts from the Acts — Session III., The Canons of the 200 Holy and Blessed Fathers Who Met at Ephesus, Excursus on the Conciliabulum of John of Antioch, Excursus on Pelagianism, Observation of the Roman Editors (Ed. 1608), Observation of Philip Labbe, S.J.P., Excursus on the Words pi>stin eJte>ran, The Letter of the Same Holy Synod of Ephesus to the Sacred Synod in Pamphylia Concerning Eustathius who had been Their Metropolitan, The Letter of the Synod to Pope Celestine, The Definition of the Holy and Ecumenical Synod of Ephesus Against the Impious Messalians, who are also called Euchetae and Enthusiasts, Note on the Messalians or Massalians, Decree of the Synod in the Matter of Euprepius and Cyril, V.THE FOURTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL — THE COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON, A.D. 451, General Introduction, Extracts from the Acts — Session I., Extracts from the Acts — Session II, The Letter of Cyril to John of Antioch, Extracts from the Acts — Session II. (continued), The Tome of St. Leo, Extracts from the Acts — Session II. (continued), The Condemnation Sent by the Holy and Ecumenical Synod to Dioscorus, Extracts from the Acts — Session IV., Extracts from the Acts — Session V., The Definition of Faith of the Council of Chalcedon, Extracts from the Acts — Session VI., Decree on the Jurisdiction of Jerusalem and Antioch, The Decree with Regard to the Bishop of Ephesus — Session XII., Decree with Regard to Nicomedia — Session XIII., The XXX. Canons of the Holy and Fourth Synod of Chalcedon, Excursus on the Later History of Canon XXVIII., Extracts from the Acts — Session XVI., 8 VI. THE FIFTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL /EM/THE S ECOND COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE, A.D. 553, Historical Introduction, Excursus on the Genuineness of the Acts of the Fifth Council, Extracts from the Acts — Session I., Extracts from the Acts — Session VII., The Sentence of the Synod, The Capitula of the Council, Excursus on the XV. Anathemas Against Origen, The Anathemas Against Origen, The Anathematisms of the Emporer Justinian Against Origen, The Decretal Epistle of Pope Vigilius in Confirmation of the Fifth Ecumenical Synod, Historical Excursus on the After History of the Council, VII. THE S IXTH ECUMENICAL COUNCIL — THE THIRD COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE, A.D. 680-681, Historical Introduction, Extracts from the Acts — Session I., The Letter of Agatho, Pope of Old Rome, to the Emporer, and the Letter of Agatho, and of 125 Bishops of the Roman synod, Addressed to the Sixth Council, Introductory Note, The Letter of Pope Agatho, The Letter of Pope Agatho and of the Roman Synod of 125 Bishops which was to Serve as an Instruction to the Legates Sent to Attend the Sixth Synod, Extracts from the Acts — Session VIII., The Sentence Against the Monothelites — Session XIII., Extracts from the Acts — Session XVI., The Definition of Faith, The Prosphoneticus to the Emperor, Letter of the Council to St. Agatho, 9 Excursus on the Condemnation of of Pope Honorius, The Imperial Edict Posted in the Third Atrium of the Great Church, near what is Called the Dicyjmbals, VIII. THE CANONS OF THE COUNCIL IN TRULLO; OFTEN CALLED THE QUINISEXT COUNCIL, A.D. 692, Introductory Note, The Canons of the Council in Trullo, Excursus on the Marriage of the Clergy, IX. THE CANONS OF THE S YNODS OF S ARDICA, CARTHAGE, CONSTANTINOPLE, AND CARTHAGE UNDER ST. CYPRIAN, WHICH CANONS WERE RECEIVED BY THE COUNCIL IN TRULLO AND RATIFIED BY NICE II., Introductory Note, I. The Council of Sardica, A.D. 343 or 344, Introduction on the Date of the Council, Note on the Text of the Canons, The Canons of the Council of Sardica, Excursus as to Whether the Sardica Council was Ecumenical, 2. The Canons of the CCXVII. Blessed Fathers who Assembled at Carthage, Commonly Called the Code of Canons of the African Church, A.D. 419, Introductory Note, An Ancient Introduction, The Canons of the 217 Blessed Fathers who Assembled at Carthage, 3. Council of Constantinople held Under Nectarius,A.D. 394, Introductory Note, Council of Constantinople under Nectarius of Constantinople under Nectarius of Constantinople and Theophilus of Alexandria, 4. The Council of Carthage Held Under Cyprian, A.D. 257, Introductory Note, The Synod Held at Carthage over which Presided the Great and Holy 10 Martyr Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, A.D. 257. Epistle LXX. Cyprian, Liberalis, Caledonius, etc., to Their Brethren, Januarius, etc., Greeting, X.