To the Emperor Theodosius, Against What Was Done at Ephesus

To the most glorious and serene emperor Theodosius, Leo the bishop. [a]

Already, from the very beginning, in the synods that have been held, we have received such freedom of speech from the most holy Peter, chief of the apostles, that we have the power both to maintain the truth for the sake of peace and to allow no one to disturb it in its firm position, but to drive off the harm at once. Since, then, the council of bishops which you ordered to be held in the city of Ephesus on account of Flavian does harm to the faith itself and wounds all the churches — and this has been brought to our knowledge not by some untrustworthy messenger, but by the most reverend bishops themselves who were sent by us, and by Hilary, our most faithful deacon, who have told us what took place. The blame for what happened belongs to those who met, for they did not, as is customary, make a clear statement about the faith and about those who erred from it, with a pure conscience and right judgment. For we have learned that not all who ought to have come together took part in the meeting: some were thrown out and others let in, and they were trapped into an ungodly act of signing by the schemes of the priest already mentioned. For the declaration he brought about is of such a kind as to injure all the churches. When our envoys saw how utterly ungodly and hostile to the faith it was, they reported it to us. [b]

So, most peace-loving prince, be pleased for the faith’s sake to turn this danger away from your godly conscience, and do not let human presumption do violence to Christ’s gospel. It is my sincere desire, shared by the bishops who are with me, that you, most Christian and revered prince, should please God before all things, to whom the prayers of the whole church are poured out with one accord for your empire. So I give you counsel, for fear that if we keep silent on so great a matter we may incur punishment before the judgment seat of Christ. I beg you, then, before the undivided Trinity of the one Godhead, which is wronged by these evil deeds and which is the guardian of your kingdom, and before Christ’s holy angels, that all things remain intact as they were before that judgment, and that they await the weightier decision of the synod at which the whole number of the bishops of the whole world is gathered. Do not let yourself bear the weight of other men’s wrongdoing. We are constrained to say this plainly by fear of a pressing necessity. But keep before your eyes the glory of blessed Peter, and the crowns that all the apostles share with him, and the joys of the martyrs, who had no other reason for suffering than the confession of the true Godhead and perfect continuance in Christ. [f]

Now that this confession is being attacked in godless fashion by a few men, all the churches of our region and all the priests beg your clemency with tears, in keeping with the request Flavian makes in his appeal, to order a special synod to assemble in Italy, so that all opposition may be driven out or calmed, and there may be no departure from the faith and no ambiguity in it. The bishops of all the Eastern provinces should also come to it, so that any who have wandered from the way of truth may be called back to their loyalty by healthy remedies, and those under a more serious charge may either be brought to submission by counsel or cut off from the one church. In this way we are bound to preserve both what the Nicene canon commands and what the definitions of the bishops of the whole world command according to the custom of the catholic church, and also to maintain the freedom of our fathers’ faith, on which your tranquility rests. For we pray that when those who harm the church have been driven out, and your provinces enjoy the possession of justice, and vengeance has been carried out on these heretics, your royal power may also be defended by Christ’s right hand. [h]