being most fully
exercised; but whether the sentence put forward with such authority, after
a great dissension had arisen and mention been made of an Ecumenical
Council, was held to be final, the succeeding acts will demonstrate.

"We have often said--we shall often say--that it is the constitution of the
Church only in extraordinary cases and dissensions to recur, of necessity,
to an Ecumenical Council. But in the usual order even the most important
questions on the faith, when they arise, are terminated by the consent of
the Church being added to the decree of the Roman Pontiff. This is clearly
manifest from the cause of Nestorius. We confess plainly that the sentence
of Coelestine would have been sufficient, as Cyril hoped, to repress the
new heresy, had not great commotions arisen, and the matter seemed of such
a nature as to be referred to an Ecumenical Council. But Nestorius, Bishop
of the royal city, possessed such influence, had deceived men's minds with
such an appearance of piety, had gained so many Bishops, and enjoyed such
favour with the younger Theodosius and the great men, that he could easily
throw everything into commotion; and thus there was need of an Ecumenical
Council, the question being most important, and the person of the highest
dignity; because many Bishops, amongst these almost all of the East, that
is, of the province of Antioch, and the Patriarch John himself, were ill
disposed to Cyril, and seemed to favour Nestorius; because men's feelings
were divided, and the whole empire of the East seemed to fluctuate between
Cyril and Nestorius. Such was the need of an Ecumenical Council.

"To this must be added the prayers of the pious and orthodox; here were
most pious monks, who had suffered much from Nestorius for the orthodox
faith, and the expression, 'Mother of God,' supplicating the Emperor 'for a
sacred and Ecumenical Council to assemble, by the presence of which he
should unite the most holy Church, bring back the people to one, and
restore to their place the Priests who preached the pure faith, before that
impious doctrine (of Nestorius) crept wider.' And again, 'We have asked you
to call together an Ecumenical Council, which can most fully consolidate
and restore the tottering.' Here, after the judgment of the Roman Pontiff,
a firm and complete settling of the tottering state of things is sought for
by the pious in an Ecumenical Council.

"The Emperor, moved by these and other reasons, wr