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“Marcian and Valentinian III - Edict following the Council of Chalcedon - Latin and Greek text with English translation”

The Emperors seek to ensure conformity to the doctrinal pronouncements of the Council of Chalcedon. Disputes about the pronouncements of the Council still continued.

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Click here to read at earlychurchtexts.com in the original Latin and Greek (with dictionary lookup links). The English translation below is by Kidd.

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The Emperors and Caesars Valentinian III. and Marcian, to our citizens of Constantinople. At last that which we wished, with earnest desire, has come to pass. Controversy about the orthodox religion of Christians has been put away; remedies have been found for culpable error; and diversity of opinion among the peoples has issued in common consent and concord. From the different provinces the most religious bishops came to Chalcedon in accordance with our commands, and have taught by clear definition what ought to be observed in the matter of religion. Unholy strife must now cease. He is a truly impious and sacrilegious person who, after the sentence of so many bishops, reserves any thing to be decided by opinions of his own. It is the mark of utter madness to search, in the full light of day, for counterfeit illumination. If any one, after this finding of the truth, enter upon any further debate, he searches for shams. No one, therefore, be he cleric, or official, or of any other estate, shall henceforth collect a crowd for an audience and publicly discuss the Christian faith, devising occasion of tumult thereby. A man does despite to the judgment of the most religious Council if, after the decision has once been rightly taken, he attempts to go over it again in public disputation; since it is acknowledged that what has now been concluded about the Christian faith, in accordance with Apostolic expositions and the decrees of the three hundred and eighteen [at Nicaea], and the one hundred and fifty [at Constantinople], has been finally determined. Those who despise this enactment will not go unpunished since they not only assail the faith that has been well set forth, but, by such controversy, profane the venerable mysteries in the ears of Jews and pagans. Wherefore if any cleric venture to deal with religion in public, he shall be removed from the list of the clergy; if any official does so, he shall lose his appointment; while others guilty of this offence shall be banished from the Imperial city; and all shall be rendered liable to the appropriate penalties by the bench of judges. For it is agreed that public disputations and debates are the source and stuff of heretical madness. All, therefore, shall be bound to hold to the decisions of the sacred Council of Chalcedon, and to indulge no further doubts. Take heed, therefore, to this edict of our Serenity; abstain from profane words, and cease all further discussion of religion. It is wrong. This sin, as we believe, will be punished by the judgment of God; but it will also be restrained by the authority of the laws and the judges. Given at Constantinople on the seventh of February [452].
 



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Marcian
Valentinian
Edict
Creed of Chalcedon
Seeking conformity to Chalcedon
Migne Latin and Greek Text
Original Latin Text
Original Greek Text
Patrologiae Latinae Cursus Completus
Patrologiae Graecae Cursus Completus
Patrologia Graeca
Patrologia Latina
 

 

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