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AFTER these transactions the emperor ordered Aetius to be
condemned by a formal Letter, and, in obedience to the command, his
companions in iniquity condemned their own associate. Accordingly they
wrote to Georgius, bishop of Alexandria, the letter about him to
which I shall give a place in my history, in order to expose their
wickedness, for they treated their friends and their foes precisely in
the same way.
Copy of the Letter written by the whole council to Georgius against
Aetius his deacon, on account of his iniquitous blasphemy. To the
right honourable Lord Georgius, Bishop of Alexandria, the holy
Synod in Constantinople assembled, GREETING.
In consequence of the condemnation of Aetius by the Synod, on
account of his unlawful and most offensive writings, he has been dealt
with by the bishops in accordance with the canons of the church. He
has been degraded from the diaconate and expelled from the Church, and
our admonitions have gone forth that none are to read his unlawful
epistles, but that on account of their unprofitable and worthless
character they are to be cast aside. We have further appended an
anathema on him, if he abides in his opinion, and on his supporters.
It would naturally have followed that all the bishops met together in
the Synod should have felt detestation of, and approved the sentence
delivered against, a man who is the author of offences, disturbances
and schisms, of agitation over all the world, and of rising of church
against church. But in spite of our prayers, and against all our
expectation, Seras, Stephanus, Heliodorus and Theophilus and
their party have not voted with us, and have not even consented to
subscribe the sentence delivered against him, although Seras charged
the aforenamed Aetius with another instance of insane arrogance,
alleging that he, with still bolder impudence, had sprung forward to
declare that what God had concealed from the Apostles had been now
revealed to him. Even after these wild and boastful words, reported
by Seras about Aetius, the aforenamed bishops were not put out of
countenance, nor could they be induced to vote with us on his
condemnation. We however with much long suffering bore with them for a
great length of time, now indignant, now beseeching, now importuning
them to join with us and make the decision of the Synod unanimous; and
we persevered long in the hope that they might hear and agree and give
in. But when in spite of all this patience we could not shame them
into acceptance of our declarations against the aforesaid offender, we
counted the rule of the church more precious than the friendship of
men, and pronounced against them a decree of excommunication, allowing
them a period of six mouths for conversion, repentance, and the
expression of a desire for union and harmony with the synod. If within
the given time they should turn and accept agreement with their brethren
and assent to the decrees about Aetius, we decided that they should be
received into the church, to the recovery of their own authority in
synods, and our affection. If however they obstinately persisted,
and preferred human friendship to the canons of the church and our
affection, then we judged them deposed from the rank of the bishops.
If they suffer degradation it is necessary to appoint other bishops in
their place, that the lawful church may be duly ordered and at unity
with herself, while all the bishops of every nation by uttering the
same doctrine with one mind and one counsel preserve the bond of love.
To acquaint you with the decree of the Synod we have sent these
present to your reverence, and pray that you may abide by them, and by
the grace of Christ rule the churches under you aright and in peace.
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