Correspondence on Christology and Grace: Correspondence on Christology and Grace

Letter from the Scythian Monks to the Bishops

LETTER FROM THE SCYTHIAN MONKS TO THE BISHOPS OUR SERVANT Peter the Deacon, along with John, Leontius ,anotherJohn,andtherestofthebrotherswhowere sent to Rome in the cause of the faith, writes to the most holy lords who should be named with all veneration: Datianus , Fortunatus, Januarius, Albanus, Horontius, Boethos, Fulgentius , and the other bishops and those who are distinguished in the confession of Christ.1 1. (I.) We believe it will be useful, highly necessary, and particularly profitable for the holy churches of God if we present to you, holy brothers, what we and all the holy churches of the East defend concerning the Incarnation and the divine economy , in the face of the heretics who never stop troubling the ancient faith of the Church with their depraved and wicked arguments . In doing so, we pray that we may win your agreement, blessed brothers, for we believe that we differ in no way from your holy and glorious confession, especially since we do not doubt that the Holy Church of God is made alive by one and the same Spirit everywhere. If all the Orientals learn that you, holy brothers, agree with them (or rather with the Catholics) in all the dogmas, they will all be filled with no small joy, but rather an abundant happiness. 25 1. As explained in the introduction, the monks wrote this letter during their stay in Rome in 519, to the North African bishops whom Thrasamund had exiled to Sardinia. The standard title of the letter is Epistula Scytharum monachorum ad episcopos, and the letter is preserved as Ep. 16 in the collection of Fulgentius’s letters. The Latin critical text may be found in CCL 91A, 551–62 (also printed in CCL 85A, 157–72). John McGuckin has translated this letter in Journal of Ecclesiastical History 35 (1984): 239–55, and we have made use of his translation in composing the new one here. 26 FULGENTIUS AND MONKS 2. As a result, we humbly beseech and petition you, blessed brothers, to conduct a careful examination of the matters set out below, and once you have discussed them (as is fitting for most true and fearless preachers of Christ), to disclose to us your judgment in writing. If by God’s help you confirm that our exposition that we are placing before you is in harmony with the Catholic faith and the apostolic traditions (as we do not doubt you will), then we will easily be strengthened by the authority of such strong and tested bishops and will be able to shut the mouths of those who speak evil. Then, most holy lords who are most worthy before God, we will be able to persevere in the faith of the Holy Fathers and to return thanks to God, who has glorified you by granting you to confess his holiness. And now we beseech you to examine closely the following matters. 3. (II.) Therefore, in accordance with the tradition of the Holy Fathers, we confess our Lord Jesus Christ in two united and unconfused natures (that is, the natures of divinity and humanity ), in one person or subsistence. We do not accept those who preach one incarnate nature of God the Word and who turn away from the faith of the venerable Chalcedonian council . Nor do we admit those who deceitfully profess two natures yet have difficulty in confessing the one incarnate nature of God the Word because they think that this is contrary to the profession of the two natures.2 Contrary to their opinion, the phrase “one incarnate nature of God the Word” signifies nothing other than two natures ineffably united, as the blessed Cyril (bishop of the city of Alexandria)3 wrote in his second letter to Succensus (bishop of Diocaesarea). Cyril wrote thus: “If we were to speak of one nature of God the Word and then to stop without saying the word ‘incarnate,’ we would essentially be abandoning the economy. In that case, one could appropriately reply to us deceivers, ‘Where is his perfection in humanity?’ Or ‘how does 2. The point of these seemingly convoluted sentences is that both “one nature ” and “two nature” confessions can be orthodox, depending on what one means by “nature.” 3. Bishop of Alexandria in the early fifth century. An ardent student of Athanasius ’s writings, Cyril dominated the Christological controversy. LETTER FROM MONKS 27 our substance subsist?’ For indeed, when one uses the...