Theodoret of Cyrrhus→Unknown|c. 440 AD|theodoret cyrrhus
education booksimperial politics
From: Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus
To: Marcellus, Archimandrite of the Acoemetae [second letter]
Date: ~451 AD
Context: Theodoret commends Marcellus for standing firm against both imperial pressure and episcopal collusion, and affirms his own Trinitarian orthodoxy.
To the Same,
I have already written to your reverence in another letter and delivered it to your respected brethren. Now I write again, moved by your admirable life and your praiseworthy zeal for the apostolic faith -- fearless of both imperial power and episcopal collusion. Granted, the majority of the council consented under coercion, but they still confirmed the newfangled heresy with their signatures. Your holiness, however, was shaken by none of this. You held fast to the ancient doctrines which the Lord, through the prophets and apostles, has taught the churches to hold.
These teachings I pray to preserve and to keep to the end: my faith and confession in one Father, one Son, and one Holy Spirit. The incarnation of the Only-begotten made no addition to the number of the Trinity. Even after the incarnation, the Trinity remains a Trinity. This is what I received from the beginning; this has been my faith; in this I was baptized; this I have preached; in this I have baptized others; this I continue to hold.
Of those who lie about the Father, the Lord said: "When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature" [John 8:44] -- and what is said of the master applies to his disciples. So these men who tell lies about me speak from their own nature and do not describe what is mine.
I am comforted by my Master's words: "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven" [Matthew 5:11-12].
I ask your piety to pray that I may not be counted among the wrongdoers, but among those who suffer wrong for the truth of the Gospels.
Letter 142
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To the Same.
I have already addressed your reverence in another letter, and have delivered it to your much respected brethren. Now again I address your holiness. I am induced to do so both by your admirable life, and by the praiseworthy zeal which you have shown on behalf of the apostolic faith, fearless alike of imperial power and of episcopal combination. For granted that the majority of the council consented under coercion, still they did confirm the new fangled heresy by their signatures. Your holiness, however, was shaken by none of these things, but abided by the ancient doctrines which the Lord, by means of both the prophets and the apostles, has taught the churches to hold. These decrees I pray that I may preserve, and keep to the end my faith and confession in one Father, one Son and one Holy Ghost. For the incarnation of the only begotten made no addition to the number of the Trinity. Even after the incarnation the Trinity is still a Trinity. This is the teaching I have received from the beginning; this has been my faith; in this was I baptized; this have I preached; in this have I baptized, this I continue to hold. Of them that utter a lie about the Father the Lord has said When he speaks a lie he speaks of his own, for what is said of the teacher is appropriate to the disciples. So these men who employ lies against me speak of their own, and do not describe what is mine. I am comforted by my Master's words Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven.
I entreat your piety to pray that I may not have my part among the wrong doers, but among them that suffer wrong on account of the truth of the Gospels.
◆
From:Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus
To:Marcellus, Archimandrite of the Acoemetae [second letter]
Date:~451 AD
Context:Theodoret commends Marcellus for standing firm against both imperial pressure and episcopal collusion, and affirms his own Trinitarian orthodoxy.
To the Same,
I have already written to your reverence in another letter and delivered it to your respected brethren. Now I write again, moved by your admirable life and your praiseworthy zeal for the apostolic faith -- fearless of both imperial power and episcopal collusion. Granted, the majority of the council consented under coercion, but they still confirmed the newfangled heresy with their signatures. Your holiness, however, was shaken by none of this. You held fast to the ancient doctrines which the Lord, through the prophets and apostles, has taught the churches to hold.
These teachings I pray to preserve and to keep to the end: my faith and confession in one Father, one Son, and one Holy Spirit. The incarnation of the Only-begotten made no addition to the number of the Trinity. Even after the incarnation, the Trinity remains a Trinity. This is what I received from the beginning; this has been my faith; in this I was baptized; this I have preached; in this I have baptized others; this I continue to hold.
Of those who lie about the Father, the Lord said: "When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature" [John 8:44] -- and what is said of the master applies to his disciples. So these men who tell lies about me speak from their own nature and do not describe what is mine.
I am comforted by my Master's words: "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven" [Matthew 5:11-12].
I ask your piety to pray that I may not be counted among the wrongdoers, but among those who suffer wrong for the truth of the Gospels.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.