tion to our canonical bishops. Again, members of the church who have been for any cause condemned and excommunicated, or have been deprived of communion, whether clergy or laity, shall not be allowed to accuse a bishop until they have first cleared themselves of the charge against them. In like manner, those under accusation may not accuse a bishop, or any of the clergy, until they have shown themselves innocent of the charges against them. If, however, persons other than heretics, excommunicated, condemned or accused, bring a charge on ecclesiastical matters against the bishop, the holy Synod orders that such shall first bring their complaints before the assembled bishops of the province, and before them prove their charges. Then if the bishops of the province are not in position to punish the bishop for the offences charged, the accusers shall carry it over to a greater synod of the bishops of the diocese, called for the purpose, and they shall not make the complaint before they have in writing promised to undergo the same punishment [as would the bishop if guilty], in case they are proved on examination to have falsely accused him. If, ignoring these clear directions, anyone should presume to assail the ear of the emperor, or the secular courts, or an ecumenical council and so sbow disrespect to the bishops of his diocese, his charge shall most certainly not be received; because he has shown contempt for the canons and violated the order of the church.

CANON 7. [Spurious. On the mode of receiving converts from heresy.]

Those who come over to orthodoxy and from heretics to the number of the saved, we receive in the following prescribed manner. Arians, Macedonians, Sabbatians, Novatians [who call themselves Katharoi and Aristeroi], Quartodecimans or Tetradites, and Apollinarians, we receive after they have presented written petitions and have anathematized every heresy not agreeing with the holy catholic and apostolic church of God. First, they are sealed or anointed with the holy oil on the forehead, the eyes, nostrils, mouth and ears; and as we seal them we say, "The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit." But Eunomians, who only baptize with one immersion, Montanists, here called Phrygians, Sabellians, who teach the identity of the Father and the Son and make some other grievous errors, and all other heretics [since there are many here, especially from Galatia]-all wishing to come from these to orthodoxy, we receive as we do pagans. The first day we make them

Christians, the second catechumens, the third day we exorcise them after three times breathing on the forehead and on the ears. And so we give them instruction and make them attend church for a long period and listen to the Scriptures, and then we baptize them.

III. THE CANONS OF THE THIRD GENERAL COUNCIL, HELD AT EPHESUS, A. D. 431.

I. SUBJECTS OF THE CANONS.

1. Against metropolitans joining the rival council, or the Pelagian party.

2. Against bishops adhering to, or going over to the rival council. 3. In favor of orthodox clerics deposed by Nestorian party, or belonging to dioceses of Nestorianizing bishops.

4. Against clerics adopting Nestorianism or Pelegianism.

5. Against clerics deposed for misconduct and uncanonically restored by Nestorius.

6. Against all who resist decrees of the council.

7. No new creed to be composed or presented to converts.

8. Church of Cyprus, and all churches to retain existing rights.

2. CANONS OF THE COUNCIL OF EPHESUS.

CANON I. Against metropolitans joining the rival council, or the Pelagian party. Inasmuch as those who were for any cause absent from the holy synod should not be ignorant of the affairs there transacted concerning them, be it known to your holiness and love that if a metropolitan of the province has turned from this holy ecumenical Synod and joined the ranks of the apostate, or shall afterward join them; or has accepted the beliefs of Coelestius [i. e. the Pelagians] or shall accept them, he has no longer any jurisdiction over the bishops of the province, and is already excluded from all church fellowship by the Synod, and without power; but it is also the duty of the bishops of the province and the neighboring orthodox metropolitans to remove him entirely from the rank of the episcopate.

CANON 2. Against bishops adhering to, or going over to the rival council.

If any of the provincial bishops did not attend the holy Synod, but went over to the apostates, or attempted to go over; or if they subscribed to the deposition of Nestorius and then afterward went over to the ranks of the apostate; these shall be entirely deposed from the priesthood and stripped of their office.

CANON 3. In favor of orthodox clerics deposed by Nestorian party, or belonging to dioceses of Nestorianizing bishops.

If any of the clergy, in city or country, have, owing to their or thodox faith, been rejected from the priesthood by Nestorius and his party, they shall resume their office; and, in general, the clergy who agree with the orthodox and ecumenical Synod are enjoined not to submit in any respect to apostate or apostatizing bishops.

CANON 4. Against clerics adopting Nestorianism or Pelagianism.

If any of the clergy shall apostatize and presume publicly or privately to adhere to Nestorius or Coelestius, they shall be deposed from their rank by the holy Synod.

CANON 5. Against clerics deposed for misconduct and uncanonically restored by Nestorius.

Those who for improper actions have been condemned by the holy Synod or by their own bishops, and whom Nestorius and his party in their usual lax fashion have afterwards attempted to restore to fellowship or rank, or shall attempt to restore, shall remain unbenefited thereby and unrestored to rank...

CANON 6. Against all who resist decrees of the Council.

Now in general, if any presume in any way to resist any of the enactments of the holy Synod at Ephesus, the holy Synod decrees that they shall be utterly deprived of their office, if they be bishops or other clerics; and if laymen, they shall be excommunicated.

The decree of the holy Synod pronounced after reading first the creed of the three hundred and eighteen holy and blessed fathers at Nicea and then the impious and false creed written by Theodore of Mopssuestia, which latter was exposed in the holy Synod at Ephesus by Charisios presbyter of Philadelphia.

CANON 7. No new creed to be composed or presented to converts.

These things having been read the holy Synod decreed that it was not permitted to any one to recite, or to compose, or to proffer any other creed than that appointed by the holy fathers under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the city of Nicæa.

Moreover, those who shall dare to compose, or to bring forward, or to proffer another creed to such as are willing to turn to a knowledge of the truth, whether from among the Greeks, or the Jews, or any heresy whatsoever, these shall be deposed, if they are bishops or clerics; the bishops from their bishoprics, the clerics from the clericate; if laymen, they shall be anathematized. In like manner, if any individuals, whether bishops, clerics or laymen, shall be detected thinking or teaching those things contained in the creed exposed by Charisios, the presbyter, concerning the only begotten Son of God, or those wicked and perverted doctrines of Nestorius, they shall be subject to the decree of this holy and ecumenical Synod. It is accordingly clear that the bishop is to be dismissed from the episcopate, and degraded. And the cleric likewise is to be cut off from the clericate. But if the person be a layman, let him be anathematized in accordance with what has been said. Vote of this holy Synod given upon the appeal made to it by the bishops of Cyprus.

CANON 8. Church of Cyprus, and all churches to retain existing rights.

A matter not covered by the ecclesiastical laws and the canons of the holy apostles, and affecting the liberty of all, has been brought before us by our fellow bishop, Rheginus, beloved of God, together with Zeno and Evagrius, beloved of God, bishops of the province of Cyprus. Wherefore, as ordinary ailments need strong medicines, and serious troubles result in real harm, and the worst diseases are fatal, if their course is not at once stayed, so the bishop of the city of Antioch, having performed ordinations in Cyprus, the devout men composing the holy Synod accordingly declare in response to petitions and personal requests, that the representatives of the holy churches of Cyprus have the indisputable and inviolable right, in accordance with the canons of the holy fathers and ancient custom, to themselves ordain their own most pious bishops. Moreover, the same rights shall be preserved to other dioceses and to all other provinces everywhere, so that no one of our bishops, beloved of God, may invade another province, which has not

previously and even from the beginning been under his care or that of his predecessors. But if any one shall occupy or take a diocese by his own power, it shall be surrendered; in order that the statutes of the fathers may not be broken, lest the arrogance of worldly power creep into the sacred functions, lest we in our ignorance utterly destroy the liberty, which our Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of all men, pur. chased for us by his own blood. It is therefore agreeable to this holy and ecumenical Synod that the rights of each province, possessed from the beginning, shall be preserved pure and inviolate, so that each metropolitan, having obtained his functions in a proper manner may exercise his office in security. Now if any one shall bring forward a decision contrary to these ordinances, it is clear to this holy and ecumenical Synod that the same is without force.

IV.

DEFINITION OF FAITH AND CANONS OF

THE FOURTH CENERAL COUNCIL OF

CHALCEDON, A. D. 451.

I.

DEFINITION OF THE FAITH BY THE COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON.

The holy and great and ecumenical Synod, which by the grace of God and the decree of our most pious and Christian Emperors, Marcian and Valentinian, is convened in the metropolis Chalcedon of the province of Bythinia, in the chapel of the holy and pure martyr Euphemia, has defined as follows:

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, when confirming the faith in his disciples, declared: 'Peace I leave with you: my peace I give unto you,' so that no one might be in disagreement with his neighbor concerning the doctrines of religion, but that the preaching of the truth might be made known to all alike. Inasmuch, however, as the evil one ceases not by his tares to choke out the seeds of religion, and is ever devising something new in opposition to the truth, God has therefore, in his care for the human race, stirred up zeal in this pious and orthodox Emperor to call together unto himself the heads of the priesthood, so that the grace of Christ, the Lord of us all, being operative, every plague of falsehood may be removed from the sheep of Christ and they may be nourished with tender plants of truth. This we have accord