Acts of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, Nicaea II (787)*

Ante-Conciliar Documents

First Letter of Pope Gregory the Second to the Emperor Leo, in Defence of Images

The letters of your God-preserved Majesty and fraternity we received by Augustalis Spatharocandidatus during the whole of your reign from the fourteenth indiction; and, as we received the letters of this fourteenth and of the fifteenth, and of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth indictions, we carefully preserved them in the holy Church, laying them on the threshold of the sanctuary of the holy, glorious, and very chiefest of the Apostles, Peter, where are also laid up the letters of other holy and pious Sovereigns, your predecessors.

Now, in these first ten collections we find that thou didst well and piously, and as became a Sovereign, determine to observe and defend, without any omission, all the decrees and doctrines of our holy fathers and doctors. And, what was of the first importance, the writing was your own, and not that of another, safely sealed with the royal seal ; and no less safe within were the signatures of your own hands, written in purple ink as is the royal custom, which laid before us your right and true confession concerning our immaculate and Orthodox faith: wherein, moreover, you were accustomed to add that he who undermines and destroys the definitions of the fathers was accursed. Now, when we received these letters, we offered hymns of praise to God that he had thought fit to put the empire into thy hands.

Now, since ye ran so well, who hath rung this in thine ears and turned aside thy heart like a broken bow, that thou hast looked on things that were behind? For ten years, by the grace of God, thou didst walk well and madest no mention of holy images; but now thou sayst they occupy the place of idols; that they who worship them are idolators; and thou hast determined on their utter destruction. And thou hast not feared the judgments of God in thus causing scandals to arise, not only in the heart of the faithful, but of the unfaithful also.

But Christ commands you not to offend any of His little ones, and declares that, even for a slight scandal, you stand in danger of eternal fire. And hast thou scandalized the whole world because thou hadst not courage to endure death, but hadst rather defend thyself by a sinful apology?

For thou hast written, “That we ought not to worship things made with the hands, nor any image or likeness of things in heaven or things on the earth, as the Lord hath said.” And again: “Certify me who hath commanded us to worship and adore things made with the hand, and I will confess it as the ordinance of God.”

Now why, as king and head of Christians, did you not ask of those who knew and had experience, and from them seek confirmation concerning what kind of things, made with the hand, God spake, before you stirred up, excited, and disturbed the common people? Yea, you have driven away, you have denied and cast out, our holy fathers and doctors, whom, with your own hand and your own writing, you have declared that you would obey and follow. Scripture is ours — both light and salvation is ours — the holy and inspired fathers and teachers are ours; and this practice the six holy Councils, which were in Christ, have handed down to us, and you receive not their testimony. It is necessary that we write to you things gross and unlearned, since you are so unlearned yourself; but, nevertheless, they have in them the truth and power of God. We exhort you, by God, to lay aside that pride and arrogance which cleaves so fast to you, and with much humility to give us a candid hearing: and may God convince thee of the truth by means of His word! It was because of the idolators who were settled in the land of promise that He spake thus: “For they worshipped figures made of wood, and gold, and silver, and every beast of the earth and fowl of the air, and they said these are thy gods, and there is no other god beside.” Now, it was these Satanic, accursed, and pestilential things made with hands which God forbad that we should worship.

But, since there are things made with hands for the glory and service of God — when He would bring in His own holy people the Hebrews, as He promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob their forefathers, and would give them the land of promise, and would make them possessors and inheritors of the possessions of idolators, and would destroy and utterly wipe out those nations because they had defiled heaven and earth with their wickedness — He spake thus beforehand, in order to secure them from falling into the like superstitions. But He chose of the Israelitish nation two men and blessed them and sanctified them, that they might form all kinds of works made with the hand, which were for the service and glory of God, as a memorial for their generations — these were Bezalel and Eliab, of the tribe of Dan.

Moreover, God said to Moses, “Hew out two tables of stone and bring them to me.” And he hewed them and brought them, and God wrote upon them with His finger the ten lifegiving immortal commandments.” Then said God: “Make cherubim and seraphim, and make a table covered with gold within and without; and make an ark of imperishable wood, and place the testimonies within the ark as a memorial for your generation — that is, place therein the tables of stone, the golden pot, the rod, the manna.” Now, are these things made with the hand, or are they not? — but surely they were for the glory and service of God. This same illustrious Moses, constrained by fear, wishing to see his shape and likeness lest he should be deceived, entreated God, saying, “Lord, show me thyself evidently, that I may see thee” (Exod. xxxiii. 18). And God answered: “If thou shouldest see me thou must die; but ascend into the cleft of the rock, and thou shalt see my hinder parts.” Then God showed to him the mystery that was hidden from ages and from generations. Now, indeed, in our generation, in these last days, He hath manifested His hinder parts and His front parts together. For when God saw the whole human race in danger of utter destruction, having pity on the work of His own hands, He sent His own Son, who was born before all worlds; and He, having descended from heaven, entered into the womb of the holy Mary the Virgin, causing the true Light to shine in the Virgin’s womb. And the Light, instead of seed, became flesh; and He was baptized in the river Jordan, and He hath baptized us. And then He began to give us the assurance of distinctive signs that we might not err; for, having entered into Jerusalem, in an upper chamber of the holy and glorious Zion. He gave to us His holy body, and made us drink His precious blood, in the mystical supper: then, as it were, He washed our feet, and we eat and drank together with Him, and our hands handled Him, and He made Himself known to us.

Thus the Truth has been manifested to us, and all the error and darkness with which we were involved has been utterly dispersed and hath vanished away; for their voice went out into all the world and their words unto the end of the earth. For from the whole world men, winged as eagles, went to Jerusalem, as the Lord hath said in the Gospels, “Where the carcass is there shall the eagles be gathered together” (Luke xvii. 37). Now the carcass means Christ, and pious and Christ-loving men are the eagles which soar aloft. These, having seen the Lord, describing Him as He appeared, drew a picture of Him. And when they had seen James, the Lord’s brother, as they saw so they made an image of Him; and, having seen Stephen the proto-martyr, they made an image of him according to what they beheld; and, in a word, as they saw the persons of those who shed their blood for Christ, they made pictures of them. These, when afterwards men throughout the world had beheld, left the superstitions of the devil, and these they worshipped, not with the worship of latria, but with relative worship. And now, O Emperor, which appears right to you, that these should be worshipped or the superstitions of Satan?

Moreover, while Christ was present at Jerusalem, Abgarus, who then swayed the power amongst the Edessenes, having heard of the miracles of Christ, wrote an epistle to Christ, and Christ sent a reply to him, written with His own hand, and with it the figure of His holy and glorious person. Now send to that image made without hands and see for yourself; for there it is that multitudes of the people of the East assemble themselves together and offer up their prayers; and there are many other such things besides which are made with hands, which the armies of those who love Christ retain and worship, but which you every day slight and despise.

Would you know the reason why we have not described or made an image of the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ? It is because we know not what He is, and it is impossible to depict or describe the nature of God; but if we had seen and known Him, as we have seen and known His Son, then we should have painted and described Him also, that you might have called His image also an idol.

But we entreat thee, as brethren in Christ, to come to that truth which thou hast deserted: cast away your arrogance: cease your vain confidence, and write to all and everywhere, so that you may restore those whom you have scandalized and whom you have blinded, of whom forsooth you, through your gross insensibility, think nothing at all. The love of Christ knows how, when we enter the church of the chief Apostle Peter and look on the picture of the Saint, we are filled with poignant grief, and, as a shower of rain from above, so are our tears poured forth. Christ made the blind to see; but you have blinded those who did see aright, and you have made them to stumble, just as if you thought this to be of no importance: you have made them stupid — you have taken away the right path from them — you have deprived them of prayers; and, instead of vigils and diligent attendance and affection towards God, you have driven your poor people headlong to sloth, drowsiness, and utter carelessness.

But you say that we worship stones, and walls, and boards. It is not as you say, O Emperor; but we have these things for our admonition and excitation, and that our dull, untaught, and gross mind may be raised on high by those whose names whose appellation, whose image, we see written thereupon. For we have them not as gods — God forbid! — and our hopes are by no means placed in them. For if the image be of Christ, we say — “O Lord Jesus Christ, help and save us!” But if it be the image of His holy Mother, we say — “O holy Mother of God, intercede with thy Son, our true God, to save our souls.” Or if it be of any particular martyr, as of St. Stephen, we say — “O holy Stephen, who hast poured forth thy blood for Christ, having boldness, as the Proto-martyr, intercede for us.” And so we say of any other martyr who hath borne testimony to Christ. Such are the prayers we offer by them: so it is not, as you say, that we call on our martyrs as gods. Turn from thy evil imagination, I entreat thee; and free thy soul from the scandals and from the curses which come upon thee from the whole world. Yea, the very children will make sport of thee. Go into any of the elementary schools and say, I am the opponent and destroyer of images, and they will throw their writing tablets at thy head: so that, if thou wilt not be taught by the wise, thou shalt by the foolish.

But thou hast written that, “as Uzziah (Hezekiah) King of the Jews, after eight hundred years, brought the brazen serpent out of the temple, so I, after eight hundred years, have taken images out of the churches.” Verily, Uzziah was brother to thee, and exhibited the same audacity and tyrannized over the priests just as you do now; for that serpent the holy David brought into the temple together with the holy ark. And what was it except brass hallowed by God for the sake of those who were bitten and hurt by serpents: And it was placed there that it might be shown how that the same which injected evil into the first creation formed by God — namely, Adam and Eve — the same should be for the healing of sinners.

But as, forsooth, you boast that after eight hundred years you cast the holiness and the blessing of martyrs out of the churches, know that as at first you confessed rightly enough of your own good will, not by any compulsion, and as now you have with your own hand written as above, that you have brought their curse upon your own head. We, indeed, were minded, as we had right and authority from St. Peter the chief of the Apostles, to inflict condign punishment upon you; but as you have brought the punishment upon yourself, there let it abide and rest upon you, together with the counsellors whom you have in your confidence. To what extent have you not injured the edification and marred the course of those who ran well, the love of Christ knows. When we have entered any church and have seen the histories of the miraculous conversation of our Lord Jesus Christ, or of His holy Mother holding in her arms and suckling the Lord our God, and the angels standing all around, and singing the Trisagion, we never leave without serious compunction. And who can but feel compunction, or refrain from tears, as he looks on the sacred bath — the priests standing around — the mystical supper — the giving of sight to the blind — the resurrection of Lazarus — the healing of the leper or the paralytic — the sitting down on the ground — the baskets — the fragments — the transfiguration on Mount Tabor — the crucifixion of our Lord — His burial — His resurrection — His holy assumption — and the descent of the Holy Spirit? Who that contemplates the history of Abraham, laying his sword on the neck of his son, is not filled with remorse and melted into tears? And so with respect to any of the conflicts of the Lord.

But now, O Emperor, of the two it were better for thee to be called an heretic than the persecutor and destroyer of the histories, pictures, and images of our Lord’s passion. Not but that it is, indeed, a thing bad enough, and by all means to be avoided, to be called heretic at all; but in what way this is better than the other I will now unfold. The heretic is so declared to be, even though he is known to be such, not in many points, but in few. Now, scandals are hard to avoid, and theological truths are oftentimes very involved and very difficult to determine: they, therefore, who discuss these matters without sufficient humility, from the ignorance and darkness under which they labour, fall forthwith into error. Surely their condemnation will not be so great as thine; for thou hast manifestly set thyself against things conspicuous enough and clear as the light, in that thou hast stripped the Churches of God, which our holy fathers clothed and adorned; and this when you had such a Pontiff as my Lord Germanus, my brother and fellow-minister, whom you should have consulted as a father and a teacher as being now in years, and having no small experience in ecclesiastical matters. This day that holy man hath reached his ninety-fifth year, continually occupied in the service of Church and King; and constantly, in both these respects, he has been found abundantly useful. Alas! that you should have dismissed such a one from your counsels, and should have listened to that lawless fool, Ephesus the son of Apsimar.

Now, it was my Lord Germanus, and the then Patriarch my Lord George, who advised and persuaded Constantine, the son of Constans, and father of Justinian, to correspond with us (our predecessors) at Rome. And he wrote on oath entreating that we would send men of worth , that so an Ecumenical Council might be assembled together; and he declared — “I will not preside therein as Sovereign or speak at all authoritatively, but only as one of the Council: and as the chief Priests shall agree so will I agree, and those who speak aright we will receive, and those who speak amiss we will expel and send into exile. And, if my own father hath perverted in the least our holy and immaculate faith, I first of all am ready to anathematize him.” By God’s grace we sent, and the sixth synod was celebrated in peace.

You should know, O King, that the doctrines of the holy Church belong not to Kings but to the Priests. For this purpose have Priests been set over the Church and severed from all secular affairs; and Kings, in like manner, are severed from ecclesiastical affairs, and should be solely employed in their own peculiar occupation: and the council of Christian Kings and pious Priests becomes one power so long as their affairs are pursued in peace and love.

But thou hast written to us that we should assemble an Ecumenical Synod. To us such an assemblage appears quite superfluous. Thou alone art the opponent of images, their reviler, and subvertor. Give up that point, and grant us but the favour of thy silence and all scandals will cease — the world will be at peace. Be it so that we should give ear to thee, and Priests from all parts of the world be got together and the Assembly and Council commence its Session — where is the Christ-loving and pious Sovereign who, according to custom, ought to sit in such a Council to honour those who speak well, to expel those who turn aside from the truth, since thou, O Emperor, art so vacillating and barbarous! Know you not that the attempt in which you are engaged against holy images is one of turbulence, insolence, and pride? Cease and be quiet, and there will be no need of a Council. Write only to all whom you have scandalized everywhere throughout the world, that Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople, and Gregory, Pope of Rome, have erred in the matter of images, and we will set you quite free from all guilt of error on your part as having received power from God to loose the things that are in heaven or on earth!

God is witness that to whatever letters you were pleased to send to the Sovereigns of the West we added our suffrage, endeavouring to conciliate them to you, praising and magnifying your goodness, so long as we saw you continuing to walk according to your former course. So they received your Laureata in such a manner as it was fit one king should honour another; and this they did so long as they had not heard of your attack upon images.

But after they had learned and were assured that thou didst send Jubinus Spatharocandidatus to Chalcopatria to destroy and break in pieces the image of the Saviour, styled “Antiphoneta,” where so many miracles had been wrought, and that many women were found there full of zeal who had of old brought odours, who entreated this Spatharocandidatus, saying, “O do not such outrage!” — but as he would not listen to their petition, but did actually ascend the ladder and thrice smote with an axe the face of the Saviour’s image — these women, no longer bearing such wickedness, did draw away the ladder, and, having beaten him with their fists, did there make an end of him; and that on this occasion you, emulous of evil, slew of these women I know not how many, and this in the presence of worthy men from Rome, from France, from the Vandals, from Mauritania, from Gotthia, and, in a word, from all the Western interior: then, as these returned each to his own country, and there related thy later and childish proceedings, then they cast down and trampled upon thy Laureata and overthrew thy statues. And the Lombards and Sarmatians and other northern tribes, having declared war, overran the unfortunate Decapolis, and took its metropolis, Ravenna; and they have driven out thy rulers and set up their own, and they would gladly do the same to the provinces near us and to Rome itself — and all this while you can do nothing to help thyself — these are the fruits of thy folly and obstinacy!

But you think to terrify us and add — “I will send to Rome and break down the image of St. Peter. I will bind and carry away Gregory the High Priest there, as Constans carried away Martin.” Now, you should reflect that High Priests who preside in Rome sit there for the purpose of effecting peace between the East and the West, and are, as it were, a middle and party wall between them, and that thy predecessors were most anxious to keep and preserve this bond of peace; but if you act insolently, and send out your threats, we shall not think necessary to contend with you: the High Priest of Rome will depart four-and-twenty stadia into the country of Campania; and then you may come and pursue the winds (Eccl. xxxiv. 2). Our predecessor, Martin, was earnest in his days exhorting to peace; wherefore Constans, who thought amiss concerning the Holy Trinity, and consented with certain heretical High Priests — namely, Sergius, Paul, and Pyrrhus — having sent and seized him in a tyrannical way, carried him off to Byzantium, and, having afflicted him in various ways, sent him into banishment; and, moreover, he greatly tried the Monk Maximus and his disciple Anastasius, and at length finished with sending them also into banishment to Lazica. Constans, who banished these, did not escape vengeance, but perished in his sin; for Nezeuxius, Count of the Bedchamber, being certified by the Bishops of Sicily that his master was an heretic, slew him in the temple and he died in his sin. But of the blessedness of Martin, the very city of Cherson, whither he was banished, and of the Bosphorus, give fullest testimony, and also the North and its inhabitants, who are accustomed to attend his tomb and there receive cures of various diseases.

As far as we are concerned, we could be well content that the Lord would grant us to go the same way that holy Martin went before us; but, for the benefit of the many, we would yet longer wish to live: for the whole West look towards our humility; and though we (may seem to) be nothing, yet in us they have the greatest confidence, and in him — namely, St. Peter, whose image you threatened to break down and destroy — for him all the Princes of the West look upon as an earthly deity. So, should you venture on any such rash undertaking, the Princes of the West would avenge the cause of those of the East whom thou hast injured; but we entreat you by the Lord turn from these new and childish proceedings. You know well that you are unable to defend your Roman province, except it be the city only, on account of its contiguity to the sea; and, as we have said before, if the Pope chose but to move four-and-twenty stadia from Rome, he need have no further dread of thee. One thing troubles us — the wild and barbarous nations are becoming civilized; but you are, from civilized, becoming wild and barbarous.

All the West offer the first-fruits of their faith to Peter, head and chief of the Apostles, should you send any here for the destruction of St. Peter’s image — see — we warn you beforehand: we are free from the blood which may be shed on the occasion. On thy own head and on thy own neck be all these things.

We have lately received an earnest invitation from the remotest West — from a country called Septetus — desiring that, by the grace of God, we would visit them and bestow upon them holy baptism; and, that none may accuse us of idleness or sloth, we intend to begird ourselves for the journey. May God put His fear in thy heart, and may God convert thee to the truth and free thee from those errors which thou hast mischievously foisted on the world, and speedily may I receive a letter from thee announcing thy conversion; and may He who descended from heaven and entered the Virgin’s womb for our salvation dwell in thy heart, and speedily expel those that inhabit there and cause all these scandals, and so grant peace to the Churches of all Christians for ever and ever. Amen.

Second Letter of Pope Gregory the Second to the Emperor Leo, in Defence of Images

The letters of your God-defended Sovereignty and brother hood in Christ we have received from your ambassador Rufinus; and really it almost wearies us to death to see you thus impenitent and obstinately persisting in your former sinfulness, and that you savour not of things that be of Christ, nor care to be a follower and imitator of our holy, glorious, and wonder-working fathers and doctors. But not to speak of any foreign teachers, but only of those of your city and country, are they wiser than Gregory Thaumaturgus, and Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory the Divine, Basil of Cappadocia, or John Chrysostom? — not to mention the myriads and myriads of our holy and inspired fathers like to them?

But you follow mainly your own will and the passions which dwell within you, and you have written, “I am King and Priest.” Such, verily, thy predecessors proved themselves to be in word and deed, who founded churches and took care of them, and, together with the Priests, with zeal and earnestness sought out the truth of Orthodoxy — such as were Constantine the Great, Theodosius the Great, Valentinian the Great, and Constantine, the father of Justinian, who was present at the Sixth General Council. These Sovereigns reigned in a manner pleasing to God; and being one with the High Priests, in mind and council, they assembled synods, searching out the truth of the opinions laid down; and, moreover, they built and adorned churches. These, indeed, were Kings and Priests who proved that such they were by their works. But thou, from what time thou hast received thy dominion, hast not to the end observed the definitions of the fathers; but whereas thou hast found our churches clothed, adorned, and beautified with golden vests and fringes, thou hast disrobed them and made them bare. Now, what are our churches — are they not made with hands — are they not a compound of stone, wood, straw, mud, and lime? But these are made ornamental with images and pictures of the miracles of the Saints, and of the passion of our Lord, and of His holy glorious Mother, and of the holy Apostles. Is it not on pictures and images men delight to spend their money? And do not men and women, holding in their arms their newly-baptized infants, point out to them their histories with the finger, as is also done to youths and those who are converted from the Gentiles? And thus they edify their minds and lift up their hearts to God; but you, having caused such things to cease amongst your humble people, have filled their place with gossipings, and babbling, and harpings, and pratings, and pipings, and all kind of trifling. From giving of thanks and giving of praise you have brought them to vain and foolish fables. Take up your portion amongst such fools and praters if you will. Yet hear our humility and cease, and obey the holy Church, even as you have found and received. Doctrines belong not to kings, but the chief Priests, for we have the mind of Christ. The mind fitted to regulate ecclesiastical affairs is very different from that which disposes matters in the provinces of kingdoms. Be assured that a mind so fierce and foolish, and, withal, so dull in spiritual things, as is your own, can never be sufficient to regulate ecclesiastical doctrines. I will now lay before you the difference between the Palace and the Church, the King and the High Priest. Acquiesce and be saved, and be no more contentious. If any man should strip you of your royal robes, your diadem, your purple, your vest, and take away all your attendants, would you not forthwith be looked upon as mean, vile, and worthless? And to this state have you reduced churches: you have taken from them what you never had yourself — the robe of holiness — and hast made them vile. As then, no Priest, however exalted, hath any right of inspecting the King’s palace or ordering his royal household, equally no Sovereign hath any right of overlooking the Church, either in the election of the clergy or in consecrating or handling the symbols of sacred mysteries, or, indeed, of partaking at all of them independent of the Priest. Now, let each remain in the calling to which he hath been called by God. See you not, O King, the difference between Kings and Priests? If any one offend against thee, O King, you confiscate his goods and reduce him to poverty and do but leave him his life: or you hang, behead, or banish him. and put him far beyond the reach of his children or other beloved relations and friends. Not so act the Priests: when one offends against them and confesses his fault, instead of hanging and beheading, they put the yoke of the Gospel on his neck — they imprison him in their Church treasuries — they banish him to the service of the Church — bind him among the Catechumens — make his bowels serve with fasting, his eyes with vigils, his mouth with singing lauds; and, in order to chasten him the more and the better to starve the carnal man, they bring before him the venerable body of the Lord and make him to drink His holy blood; and thus. having restored him as a vessel of election and without blame, they send him pure and spotless to the Lord. See you now no difference between the Royal and the Priestly office?

Sovereigns who have lived piously and in Christ never disobeyed or persecuted the Priest. Thou, O King, hast transgressed and acted perversely; and whereas thou didst write with thine own hand in all due submission, and hast professed that he who breaks down the boundaries set up by the fathers is accursed, thou art self-condemned and hast caused the Holy Spirit to depart from thee. You would fain avenge yourself and tyrannize over us with an armed and carnal hand; but we, unharmed and defenseless, having no earthly carnal defence, call upon the Great Commander of all creation, even Christ, who sitteth in the heavens above all armies, above all rule, that He would send the devil into thee (as saith the Apostle) “to deliver such an one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the soul may be preserved.” See, O King, to what a pitch of shamelessness and inhumanity you have arrived: thou hast dashed thy soul headlong amidst deeps and precipices, because thou canst not humble thyself or incline thy stiffened neck.

For when at the last great day, when all our secret things shall be made manifest other Priests will gain great praise and glory for that then they shall be able to present their rulers to God blameless and pure from all faults and shameful falls by means of their faithful teaching and sound doctrine, then shall we be shamed before the holy angels, and we shall stand deeply awed, because that, through thy perversity, we never could make any gain of thee. The High Priests, our predecessors, will present the Sovereigns of their several periods before God greatly to the shame of our humility; since we shall not be able to present the Sovereigns of our times honourable or glorious, but inglorious and reprobate. Wherefore, we entreat you, repent, and return and come back to the truth. And as you have found and have received, so persevere, venerate, and honour the glorious fathers and doctors who, under God, have removed the blindness of our heart and eyes and have made us to see clearly.

But thou hast written — “How is it that in the six General Councils no mention was ever made of images?” Very true, O King; but neither has anything been said concerning bread and water, whether we should or should not eat. For as these things were ages ago handed down to us as means of preserving life, so have images been handed down to us, and the High Priests have ever been accustomed to take them with them to the Councils. No one who loved Christ or who loved God, when about to travel, would ever think of going on his way without images, since they are honourable and approved by God.

Well then, if you will, be both King and Priest, as you have written before to us; but if you are ashamed of this, as a Sovereign, to give ground of accusations against yourself, at least write to all whom you have scandalized, that Gregory Pope of Rome hath erred concerning images, and also Germanus Patriarch of Constantinople — we will take on ourselves the guilt and sin, as having received power from above to loose and to bind things in heaven and things on the earth, and you need have no fears on this point. We gave you this challenge before and you were not ready for it — neither now are you ready. We, indeed, as those that must give account to their Lord, have delivered to you instructions and doctrine even as we have received of the Lord; but you have turned a deaf ear to our humility, and to Germanus the President, and all our holy, wonder-working, and glorious teachers and fathers; and thou hast followed depraved and unsound teachers, who have erred concerning the truth. Well! — have your portion with such.

But we, as we told you before, are, by the grace of God, about entering on a journey to the interior of the West on behalf of those who there are seeking baptism. For though I sent them Bishops and Clerks of our holy Church, their Princes were not inclined to submit to be baptized by them, desiring that I myself should undertake the work. Wherefore, by the grace of God, we are getting ourselves ready for the journey, that we may incur no censure of apathy and carelessness. May God give thee understanding and repentance to turn to the truth which thou hast forsaken, and may He again bring back His poor people to Christ the one Shepherd, and to the one sheepfold of Orthodox Churches and Priests. And may the Lord our God give peace to all the world, now and for ever and ever. Amen.

Preface of Anastasius the Librarian, to Pope John VIII (872-882) on the Seventh Synod

To the co-angelic Lord John, chief Pontiff and Universal Pope, Anastasius the insignificant:

Having made a version of the Eighth universal Synod for the predecessor of your blessedness Adrian II of holy memory and reverend Pope, I thought it no less improper than inconvenient that the Latins should not have the Seventh Council also, in which your predecessor Adrian of blessed memory presided by his Legates, which was the second assembled at Nicaea, and was celebrated under the auspices of Constantine and his mother Irene. For by no reason can there be supposed such a thing as an Eighth where there hath not been a Seventh. Now, it is not that no translation hath appeared before ours, but because former interpreters, neglecting the idiom of each language, did so translate word by word that one could scarce ever make out what was intended; and thus, giving disgust to the reader, it fell under the contempt of all. Whence it was that many thought it utterly unworthy a reading, to say nothing of transcription. Which things having considered, I have undertaken, not sparing my own weak body, under the help of God, to translate the same for the benefit of the Latins: accounting it is an unbecoming and incongruous thing that yours, the mistress of all Churches — I mean the Roman — should be deprived of this Council; whereas it was so well adorned with that which followed — viz., the Eighth Synod; especially seeing I am under obligation from what has been granted me from above to benefit that sacred library of which you were pleased to make me the guardian, if so be in emulation of an apostle I may aim to magnify mine office.

It is worthy of note that certain opinions are found in this Council, taken from the canons of the Apostles and sentences and canons of the Sixth General Council, which, though we have translated them, we neither hold nor admit. As regards the apostolic canons, we clearly know that they never gave any sanction to the same. And, moreover, your predecessor Stephen determined that even of those (the apostolic canons) not more than fifty were to be received, although some pontifical constitutions seem derived from them. Whence, as your apostolic See hath determined, the Church hath received not only those fifty canons, but it admits also all the institutions and rules of approved fathers and holy Councils as being trumpets of the Holy Spirit, provided they be such as do not oppose the right faith or sound morals, or in any way infringe against the decrees of the Roman See; but, on the other hand, powerfully refute our adversaries — that is, the heretics. Therefore, those regulations which the Greeks set forth as enacted by the Sixth Council, to this extent the principal See allows of in this Synod, that they be such as do not in any way contradict former canons or decrees of holy Pontiffs of this See, or are opposed to good morals: although up to this time they were altogether unknown to the Latins, for that they were never translated into Latin. And moreover, they were not found in the archives of the other patriarchs, although they used the Greek language, because none of these patriarchs either did promulge or agree to them, or was even present at the time when they were enacted; although the Greeks declare the same fathers to have been present who were present at the Sixth Council itself, which they can by no means satisfactorily prove.

But, inasmuch as the Greeks very improperly in this Synod have frequently styled their Patriarch as “Ecumenical,” let your apostleship pardon their flattery, for they are accustomed thus reprehensively to flatter their superiors. While at Constantinople, I very frequently contended with the Greeks about their pride and arrogance in respect of this word; but they replied that by the word “Ecumenical” they did not mean “Universal,” as that he held a presidency over the whole world, but as presiding over that portion of it which Christians inhabit. For that which the Greeks call οικουμενη, means among the Latins not only the world, from the whole of which it may signify universal; but also a habitation, whence it merely signifies “civilized” or “inhabited” country.

This also is to be remarked, that in every place where I have used the word subsistentia I wish that persona should be meant; for the Greek word ὑποστασις is interpreted both ways. Moreover, some have interpreted subsistentia as substantia; others as persona. I however follow those who understand by subsistentia, persona, and not substantia.

The holy Church, endued with such authority, cannot dissimulate: each one, therefore, may not turn aside from the worship of holy images according to his private judgment; otherwise it would needs to be taught by your pious doctrine and corrected by apostolic censure. Especially as it is lawful to no one to separate himself from his superior, or in any way to reject that which he may perceive thy See, the mistress of all, to maintain. For that which this present Synod hath set forth concerning the worship of venerable images hath your apostolic See, as the records testify, held of old, and the universal Church hath ever venerated them and doth still venerate them, with the exception of some few French Bishops, to whom, it may be, their great utility hath not been revealed hitherto. For they say that no work of men’s hands ought to be worshipped; as if the Gospel, the work of men’s hands, which they daily kiss, were not more worthy of veneration than a dog, which they will not pretend to say is made with men’s hands. In like manner we may argue from the holy cross which all Christians everywhere confess that they worship; for we may reflect that if the cross be made of gold or silver or wood, it is not the same cross by which our salvation was wrought out, but only its figure, and image. Now, why should we not worship His figure and image who wrought out the salvation Himself in the midst of the earth? For He is more worthy of worship who wrought out the salvation, than the material is, by which He wrought it out for us; and therefore, the image of Christ, who wrought out our salvation, is more worthy of adoration than the image of the cross which did but bear Him upon it.

Wherefore, O most holy Pope, ascend into the lofty mountains — stand in thy strength — lift up thy voice like a trumpet! Behold, under God’s auspices, thy angel having touched thy side, as of Peter of old, thou hast risen up — thou hast girded thy loins — thou hast lighted thy candle — thon art eaten up with zeal for God! Now, what remains? — only this, the faith which thou believest, teach us: the way in which thou walkest, show to us all.

So, with God as thy Author, thou as the son of the persecuted — viz., the Prophets and Apostles, being our leader through difficult paths — all we, the sheep of Christ, committed to thy skill by Peter, may go on with inoffensive steps, and to the pleasant pastures of eternal life may merit happy entrance, Christ Himself opening the door, who delivered the keys of the kingdom to him and by him to yourself. May grace divine, my Lord, most holy Pope, conserve your apostleship for many years for the exaltation of this Church and the common salvation of all!

Short Syllabus of the Different Sessions

The First Session contains the testimony of divers approved writings, in which it is shown that heretics who return from their heresy to the Orthodox faith may be received: and also those who since they have been or are now Orthodox, but yet have received imposition of hands from heretics.

The Second Session contains the reading of the epistles of Adrian Pope of Rome, and the profession and declaration of agreement of all the High Priests present in the Council.

The Third Session contains the reception of the Bishops converted from heresy; the synodals of Tarasius and the answers of the Oriental High Priests; and also the subscriptions of the Bishops, who approved the letters of Pope Adrian, and the Priests of the East, and declared their agreement with them.

The Fourth Session brings forward the testimonies from holy writ and of divine fathers in defence of images.

The Fifth Session brings forward other testimonies, to show that the Iconomachi wrought and imagined things equally vile with reprobate heretics.

The Sixth Session brings forth the blasphemies of the heretics and their utter confutation.

The Seventh Session sets forth the definition of the holy Council and the subscriptions of the Bishops thereto; an epistle sent to the Emperors; another sent to the clergy of Constantinople; a laudatory sermon; and the canons promulged by the Council. Also an epistle of Tarasius to Adrian concerning the Synod, and another of the same to the same on Heresy; also a letter to John the Anchorite on the same business.

The Sacred Divalis Sent from Constantine and Irene Augusti to Adrian Most Holy and Most Blessed Pope of Old Rome

They who receive the dignity of the empire, or the honour of the principal priesthood from our Lord Jesus Christ, ought to provide and to care for those things which please Him, and rule and govern the people committed to their care according to His will and good pleasure.

Therefore, O most holy man, it is due from us and from you that irreprehensibly we savour the things which be His, and that in these we be conversant, since from Him We have received the imperatorial dignity, and You the dignity of the chief priesthood.

But now to speak more to the point. Your paternal blessedness knows what hath been done in times past in this our royal city against holy images — namely, how in the three reigns immediately preceding, images were destroyed and disgraced — (O may it not be imputed to them, for it had been well for them had they not laid their hands upon the Church!) — and how they seduced and brought over to their own opinion all the people who live in these parts — yea, even the whole of the East, in like manner, up to the time in which God hath exalted us to this kingdom, who seek His glory in truth, and hold that which has been handed down by His apostles together with all other teachers. Whence now with pure heart and unfeigned religion we have, together with all our subjects and our most learned divines, had constant conferences respecting the things which relate to God, and by their advice have determined to summon a General Council. And we entreat your paternal blessedness, or rather the Lord God entreats, who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, that it will give itself to us and make no delay, but come up hither to aid us in the confirmation and establishment of the ancient tradition of venerable images. It is, indeed, incumbent on your holiness to do this, since you know how it is written — “Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, ye priests, saith the Lord,” and “the lips of the priests shall keep knowledge, and the law shall go forth out of his mouth, for he is the angel of the Lord of Hosts.” And again, the divine apostle, the preacher of the truth, who, “from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum, preached the Gospel,” hath thus commanded — “Feed the flock of Christ with discipline which He purchased with His own blood.”

As then you are the veritable chief high priest and president in the place and in the see of the holy and superlaudable Apostle Peter, let your paternal blessedness come to us, as we have said before, and add your presence to those other chief priests who shall be assembled together, that thus the will of the Lord may be accomplished. For as we are taught in the Gospels our Lord saith — “When two or three are met together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” —  let your paternal and sacred blessedness be certified and confirmed by the great God and King of all, our Lord Jesus Christ, and by us His servants, that if you come up hither you shall be received with all honour and glory, and that everything necessary for you shall be granted; and again, when the definition (capitulum) is made complete, which by the good pleasure of Christ our God we hope shall be done with honour and amplitude, we take upon us to provide for you every facility of return.

If, however, your blessedness cannot attend upon us (which we can scarcely imagine, knowing what is your zeal about divine things), at least, let it select for us men of understanding, having with them letters from your holiness, that they may be present in the person of your sacred and paternal blessedness; that so, when they meet with the other priests who are here, the ancient tradition of our holy fathers may be synodically confirmed, and every evil plant of tares may be rooted out, and the words of the Saviour may be fulfilled, that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against her.” And after this, may there be no further schism and separation in the one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, of which Christ our true God is the Head.

We have had Constantine, beloved in Christ, most holy Bishop of Leontina in our beloved Sicily, with whom your paternal blessedness is well acquainted, into our presence; and, having spoken with him face to face, have sent him to you with this our present venerable letter of invitation. Whom, after that he hath seen you, forthwith dismiss, that he may come back to us, and write us by him concerning your coming — what time we may expect will be spent in your journeying thence and coming to us. Moreover, he can retain with him the most holy Bishop of Naples, and come up hither together with him; and, as your journey will be by way of Naples and Sicily, we have given orders to the Governor of Sicily about this, that he take due care to have every needful preparation made for that honour and rest which is necessary in order that your paternal blessedness may come to us. (Legimus). Given on the 4th of the calends of September, the seventh indiction, from the royal city.

The Explanatory Statement Made by Tarasius the Secretary to the People, on the Day in Which the Sovereigns Signified to the People that He Should Be Patriarch, Who Was Exalted to that Dignity in the Eighth Year of the Indiction the Year of the World, 6293

“Our faithful Sovereigns, the guardians of the immaculate faith of us Christians, and zealous in all things done for the glory of God, as having great anxiety to order all things so as best may please Him, and for the common benefit of us Christians; and, above all, most earnestly solicitous concerning the affairs of the Church, and having deliberated concerning the election of a high priest for this royal city, have taken me into their pious consideration and have commanded me to announce openly that which had been determined. But when I in return protested how unworthy I was of this honour, and would make them no promise, for that I felt quite inadequate to so great a burden — so great a yoke — they would have me present myself before you, because that ye also had been consentient in this same determination. And now, therefore, O ye men who fear God, who have Him ever in your heart, who are named with the name of Christ our true God — that is, who are Christians — hear from our emptiness and unworthiness a few words by way of apology. Whatever answer I may before this have made to our pious and in all respects Orthodox Sovereigns, the same I now make before you — that I am filled with fear in respect of consenting to this your vote, and I am full of alarm, lest in the presence of God I should hold so free and unguarded a course as to expose myself to fearful condemnation. For if he who heard the words of God, who was instructed from heaven, who beheld Paradise and heard unspeakable words, and bore the name of God before nations and before Kings — namely, Paul the divine apostle, when writing to the Corinthians, should say — “Lest by any means after I have preached to others I myself should become a cast-away” — how dare I, brought up altogether in the world, among the number of the laity and a soldier in the royal service; and moreover, without any enquiry or time for consideration, to leap into the very summit of the priesthood — how fearful the attempt — how bold the undertaking for my littleness And another very great cause of fear to me, and of my refusal too, is this — I see and behold that Church which is built upon Christ our God divided and rent asunder, and that we at one time say one thing, at another, another; and that those Christians, too, of the East who in other respects of the same faith with us differ from us, and agree with those in the West; that we are separated from them all, and are every day anathematized by all; and an anathema is a dreadful thing: it drives us far from God — it banishes us from the kingdom of heaven — it brings us down into the outer darkness. Moreover, the law and constitution of the Church allows not of contention and strife; but, as it recognizes the confession of but one baptism and one faith, so it allows but one agreement concerning every part of ecclesiastical discipline.

“Nothing, indeed, is so pleasing and acceptable in God’s sight as our union, and that we be strictly one Catholic and Apostolic Church, even as we confess in the symbol of our sincere faith. And now, my brethren, I entreat, as I dare say you do also (for I know that the fear of God dwelleth in you), of our most pious and Orthodox Sovereigns, that an Ecumenical Synod may be convened; that we who are of the same God may become one — we who are united in the confessions of the same Trinity may be of one mind and one in mutual esteem — that we who are the one body of Christ our Head, fitly joined and framed together — we who are of one Holy Spirit should not be against each other, but in favour of each other — and that we who are of the truth should think and say the same thing, and that there should be no more contention or division amongst us. So may the peace of God which surpasseth all understanding evermore preserve us. Now, if our Sovereigns, the champions of Orthodoxy, give command in accordance with my most equitable request, then I consent — I fulfil their command — I yield myself to your vote; but, if otherwise, then I cannot undertake it, lest I make myself obnoxious to anathema, and I be condemned in that day by the Righteous Judge of all, when neither kings nor priests, nor rulers, nor multitudes of men, can avail to deliver me. Now, as is best and most acceptable to yourselves, make your response to my apology, or rather give an answer to my request.” And they all were well-pleased with that which had been spoken, and were quite agreeable that a Synod should be convened; only some few poor senseless persons were adverse, on which the Secretary again spoke to the people — “Since the Sovereign Lord Leo has subverted images, and this Council when it assembles hath found them subverted, inasmuch as they have been subverted by the royal power, this point demands very special enquiry; because that they have dared, as it appears, to destroy an ancient custom handed down in the Church, but the truth of God is not bound.”

Now, after he was ordained, he wrote Synodical Epistles to the Patriarchs of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, and the holy city, which you will find in the Second and Third Sessions, together with the replies made to them.

A Short Account of Certain Transactions Which Took Place Before the Council Was Assembled

Peter and Peter, Presbyters, most beloved in God, having arrived from Rome, and having brought with them diplomatic letters; and John and Thomas having arrived from the East, most pious Presbyters and Monks, and also Syncelli of the Patriarchs of those parts, and having brought with them diplomatic letters, the Princes gave command to all the Bishops to assemble at the palace. Now, while they were thus assembled in the God-protected and Royal city, the most excellent Sovereigns themselves were delayed in Thrace. But the greater part of the Bishops still involved in the heresy of the Christian-detractors caballed, plotted with certain of the laity, many in number, that there should not be any Council, but that they might still continue in their subversion and contempt of holy images; and, having stirred up many factious and slanderous insinuations against the Patriarch, they must needs assemble their Conventicle also.

Their plots and cabals did not escape the ears of the Patriarch; but, even while they were getting together their Conventicles, he let them know that Constantinople had a Bishop, and that without his pleasure they had no right to assemble their Conventicles; and that, according to the canons, they were obnoxious to deposition, on which the Bishops withdrew, being withheld by fear from further proceedings. When, however, the Sovereigns had arrived with the authorities of the people, the scholarii, the earcubitores, and the other military who kept guard in the royal city, it was determined that a Council should be held in the venerable temple of the holy and ever to be praised Apostles. Now, the day before the appointed time had arrived, about mid-day, the soldiery, filled with wrath and madness, began to mutiny, and having rushed into the baptistery of the church they cried out some one thing and some another; but the end of the clamour was one and the same — that there should not be any Council held. The Patriarch gave information of the disturbance to the Sovereigns, but they would by no means allow it to be the very slightest hindrance to his assembling the holy Bishops in the aforesaid venerable temple.

On the morrow the Bishops met there accordingly; and while certain discussions were going on between the most holy Patriarch and the Bishops beloved in God, and while they were reading certain synodical writings which declare that no General Council can take place without the agreement of all the most holy Patriarchs — while engaged in this enquiry, a great multitude of soldiers came with great noise and clamour before the gates of the venerable temple, being excited to this by the suggestions of certain evil-minded Bishops who were in the Council.

Which things being so, the Queen sent her command to all the Synod by her chamberlain: “For awhile depart, that we may escape this insubordinate fury of the people, and after this the will of the Lord be done.” And so, after the Bishops had gone out of the temple, those of them who were opposed to the truth made up their assembly with the rabble and impious, caused a recitation of the false Conventicle to be made, which they would gloss over as the Seventh Council. When they had finished their noisy clamours of their evil Council, about the sixth hour, being very hungry, they went home. and so this ebullition of sedition was laid to rest.

Then the Sovereigns commanded the soldiers to march immediately, under pretense of a campaign, against the enemy, spreading a report that the Saracens had made an hostile attack, but in reality to get them out of Constantinople. And when they had arrived at Malagena, by command of the Sovereigns, they were cashiered and dismissed: they were told to go each one to his own country, as their services were no longer needed. These things being finished in this way, the Church remained one year in quiet, except that the Patriarch proclaimed the word of truth to all. And afterwards, when the year was past, the pious Sovereigns gave order that the Synod should meet in the metropolis of Nicaea, and the command was obeyed by the Bishops assembling together there; and the Patriarch with the Legates of the Eastern and Western Sees had come also to the same city, and the Synod took place by the will of God, according to the record of the several Sessions which follow.

Source: Mendham, John, trans. 1850. The Seventh General Council, the Second of Nicaea, Held A.D. 787, in Which the Worship of Images Was Established. London: William Edward Painter. Pages i-xxix.