Acts of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, Nicaea II (787)
The Eighth Session
Opening of the Eighth Session
In the Name of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, our True God. In the reign of our pious and Christ-loving Sovereigns Constantine and Irene his mother, in the eighth year of their Consulship, the tenth of the calends of November (October 20th), in the eleventh indiction.
Our Sovereigns the allies of Orthodoxy, as being illustrious heralds and guardians of the truth, influenced with sound affection, counting it a thing not to be borne that they should never have sat in the Council in person, issued their commands to the Patriarch, to bring all the God-beloved Bishops with him to their royal and heaven-defended city, New Rome. He therefore, having received this mandate, lost no time in fulfilling the desires of his Sovereigns; and as now all that had been appointed for consideration had been fully discussed, and had most profitably been concluded, taking with him all the God-beloved Bishops, they went on their way and made their entrance into the heaven-protected city, and when they arrived they were most kindly received by the Sovereigns.
And the God-preserved Empress, most happily resplendent, having taken good counsel, appointed a certain day on which, with the Bishops, she would have her place in the Council, and this took place in the palace which is called “Magnaura.” And on this appointed day, the holy Gospels of God having been placed in the midst, the empress and her son who reigned together with her, and the whole Council having taken their seats, the Patriarch, being ordered by them to say what was fitting in the Council, fulfilled their command. After this, they also, as being taught of God, harangued the assembled Council in a discourse alike becoming and gracious; so that all the God-beloved Bishops with the Patriarch joined in favourable acclamations.
After these were published, the Sovereigns gave command that a proposition should be made to the Council in the following manner — “Let the Definition set forth by you be read in our hearing, and in that of all our Christ-loving people.” And the whole Council having signified their assent, Cosmas the God-beloved deacon and chamberlain having received the book read the Definition. When the reading was finished the Sovereigns enquired as follows — “Let the Holy Ecumenical Council declare whether the Definition now read meets with full assent from all now present.” And they shouted aloud:
“Thus we believe: we all think thus. In full agreement, this we have all subscribed. This is the faith of the Apostles — this is the faith of the fathers — this is the faith of the Orthodox — this is the faith which hath confirmed the world.
“Believing in one God, to be praised in Trinity, we embrace His holy images. Let all who think otherwise be anathema. Let those who think not thus be thrust out of the Church. We have followed the ancient rule of the Catholic Church: we anathematize alike those who add anything to, or detract anything from, the Catholic Church. Anathema to the newly adopted heresy of the Christianity-slanderers. We receive venerable images: we load all who hold not as we do with anathema.
“Anathema to those who apply to images the Scriptures written against idols. Anathema to those who call holy images idols. Anathema to those who affirm that Christians look on their images as gods. Anathema to those who assert that any other has delivered us from idolatry than Jesus Christ. Anathema to those who presume to say that the Catholic Church ever allowed of idols. Anathema to all heresies. Anathema to the whole conventicle which roared against holy and venerable images. Anathema to those who receive the writings of these heretics. Anathema to Theodosius, false Bishop of Ephesus. Anathema to Sisinnius, surnamed Pastillas. Anathema to Basil, nicknamed Tricaccabus. The Trinity has subverted the dogmas of this triad. To Anastasius, Constantine, and Nicetas, who in succession presided in the chair of Constantinople, anathema; as to the new Arius, Dioscorus, and Eutyches. Anathema to the heresiarchs John Bishop of Nicomedia, and Constantine Bishop of Nacolia. Anathema to those who confess not that Christ as man was circumscribable. Anathema to those who admit not of pictures of the Gospel history. Anathema to those who salute not holy and venerable images. Anathema to those who receive not all the traditions of the Church, whether written or unwritten.”
When these acclamations had ceased, the Patriarch, having brought the Book of the Definitions which had been read to the Sovereigns, requested them, together with the whole Council, that they would be pleased to seal and ratify the same with their own sacred subscription. On which the most pious Empress, most graciously resplendent, subscribed the document; and then she gave it to her son, who reigned together with her, for him to subscribe it also. And when this was done, the book was returned to the Patriarch by Staurasius, the illustrious patrician and master of the Hippodrome. And all the Bishops, with one accord, joined in the following acclamations to our Sovereigns:
“Many be the years of our Sovereigns. Many be the years of Constantine and Irene his mother. Of our Orthodox Sovereigns, many be the years. Of our triumphant Sovereigns, many be the years. Of our peace-loving Sovereigns, many be the years. Eternal be the memory of the New Constantine and the new Helena. God preserve their dominion. Lord grant them a life of peace. O Lord, preserve their empire. O Heavenly King, protect those of this world!”
After these acclamations were finished; the Sovereigns gave order that passages from the fathers which had been recited in the metropolis of the Nicaeans, and even written in the Fourth Session, should be read — that is, of John Chrysostom on Meletius Bishop of Antioch; of Asterius Bishop of Amasea on the martyr Euphemia; of the discourse written by John Bishop of Thessalonica against the Gentiles; the epistle of the holy Symeon the Stylite to the Emperor Justin; the epistle of the blessed Nilus the Ascetic to Olympiodorus the Prefect; and the eighty-second canon of the Sixth General Council. And when these were read in the audience of the Sovereigns, of the illustrious Princes, and of all Christ-loving people, all being pricked to the heart, embraced the truth. And again, the God-beloved Bishops joined with the people in acclamations of praise. And the whole of the before-mentioned royal palace was filled with men; for the whole city, with the military orders, were all present. And they broke up the Session, and they glorified God, and with joy gave thanks to Him by whose good pleasure the whole was brought about.
Letter and Report of the Council addressed to Pope Adrian
To Our in all Respects Most Holy and Blessed Brother and Fellow-minister the Lord Adrian Pope of Old Rome, Tarasius by the Mercy of God Bishop of Constantinople, New Rome — Health in the Lord:
“The saving dispensation of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ is amply sufficient for peace, oneness of mind, and concord of all Christians. For He, after His resurrection from the dead, having breathed on His Apostles, said — ‘My peace I give to you, my peace I leave to you.’ To the same purpose hath he who was caught up to the third heaven and entered into Paradise and heard unspeakable words (2 Cor. xii. 4), Paul the divine Apostle, testifying, has declared to all, ‘Christ is our peace, who hath made of both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition, the enmity in his flesh’ (Ephes. iv. 14, 15). And, again, when writing to the Thessalonians, he commands — ‘Wherefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught whether by word or by our epistle’ (2 Thess. ii. 15). But since the enemy, the author of evil, the Devil, hath never ceased from time to time to lacerate and divide the Church built on the foundation of Apostles and Prophets, intruding himself by means of certain wicked men his followers, and thus to sow tares in the same country which has been husbanded by those trumpets of the Spirit, the holy Apostles; for they having been endued with power from on high, and having ploughed up the same with the furrows of a divine energy, left the food of eternal life to be reaped by those who, by them, have believed their divine doctrine — they who from time to time were its shepherds and guardians — namely, our holy fathers, who having received them cut up by the roots all tares — that is, all heresies and innovations secretly and unawares introduced — and so preserved a harvest pure in the field.
“Your Pontifical, Fraternal Holiness, associated these by means of the same divine teaching, and from them having received the word of truth and in harmony with the truth of our most faithful and Christ loving Sovereigns, has made all haste to extirpate, with the sword of the Spirit, the thorny plants of modern growth — having sent in answer to our request to your Holiness men of the same name with Peter, the chief of the Apostles, to get together an Ecumenical Synod; who, when they arrived, were by our pious and most serene Sovereigns most graciously welcomed, and by their command were sent on to us, from whom we received your epistles. And when we had said what was fitting for the occasion, we invited to conference those priestly men from the east, John and Thomas, men endued with knowledge and eloquence, and adorned with piety and gravity; for they having come from a distance were present at that time. And when all the God loving Bishops of our diocese had met together, by the express will and the divine zeal of our most faithful Sovereigns, the Sessions of the Council commenced. But certain persons, stirred up by their frenzied imagination, having made a cabal amongst themselves, hindered us from holding our Session, and we remained under constraint quietly for one year. But, that time having passed over, our God-loving Bishops were once more assembled by command of our pious Sovereigns in the splendid metropolis of the Nicaeans in the eparchy of Bithynia. And we having taken as fellow companions both the God beloved men your vicars, and those who had come from the East, went to the same metropolis. And when we were all seated we took Christ for our Head; for there was placed on a holy throne the sacred Gospels, which cried aloud to all our priestly assemblage which had met together ‘Judge, just, judgment: judge ye between the holy Church of God and of this present innovation.’ And first we determined on reading the epistles from your Holiness with which we were all in ecstasy, being filled with delight with the spiritual food, as from a royal supper, which Christ had prepared for us who feasted on your letters, and which were as the eye guiding the whole body into the path of truth and rectitude. Thus were the severed members even again firmly united — thus did the harmony of truth prevail — thus has the Catholic Church recovered her unity.
“After which followed the reading of the letters sent from the Eastern dioceses, which displayed the unsullied beauty of patristical tradition. And the power of truth was furthermore confirmed by the bringing forward for reading of very many passages from the fathers. All these things being done, the right and unblameable confession was confessed by all who were by God’s will assembled together, which by us has been sent to you, and has by relation been made known to our pious Sovereigns. And all the Heresiarchs of that wicked heresy, with all their followers who had continued thus to spend their lives without change, were condemned to similar expulsion from the Catholic Church with former heretics; but those who were still alive confessed the salvation by written libels. For Christ our God, the Rock on which we have been fixed, never hath permitted the coat which was woven from the top throughout — that is, the Church which has been built upon Him — to be divided and torn asunder, and its members directed now this way and now that, wherefore with former heresies, the error of this new pravity of the Christianity-slanderers which raged against holy images, He has subverted with the word of His grace and slain with the sword of the Spirit. And we have been fully satisfied, and we know from experience, that truth prevaileth over all and conquers according to Him who speaks the truth, and all that is opposed to her is as nothing; and it is very strong, so as to overcome every enemy and disperses the phalanxes of the opposers. For behold, behold, the lips of those who spoke falsely are put to silence and the mist of senseless vituperation is dispersed: the beauty of the doctrine hath shone forth, heretical wickedness being everywhere cast out. The Church hath inherited the world and hath obtained rest from the trials which assailed her; for thus immoveable and invincible, and against her the gates of hell and unbelief shall not prevail, as we have heard from our Lord’s own words; and our mouth is filled with joy and our tongue with rejoicing, and we are made joyful in that Church over which the Lord has made us overseers.
“All this has been brought about, even as it pleased Christ our God who is over all, by means of our Orthodox and most courageous Sovereigns; for they have set up images in every place, as well in the most illustrious temples as in the halls of their own palaces. To whom may the Lord our God grant a recompense, exalting the horn of their kingdom, as well for the peace of the Church as for the salvation of all Christians, and be their name blessed from generation to generation. — Amen.”
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 462-468.