The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 6 · Chapter 12
CHAP. 12. Of the Convocation of the firſt Council of Epheſus. The Cardinals falſifications.
IN the year of Chriſt 430. the Emperour Theodoſius the II. aſſembled a Council at Epheſus, which is the III. Univerſal. If the Biſhop of Rome had been Head of the Univerſal Church, his ſentence of depoſition againſt Neſtorius ought to have been ſufficient. Or if there had been a neceſſity of convocating an Univerſal Council, it belonged to him to convocate it, and to call to it, not only the Biſhops of the Roman Empire, but alſo thoſe of Perſia, Aſſyria, and other Churches without the Empire: Yet nothing of that was done. But the Emperor Theodoſius called that Synod by his meer and ſole authority. So ſaith Evagrius, book 1. ch. 3.(a)foreign. The firſt Council of Epheſus was convocated by the command of the young Theodoſius. And Nicephorus, book 14. ch. 34.(b)Theodoſius Imperialibus literis ſuis in Metropoli Epheſo locorum omnium Epiſcopos convenire juſſit. Theodoſius by his Imperial Patents commanded that the Biſhops from all places ſhoul meet in the Capital City of Epheſus.(c)foreign. Socrates ſaith the ſame, book 7. ch. 34. And that I may not multiply witneſſes for a vulgar thing, the very Council teſtifieth ſo much; for the Canons of the Council begin thus:(d)foreign. The holy and Oecumenical Council aſſembled at Epheſus by the command of the moſt religious Emperors. Of the Biſhop of Rome not one word: But among the Acts of the Council there is an Epiſtle of the Council to Celeſtinus Biſhop of Rome, where the Biſhops of the Council tell him, that they are aſſembled to obey the Imperial ſignifications and threatnings. Why do they not add, ſpeaking to the Biſhop of Rome, that they were alſo aſſembled by his commandment?
Liberatus Deacon of Carthage, though a flatterer of the Biſhop of Rome, witneſſeth the ſame in the 5. ch. of his Breviary, ſaying, that(e)Scripſit aliam ſacram ad univerſos Epiſcopos ut Epheſum convenirent, &c. the Emperor writ another ſacred Patent to all the Biſhops, that they ſhould meet at Epheſus to confer about the Books of Neſtorius, and the judgement of Cyrillus. A little after he relateth how that Council met, ſaying that after the Feaſt of Eaſter, Neſtorius with a great multitude came to Epheſus, where he found the Biſhops aſſembled. Then he addeth theſe words, which M. du Perron falſifieth with a notorious malice. The words of Liberatus are, Porro Cyrillus cum ſuis, habens vices ſedis Apoſtolicae, Concilio evocato ducentorum Epiſcoporum, Neſtorium vocaverunt. The Cardinal tranſlateth, Cyrillus with his attendance, provided with the Vicariat of the Apoſtolick See, having convocated a Synod, cited Neſtorius.Falſification of the Cardinal. Pag. 317. It is a falſe tranſlation. For how ſhould Liberatus ſay that Cyrillus convocated a Council, having ſaid a little before that the Emperor Theodoſius had convocated it? And having ſaid that the Biſhops were aſſembled at Eaſter, how ſhould he ſay that Cyrillus did convocate them? Can one convocate a Council which is already convocated?
Certainly the fraud of the Cardinal is evident, who tranſlates Concilio evocato, having convocated a Council, whereas he ought to have tranſlated, the Council being convocated, or the Council being called. Not content with that falſification, he addeth another, tranſlating Neſtorium vocaverunt, he cited Neſtorius, to perſwade that Cyrillus did that alone, as repreſenting the Pope of Rome. But Liberatus ſaith that this citation was not done by Cyrillus alone, but both by him and by the other Biſhops his colleagues.
Hereby the Reader may judge how full the Cardinals book is with corrupted and falſely tranſlated teſtimonies, ſeeing that in one page onelyonly he hath three notorious legerdemains of that kind. For beſides that place of Liberatus to prove that Pope Julius had convocated the Council of Sardica, he alledgeth a teſtimony of Athanaſius, making him ſay that Euſebius and the Euſebians deſired Julius to convocate a Council. But herein he is wide of the truth; for the Council which Julius convocated at the requeſt of Euſebius, was not that of Sardica, of which the convocation was Univerſal, and over all the Roman Empire, but a ſmall Council which Julius aſſembled of his Dioceſe about Rome; A thing which all the Metropolitans could do in their Dioceſes. Whereas to convocate a Council from the whole Roman Empire, paſt the power of Julius.
In the ſame page he alledgeth a place of Theodoret, Pag. 317.where he tranſlates foreign to convocate, whereas it ſignifieth to invite, or deſire to come: And thereby he will perſwade us that Pope Damaſus convocated the firſt Council of Conſtantinople; Above book 5. ch. 11.whereas the place of Theodoret ſaith onelyonly that Damaſus invited the Biſhops aſſembled at Conſtantinople to come to Rome, which ſummon thoſe Biſhops would not obey, as we have ſeen before.