A Further Letter from Chalcedon to the Bishops at Ephesus

To the most pious bishops now in Ephesus, John, Himerius, Paul, Apringius, and Theodoret send greeting. For the fifth time we have been granted a hearing. We went at length into the question of the heretical Chapters, and we swore again and again to the most pious emperor that it was impossible for us to hold communion with our opponents unless they rejected the Chapters. We pointed out, moreover, that even if Cyril did renounce his Chapters, we could not receive him, because he had become the founder of so impious a heresy. Even so, we gained no ground, because our adversaries pressed hard, and those who heard them could neither restrain them in their insolent efforts nor compel them to come to an inquiry and an argument. So they evade any examination of the Chapters and allow no discussion of them. We, however, as you urge us, are ready to hold out to the death. We refuse to receive Cyril and his Chapters, and we will not admit these men to communion until the improper additions to the faith are rejected. So we implore your holiness to go on showing both our mind and our efforts. The battle is for true religion, for the only hope we have, the hope for which we look forward to enjoying the loving-kindness of our Savior in the world to come. As for the most pious and holy bishop Nestorius, let your piety know that we have tried to bring in a word about him but have so far failed, because everyone is ill-disposed toward him. Even so, we will do our best, God helping us, to take advantage of any opportunity that may come, and of any goodwill among those who hear us, to carry out this purpose. But so that your holiness may not be unaware of this too, know that, seeing that Cyril’s partisans have deceived everyone by domineering, cheating, flattering, and bribing, we have more than once begged the most pious emperor and the most noble lords of the court to send us back to the East and to let your holiness go home. For we are beginning to see that we are wasting our time in vain without getting any nearer our goal, because Cyril everywhere dodges discussion, convinced as he is that the blasphemies published in his Twelve Chapters can be openly refuted. After many appeals, the most pious emperor has decided that we are all to go, each to his own home, and further, that both the Egyptian and Memnon of Ephesus are to remain in their own places. So the Egyptian will be able to go on blinding people with bribes. The one, after more crimes than can be told, is to return to his diocese. The other, an innocent man, is barely permitted to go home. We and all who are here greet you and all the brothers with you. [a]