CHAPTER XIII.

PUBLICATION OF THE HENOTICON OF ZENO.3

OF this measure of arrangement, framed according to the advice of Acacius, bishop of
the imperial city, Pergainius is the bearer, who had been appointed procurator of Egypt.
Finding, on his arrival at Alexandria, that John had fled, he addresses himself to Peter,
and urges him to receive the allocution of Zeno, and also to admit the separatists. He,
accordingly, receives and subscribes the before-mentioned allocution, with a promise
also to admit to communion the members of the opposite party. Accordingly, on
occasion of a general festival at Alexandria and the universal acceptance of the so-called
Henoticon of Zeno, Peter admits the partizans of Proterius; and, on delivering in the
church an address to the people, he reads the allocution of Zeno, as follows. |136
CHAPTER XIV.
THE HENOTICON (INSTRUMENT OF UNION).
"THE emperor Caesar Zeno, pious, victorious, triumphant, supreme, ever worshipful
Augustus, to the most reverent bishops and clergy, and to the monks and laity
throughout Alexandria, Egypt, Libya, and Pentapolis. Being assured that the origin and
constitution, the might and invincible defence of our sovereignty is the only right and
true faith, which, through divine inspiration, the three hundred holy fathers assembled at
Nicaea set forth, and the hundred and fifty holy fathers, who in like manner met at
Constantinople, confirmed; we night and day employ every means of prayer, of zealous
pains and of laws, that the holy Catholic and apostolic church in every place may be
multiplied, the uncorruptible and immortal mother of our sceptre; and that the pious
laity, continuing in peace and unanimity with respect to God, may, together with the
bishops, highly beloved of God, the most pious clergy, the archimandrites and monks,
offer up acceptably their supplications in behalf of our sovereignty. So long as our great
God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who was incarnate and born of Mary, the Holy Virgin,
and Mother of God, approves and readily accepts our concordant glorification and
service, the power of our enemies will be crushed and swept away, and peace |137 with
its blessings, kindly temperature, abundant produce, and whatever is beneficial to man,
will be liberally bestowed. Since, then, the irreprehensible faith is the preserver both of
ourselves and the Roman weal, petitions have been offered to us from pious
archimandrites and hermits, and other venerable persons, imploring us with tears that
unity should be procured for the churches, and the limbs should be knit together, which
the enemy of all good has of old time been eagerly bent upon severing, under a
consciousness that defeat will befall him whenever he assails the body while in an entire
condition. For since it happens, that of the unnumbered generations which during the
lapse of so many years time has withdrawn from life, some have departed, deprived of
the laver of regeneration, and others have been borne away on the inevitable journey of
man, without having partaken in the divine communion; and innumerable murders have
also been perpetrated; and not only the earth, but the very air has been defiled by a
multitude of blood-sheddings; that this state of things might be transformed into good,
who would not pray? For this reason, we were anxious that you should be informed, that
we and the churches in every quarter neither have held, nor do we or shall we hold, nor
are we aware of persons who hold, any other symbol or lesson or definition of faith or
creed than the before-mentioned holy symbol of the three hundred and |138 eighteen

holy fathers, which the aforesaid hundred and fifty holy fathers confirmed; and if any
person does hold such, we deem him an alien: for we are confident that this symbol
alone is, as we said, the preserver of our sovereignty, and on their reception of this alone
are all the people baptised when desirous of the saving illumination: which symbol all
the holy fathers assembled at Ephesus also followed; who further passed sentence of
deposition on the impious Nestorius and those who subsequently held his sentiments:
which Nestorius we also anathematise, together with Eutyches and all who entertain
opinions contrary to those above-mentioned, receiving at the same time the twelve
chapters of Cyril, of holy memory, formerly archbishop of the holy Catholic church of
the Alexandrians. We moreover confess, that the only begotten Son of God, himself
God, who truly assumed manhood, namely, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is consubstantial with the Father in respect of the Godhead, and con-substantial with ourselves
as respects the manhood; that He, having descended, and become incarnate of the Holy
Spirit and Mary, the Virgin and Mother of God, is one and not two; for we affirm that
both his miracles, and the sufferings which he voluntarily endured in the flesh, are those
of a single person: for we do in no degree admit those who either make a division or a
confusion, or introduce a phantom; inasmuch as his truly sinless incarnation from the
Mother of God did not |139 produce an addition of a son, because the Trinity continued
a Trinity even when one member of the Trinity, the God Word, became incarnate.
Knowing, then, that neither the holy orthodox churches of God in all parts, nor the
priests, highly beloved of God, who are at their head, nor our own sovereignty, have
allowed or do allow any other symbol or definition of faith than the before-mentioned
holy lesson, we have united ourselves thereto without hesitation. And these things we
write not as setting forth a new form of faith, but for your assurance : and every one
who has held or holds any other opinion, either at the present or another time, whether
at Chalcedon or in any synod whatever, we anathematise; and specially the beforementioned Nestorius and Eutyches, and those who maintain their doctrines. Link
yourselves, therefore, to the spiritual mother, the church, and in her enjoy the same
communion with us, according to the aforesaid one and only definition of the faith,
namely, that of the three hundred and eighteen holy fathers. For your all holy mother,
the church, waits to embrace you as true children, and longs to hear your loved voice, so
long withheld. Speed yourselves, therefore, for by so doing you will both draw towards
yourselves the favor of our Master and Saviour and God, Jesus Christ, and be
commended by our sovereignty."
When this had been read, all the Alexandrians united themselves to the holy catholic
and apostolic church. |140
O Imperador Zenon Csar, piedoso, vitorioso, supremo, sempre devoto Augusto, aos
reverendssimos bispos e clrigos, aos monges e ao povo espalhados por Alexandria,
Egito, Lbia e Pentpolis.
NS estamos convencidos de que a fonte e o sustentculo de nossa soberania, sua fora
e inexpugnvel defesa, aquela nica e verdadeira f que, por inspirao de Deus, foi
publicada pelos 318 santos padres reunidos em Nicia e confirmada pelos 150 santos
padres que, de modo semelhante, se reuniram em conclio em Constantinopla. Por isso,
nos esforamos noite e dia por todos os meios, por orao, por aes corajosas, por
legislao, a fim de promover em toda parte o crescimento da santa Igreja Catlica e
Apostlica, a imaculada e imortal me de nosso reino, para que os leigos piedosos,
permanecendo em paz e harmonia com Deus, possam juntamente com os bispos,

ternamente amados por Deus, com o piedosssimo clero, os arquimandritas e os monges,

oferecer seu sacrifcio aceitvel em favor de nossa soberania. Visto que o nosso grande
Deus e Salvador Jesus Cristo, que se encarnou e nasceu de Maria, a santa Virgem e
Genitora de Deus, aprova e prontamente aceita nosso culto e servio harmonioso, o
poder de nossos inimigos ser superado e disperso, e as bnos da paz, do tempo
favorvel e de colheitas abundantes, assim como tudo que vem em benefcio do homem,
nos ser liberalmente concedido.
Por conseguinte, visto que a f irrepreensvel a nossa defesa e a do Imprio Romano,
recebemos peties de piedosos arquimandritas e eremitas, suplicando com lgrimas
que as igrejas sejam restauradas na unidade, que sejam reunidos os membros que o
inimigo de todo o bem desde o princpio tentou por todos os meios separar uns dos
outros, sabendo que ser derrotado se atacar quando o corpo estiver todo reunido. Com
efeito, das inumerveis geraes que o tempo levou desta vida no decurso de tantos
anos, sucedeu que alguns morreram privados do banho da regenerao, enquanto outros
foram levados sem terem participado da divina comunho; alm disto, foram cometidos
inumerveis homicdios e no somente a terra mas tambm o ar ficou poludo pela
abundncia do sangue derramado. Quem no oraria para que esse estado de coisas se
transformasse em bem?
Por isto estamos ansiosos por informar-vos que nem ns, nem as igrejas atravs do
mundo, temos professado, professamos ou professaremos, e nem sabemos de algum
que tenha professado qualquer outro smbolo, doutrina, definio de f ou credo a no
ser o santo smbolo supramencionado dos 318 santos padres, que foi confirmado pelos
supraditos 150 santos padres. Se algum professou outra coisa, ns o temos como
estranho. Pois estamos seguros de que somente esse smbolo a defesa de nossa
soberania, como dissemos, e todos os que desejam a iluminao salvadora somente so
batizados se aceitarem unicamente a este. Este o smbolo seguido por todos os santos
padres no Conclio de feso, quando proferiram a sentena de deposio de Nestrio e
de todos aqueles que seguiam suas opinies; ao qual Nestrio ns tambm
anatematizamos, juntamente com Eutiques e todos os que professam opinies contrrias
ao supramencionado. Ao mesmo tempo, aceitamos os Doze Captulos de Cirilo, de bemaventurada memria, arcebispo da santa e catlica igreja dos alexandrinos.
Alm disso, confessamos que o Unignito Filho de Deus, ele mesrno Deus, realmente
tomou sobre si a humanidade, nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo, e que, com respeito sua
divindade, consubstancial com o Pai, sendo, com respeito sua humanidade,
consubstancial conosco; confessamos que ele, descendo e se encarnando por obra do
Esprito Santo e da Virgem Maria, a Genitora de Deus, um s e no dois, visto
afirmarmos que pertencem a uma nica pessoa tanto os seus milagres como os seus
sofrimentos que, por sua prpria vontade, Suportou na carne; de modo algum admitimos
aqueles que fazem uma diviso ou uma confuso, ou apresentam um fantasma,
afirmando ns que sua encarnao verdadeiramente sem pecado na Genitora de Deus
no importou na adio de um Filho, j que a Santa Trindade continua a existir como
Trindade mesmo quando um membro, Deus o Verbo, se encarnou.
Sabendo, portanto, que nem a santa Igreja ortodoxa em todo o mundo, nem os
sacerdotes bem-amados de Deus que esto sua testa, nem nossa prpria soberania
admitiram ou admitem outro smbolo ou definio de f seno a santa doutrina

supramencionada, sem hesitao nos unimos a ela. Escrevemos isto para a vossa
segurana e no para vos apresentar uma nova forma de f.
Anatematizamos todo aquele que confessou ou confessa qualquer outra opinio, quer
agora, quer em outro tempo, quer em Calcednia ou em outro snodo qualquer; em
particular anatematizamos Nestrio, Eutiques e todos os que sustentam seus
ensinamentos.
Portanto, uni-vos Igreja, vossa me espiritual, e nela gozai a mesma comunho
conosco de acordo com a referida e nica definio de f, a dos 318 santos padres.
Porque a vossa me santssima, a Igreja, espera abraar-vos como seus verdadeiros
filhos e almeja por ouvir vossa voz que ela tanto ama e que por tanto tempo ficou retida.
Apressai-vos, portanto, pois assim fazendo assegurareis para vs mesmos o favor de
Nosso Senhor e Deus, Jesus Cristo, bem como a aprovao de nossa soberania.