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| On the Emperor's Return from the West, the Acacians assemble at Constantinople, and confirm the Creed of Ariminum, after making Some Additions to it.
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Chapter XLI.—On the
Emperor’s Return from the West, the Acacians assemble at
Constantinople, and confirm the Creed of Ariminum, after making Some
Additions to it.
And now the emperor returned
from the West and appointed a prefect over Constantinople, Honoratus by
name, having abolished the office of proconsul.427
| 427On the distinction between the prefect and proconsul
and the different functions of each, see Smith, Diction. of Greek
and Roman Ant. The statement of Socrates here that Constantius
first put Constantinople under a prefect is borne out by
Athanasius’ mention of Donatus as proconsul of Europe, with
Constantinople as chief city.
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But the Acacians being beforehand with the bishops, calumniated them to
the emperor, persuading him not to admit the creed which they had
proposed. This so annoyed the emperor that he resolved to disperse
them; he therefore published an edict, commanding that such of them as
were subject to fill certain public offices should be no longer
exempted from the performance of the duties attached to them. For
several of them were liable to be called on to occupy various official
departments,428
| 428The General Synod of Chalcedon, 451 a.d., in its seventh canon forbade, under pain of
anathema, the mixing of the clerical office with political and worldly
matters.
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connected both with the city magistracy, and in subordination to the
presidents and governors of provinces.429
| 429The τάξεις here mentioned were
classes of officials appointed under a sort of military law, to serve
for a given length of time as agents of the presidents and governors of
provinces. Cf. Justin. Cod. 12, tit. 52–59.
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While these were thus harassed the partisans of Acacius remained for a
considerable time at Constantinople and held another Synod. Sending for
the bishops at Bithynia, about fifty assembled on this occasion, among
whom was Maris, bishop of Chalcedon: these confirmed the creed read at
Ariminum to which the names of the consuls had been prefixed.430
It would have been unnecessary to repeat it here, had there not been
some additions made to it; but since that was done, it may be desirable
to transcribe it in its new form.431
| 431Athanas. de Synodd. 30.
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‘We believe in one God the Father Almighty, of
whom are all things. And in the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of
God before all ages, and before every beginning; through whom all
things visible and invisible were made: who is the only-begotten born
of the Father, the only of the only, God of God, like to the Father who
begat him, according to the Scriptures, and whose generation no one
knows but the Father only that begat him. We know that this
only-begotten Son of God, as sent of the Father, came down from the
heavens, as it is written, for the destruction of sin and death: and
that he was born of the Holy Spirit, and of the Virgin Mary according
to the flesh, as it is written, and conversed with his disciples; and
that after every dispensation had been fulfilled according to his
Father’s will, he was crucified and died, and was buried and
descended into the lower parts of the earth, at whose presence hades
itself trembled: who also arose from the dead on the third day, again
conversed with his disciples, and after the completion of forty days
was taken up into the heavens, and sits at the right hand of the
Father, whence he will come in the last day, the day of the
resurrection, in his Father’s glory, to requite every one
accord-to his works. [We believe] also in the Holy Spirit, whom he
himself the only-begotten of God, Christ our Lord and God, promised to
send to mankind as the Comforter, according as it is written,432
“the Spirit of truth”; whom he sent to them after he was
received into the heavens. But since the term ousia
[substance or essence], which was used by the fathers in a very
simple and intelligible sense, but not being understood by the people,
has been a cause of offense, we have thought proper to reject it, as it
is not contained even in the sacred writings; and that no mention of it
should be made in future, inasmuch as the holy Scriptures have nowhere
mentioned the substance of the Father and of the Son. Nor ought the
“subsistence” of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit to be even named. But we affirm that the Son is like the
Father, in such a manner as the sacred Scriptures declare and teach.
Let therefore all heresies which have been already condemned, or may
have arisen of late, which are opposed to this exposition of the faith,
be anathema.’
These things were recognized at that time at
Constantinople. And now as we have at length wound our way through the labyrinth of all the
various forms of faith, let us reckon the number of them. After that
which was promulgated at Nicæa, two others were proposed at
Antioch at the dedication of the church there.433
A third was presented to the Emperor in Gaul by Narcissus and those who
accompanied him.434
The fourth was sent by Eudoxius into Italy.435
There were three forms of the creed published at Sirmium, one of which
having the consuls’ names prefixed was read at Ariminum.436
The Acacian party produced an eighth at Seleucia.437
The last was that of Constantinople, containing the prohibitory clause
respecting the mention of ‘substance’ or
‘subsistence’ in relation to God. To this creed Ulfilas
bishop of the Goths gave his assent, although he had previously adhered
to that of Nicæa; for he was a disciple of Theophilus bishop of
the Goths, who was present at the Nicene council, and subscribed what
was there determined. Let this suffice on these subjects.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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