Elucidations.
————————————
These
“twelve
anathemas,” as they are called, do evidently refute the
Nestorians and later heretics. Evidently, therefore, we must
assign this document to another author. And, as frequent
references are made to such tests, I subjoin a list of Œcumenical
or Catholic Councils, properly so called, as follows:—
1.
Jerusalem
,
against
Judaism
,
432
a.d.
50.
2.
Nicæa
,
against
Arianism
(1),
433
a.d.
325.
3.
Constantinople
(I.), against
Semi-Arianism
(2),
a.d.
381.
4.
Ephesus
, against
Nestorianism
(3),
a.d.
431.
5.
Chalcedon
,
against
Eutychianism
(4),
a.d.
451.
6.
Constantinople
(II.), against
Monophysitism
(5),
a.d.
553.
7.
Constantinople
(III.), against
Monothelitism
(6),
434
a.d.
680.
435
These are all
the undisputed
councils. The
Seventh Council
, so called (
a.d.
537), was not a free council, and was rejected by a
free council of the West, convened at Frankfort
a.d.
794. Its acceptance by the Roman pontiffs,
subsequently, should have no logical force with the Easterns, who do
not recognise their supremacy even over the councils of the West; and
no free council has ever been held under pontifical authority.
The above list, therefore, is a complete list of all the councils of
the undivided Church as defined by Catholic canons. There has
been no possibility of a
Catholic
council since the division of
East and West. The Council of Frankfort is the pivot of
subsequent history, and its fundamental importance has not been
sufficiently insisted upon.
432
As widely different from the other councils as the Apostles from
their successors, and part of its decisions were local and
temporary. For all that, it was the greatest of councils, and
truly
General
.
433
These
numbers indicate the ordinary reckoning of writers, and is correct
ecclesiastically. The Council of Jerusalem, however, is the base
of Christian orthodoxy, and decided the great principles by which the
“General Councils” were professedly ruled.
434
Theological students are often puzzled to recall the councils in
order, and not less to recall the rejected heresies. I have found
two mnemonics useful, thus: (1) INCE
and
(CCC)
three
hundred
; (2) JAS. NEMM.
Dulce est desipere
,
etc.
435
a.d.
325 to 680 is the Synodical
Period. Gregory I. (Rome) placed the
first four
councils
next to the four Gospels.