A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

602 A Source Book for Ancient Church History[551]we discover clearly and openly that in the same synod the affairof the venerable man Ibas was examined, from the action takenregarding Photius, bishop of Tyre, and Eustathius, bishop ofBerytus, that this epistle, concerning which inquiry is made, wasbrought forward against him by his accusers; and when, afterdiscussion of the affair was ended, it was asked of the venerableFathers what ought to be done concerning the matter of the sameIbas, the following sentence was passed:Paschasius and Lucentius, most reverend bishops, and Boniface,presbyter, holding the place of the Apostolic See (becausethe apostolic delegates are accustomed always to speak and votefirst in synods), by Paschasius said: “Since the documents havebeen read, we perceive from the opinion of the most reverendbishops that the most reverend Ibas is approved as innocent; fornow that his epistle has been read we recognize it as orthodox.And on this account we decree that the honor of the episcopatebe restored to him, and the church, from which unjustly and inhis absence he was driven out, be given back.” [The patriarchs ofConstantinople and Antioch agreed, and their opinions are alsoquoted by Vigilius from the Acts of the Council of Chalcedon.]… Therefore we, following in all things the discipline andjudgment of the holy Fathers, and the disposition of all thingsaccording to the account which we have given of the judgmentof the Council of Chalcedon, since it is most evidently true, fromthe words of the Epistle of the venerable man Ibas, regardedwith the right and pious mind, and from the action taken regardingPhotius and Eustathius, and from the opinions of bishopIbas, discussed in his presence by those present, that our Fatherspresent at Chalcedon most justly pronounced the faith of thesame venerable man Ibas orthodox and his blaming the blessedCyril, which they perceive to have been from error of humanintelligence, purged by appropriate satisfaction, by the authorityof our present sentence, we determine and decree in all thingsso also in the often-mentioned Epistle of the venerable Ibas, the