The
Prosphoneticus to the Emperor.
(Labbe and Cossart,
Concilia
, Tom. VI., col. 1047
et seqq
.)
[
This address begins with many compliments to the
Emperor, especially for his zeal for the true faith
.]
But because the adversary Satan allows no rest, he has
raised up the very ministers of Christ against him, as if armed and
carrying weapons, etc.
[
The various heretics are then named and how they
were condemned by the preceding five councils is set forth
.]
Things being so, it was necessary that your beloved of
Christ majesty should gather together this all holy, and numerous
assembly.
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Thereafter being inspired by the Holy Ghost, and all
agreeing and consenting together, and giving our approval to the
doctrinal letter of our most blessed and exalted pope, Agatho, which he
sent to your mightiness, as also agreeing to the suggestion of the holy
synod of one hundred and twenty-five fathers held under him, we teach
that one of the Holy Trinity, our Lord Jesus Christ, was incarnate, and
must be celebrated in two perfect natures without division and without
confusion. For as the Word, he is consubstantial and eternal with
God his father; but as taking flesh of the immaculate Virgin Mary, the
Mother of God, he is perfect man, consubstantial with us and made in
time. We declare therefore that he is perfect in Godhead and that
the same is perfect likewise in manhood, according to the pristine
tradition of the fathers and the divine definition of Chalcedon.
And as we recognize two natures, so also we recognize
two natural wills and two natural operations. For we dare not say
that either of the natures which are in Christ in his incarnation is
without a will and operation: lest in taking away the proprieties
of those natures, we likewise take away the natures of which they are
the proprieties. For we neither deny the natural will of his
humanity, or its natural operation: lest we also deny what is the
chief thing of the dispensation for our salvation, and lest we
attribute passions to the Godhead. For this they were attempting
who have recently introduced the detestable novelty that in him there
is but one will and one operation, renewing the malignancy of Arius,
Apollinaris, Eutyches and Severus. For should we say that the
human nature of our Lord is without will and operation, how could we
affirm in safety the perfect humanity? For nothing else
constitutes the integrity of human nature except the essential will,
through which the strength of free-will is marked in us; and this is
also the case with the substantial operation. For how shall we
call him perfect in humanity if he in no wise suffered and acted as a
man? For like as the union of two natures preserves for us one
subsistence without confusion and without division; so this one
subsistence, shewing itself in two natures, demonstrates as its own
what things belong to each.
Therefore we declare that in him there are two natural
wills and two natural operations, proceeding commonly and without
division: but we cast out of the Church and rightly subject to
anathema all superfluous novelties as well as their inventors: to
wit, Theodore of Pharan, Sergius and Paul, Pyrrhus, and Peter (who were
archbishops of Constantinople), moreover Cyrus, who bore the priesthood
of Alexandria, and with them Honorius, who was the ruler (
πρόεδρον
) of
Rome, as he followed them in these things. Besides these, with
the best of cause we anathematize and depose Macarius, who was bishop
of Antioch, and his disciple Stephen (or rather we should say master),
who tried to defend the impiety of their predecessors, and in short
stirred up the whole world, and by their pestilential letters and by
their fraudulent institutions devastated multitudes in every
direction. Likewise also that old man Polychronius, with an
infantile intelligence, who promised he would raise the dead and who
when they did not rise, was laughed at; and all who have taught, or do
teach, or shall presume
to teach
one will and one operation in the incarnate Christ.…But the
highest prince of the Apostles fought with us: for we had on our
side his imitator and the successor in his see, who also had set forth
in his letter the mystery of the divine word (
θεολογίας
).
For the ancient city of Rome handed thee a confession of divine
character, and a chart from the sunsetting raised up the day of dogmas,
and made the darkness manifest, and Peter spoke through Agatho, and
thou, O autocratic King, according to the divine decree, with the
Omnipotent Sharer of thy throne, didst judge.
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But, O benign and justice-loving Lord, do thou in return
do this favour to him who hath bestowed thy power upon thee; and give,
as a seal to what has been defined by us, thy imperial ratification in
writing, and so confirm them with the customary pious edicts and
constitutions, that no one may contradict the things which have been
done, nor raise any fresh question. For rest assured, O serene
majesty, that we have not falsified anything defined by the Ecumenical
Councils and by the approved fathers, but we have confirmed them.
And now we all cry out with one mind and one voice, “O God, save
the King! etc., etc.”
[
Then follow numerous compliments to the Emperor and
prayers for his preservation
.]