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AND now the emperor returned from the West and appointed a prefect
over Constantinople, Honoratus by name, having abolished the office
of proconsul. But the Acacians being beforehand with the bishops,
calumniated them to the emperor, persuading him not to admit the creed
which they had proposed. This so annoyed the emperor that he resolved
to disperse them; he therefore published an edict, commanding that
such of them as were subject to fill certain public offices should be no
longer exempted from the performance of the duties attached to them.
For several of them were liable to be called on to occupy various
official departments, connected both with the city magistracy, and in
subordination to the presidents and governors of provinces. While
these were thus harassed the partisans of Acacius remained for a
considerable time at Constantinople and held another Synod. Sending
for the bishops at Bithynia, about fifty assembled on this occasion,
among whom was Maris, bishop of Chalcedon: these confirmed the creed
read at Ariminum to which the names of the consuls had been prefixed.
It would have been unnecessary to repeat it here, had there not been
some additions made to it; but since that was done, it may be
desirable to transcribe it in its new form?
'We believe in one God the Father Almighty, of whom are all
things. And in the only-begot-ten Son of God, begotten of God
before all ages, and before every beginning; through whom all things
visible and invisible were made: who is the only-begotten born of the
Father, the only of the only, God of God, like to the Father who
begat him, according to the Scriptures, and whose generation no one
knows but the Father only that begat him. We know that this
only-begotten Son of God, as sent of the Father, came down from
the heavens, as it is written, for the destruction of sin and death:
and that he was born of the Holy Spirit, and of the Virgin Mary
according to the flesh, as it is written, and conversed with his
disciples; and that after every dispensation had been fulfilled
according to his Father's will, he was crucified and died, and was
buried and descended into the lower parts of the earth, at whose
presence hades itself trembled: who also arose from the dead on the
third day, again conversed with his disciples, and after the
completion of forty days was taken up into the heavens, and sits at the
right hand of the Father, whence he will come in the last day, the
day of the resurrection, in his Father's glory, to requite every one
accord-to his works. [We believe] also in the Holy Spirit, whom
he himself the only-begotten of God, Christ our Lord and God,
promised to send to mankind as the Comforter, according as it is
written, "the Spirit of truth"; whom he sent to them after he was
received into the heavens. But since the term ousia [substance or
essence], which was used by the fathers in a very simple and
intelligible sense, but not being understood by the people, has been a
cause of offense, we have thought proper to reject it, as it is not
contained even in the sacred writings; and that no mention of it should
be made in future, inasmuch as the holy Scriptures have nowhere
mentioned the substance of the Father and of the Son. Nor ought the
"subsistence" of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit to be even named. But we affirm that the Son is like the
Father, in such a manner as the sacred Scriptures declare and teach.
Let therefore all heresies which have been already condemned, or may
have arisen of late, which are opposed to this exposition of the
faith, be anathema.'
These things were recognized at that time at Constantinople. And now
as we have at length wound our way through the labyrinth of all the
various forms of faith, let us reckon the number of them. After that
which was promulgated at Nicaea, two others were proposed at Antioch
at the dedication of the church there. A third was presented to the
Emperor in Gaul by Narcissus and those who accompanied him. The
fourth was sent by Eudoxius into Italy. There were three forms of
the creed published at Sirmium, one of which having the consuls'
names prefixed was read at Ariminum. The Acacian party produced an
eighth at Seleucia. The last was that of Constantinople, containing
the prohibitory clause respecting the mention of 'substance' or
'subsistence' in relation to God. To this creed Ulfilas bishop of
the Goths gave his assent, although he had previously adhered to that
of Nicaea; for he was a disciple of Theophilus bishop of the Goths,
who was present at the Nicene council, and subscribed what was there
determined. Let this suffice on these subjects.
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