The Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus - Coptic ...

112
EVAGRIUS
Recognize that you, on account of your disregard for the sacred
canons and on account of your disobedience with regard to this
holy and ecumenical Synod, for these reasons, in addition to the
other misdemeanours in which you have been caught, and, since
although summoned for a third time by this holy and great
Synod in accordance with the sacred canons, you did not present
yourself to make response to the matters brought against you,
on the thirteenth day of this current month October, recognize
that you have been deposed from your bishopric by the holy and
ecumenical Synod and are divorced from every ecclesiastical
order.
Next, after letters concerning these matters were sent as well to the
bishops beloved of God of the most holy Church at Alexandria and a
proclamation against Dioscorus had been made, the business of this
gathering received its termination. 191
And so whereas the business of the previous gathering was terminated
in this way, thereafter they were again assembled and, in response
to a request from the o⁄cials who wished to be instructed in the correct
religion, they stated that it was unnecessary for anything further to be
formulated, since the business against Eutyches had received its termination
once and for all and had been rati¢ed by the bishop of Rome, with
which indeed everyone was in accord. 192 While all the bishops were
shouting that everyone was saying the same and the o⁄cials proposed
[80] that each patriarch should select one or two persons from his own
diocese to come into the middle, so that the opinion of each one be
made clear, Florentius, Bishop of Sardis, requested an adjournment so
that they might proceed to the truth with re£ection. And Cecropius,
Bishop of Sebastopolis, said as follows:
The faith is well stated by the 318 holy Fathers, and has been con-
¢rmed by the holy Fathers Athanasius, Cyril, Celestine, Hilary,
Basil, Gregory, and now again by the most holy Leo. And we
request that there be read out the words of the 318 holy Fathers
and of the most saintly Leo.
191 ACO II.i.2, p. 44:4^35; the letter was addressed to the clergy of Alexandria.
192 The second session of the Council on 10 October. Marcian was determined to have a
new de¢nition of faith, whereas the bishops were inclined to resist; at First Ephesus the use
of any de¢nition other than that of Nicaea had been prohibited (ACO II.i.2, pp. 77:37^79:7).