Discourse against Nestorius delivered after seven bishops had joined Saint Mary

St. Cyril of Alexandria owns 8 homilies, pronounced in Ephesus in the summer of 431 during the Third Ecumenical Council and preserved as part of the council’s acts. The conversations are anti-Nestorian in nature. They touch upon questions of dogmatic content: St. Cyril expounds the doctrine of the Incarnation, the Face of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, and also concerns the events that took place at the Council. Presented in this publication, “Conversation against Nestorius delivered after seven bishops joined St. Mary” is the 4th of the “Ephesian” homilies of the saint, which he delivered after the condemnation of Nestorius. This is the most famous Mother of God homily in the ancient Church. The title of the conversation sparked controversy about the timing and circumstances of its delivery. Researchers believe that the words “how seven bishops joined St. Mary” were not originally in the title and were added later. In the introduction of St. Cyril calls the Blessed Virgin “an unquenchable lamp, the crown of virginity, the scepter of Orthodoxy, the indestructible church, the receptacle of the Incontainable.” Some of these expressions were subsequently included in the Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos. Those. when seven bishops who had previously favored Nestorius, leaving him, went over to the Orthodox, who usually gathered in the church called St. Mary, or Mother of God Mary I see a bright gathering of all the saints, hastily gathered at the call of the Holy Mother of God and the Ever-Virgin Mary. Therefore, although I was in great sadness, this presence of the holy fathers changed my sadness into joy. Today the sweet saying of the hymnist David has been fulfilled over us: Behold, be it good or be good, but let the brethren live together (Psalm 13:1). So we bless you, holy mystical Trinity, who has called us all to this church of the Mother of God Mary. We bless you, Mother of God Mary, venerable treasure of the whole world, unquenchable lamp, crown of virginity, scepter of Orthodoxy, indestructible church, container of the Incontainable, mother and virgin; through you he who comes in the name of the Lord is called blessed in the holy gospels. We bless you, who contained the Inconceivable in your holy virgin womb; through you the Holy Trinity is revered and glorified, through you the honorable cross is revered and worshiped throughout the entire universe, through you heaven triumphs, angels and archangels rejoice, demons are scattered, through you the tempter the devil fell from heaven, through you fallen creation is raised to heaven, through you all creation subjected to idolatry is brought to the knowledge of the truth, through you Holy baptism is communicated to believers, by you the oil of joy, by you the Churches have been established throughout the entire universe, by you the pagans are brought to repentance. But why say too much? Through you the Only Begotten Son of God shone, the light of those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, through you the prophets prophesied, through you the apostles preached salvation to the pagans, through you the dead rise, through you kings reign, by the power of the Holy Trinity. But which of the people could duly praise the most praiseworthy Mary? The womb is virgin. Wonderful thing! This miracle leaves me in amazement. Who ever heard of a builder who had built his own house being forbidden to inhabit it? Who is subject to reproach for elevating his own slave to the dignity of a mother? And now everyone rejoices: the sea, having recognized its fellow slaves, submitted, and the passage of the saints pacified the furious raging waves. For the rebellious servant remembered the voice of the Savior, saying: Be silent, cease (Mark 4:39). The land, once devastated by robbers, was also pacified by the path of the (holy) fathers. For how red are the feet of those who bring good news of peace (Rom. 10:15). What world? Our Lord Jesus, whom Mary gave birth to, as He himself willed. However, why should I carefully study the Scriptures, and not philosophize in the simplicity of my heart, in accordance with it? Will you point out to me the denial of the Jews? “But the prophets have long pronounced a solemn verdict on them as murderers of Christ, and that is why they renounced Christ. Will you point out the bitter illness of Arius? - But he was infected with the destructive desire of the highest (episcopal) department. Will you finally point out the Hellenic debauchery, their inglorious and godless wisdom? But this was a consequence and a sign of their ignorance. And there’s a lot to say! He (Nestorius) surpassed every nation that walked in wicked ways with his lewdness. For the pagans, for the most part, dishonor God against God unintentionally, out of ignorance of the Scriptures, and he, having all the Scriptures at hand, and still occupied, it seems, with the nonsense of magic (I dare say this too), did not openly turn to the inspired Scriptures, but had in mind gold and silver. Blinded and darkened by the mania of blasphemy, you excommunicated yourself from the throne and excluded yourself from the list of brethren, without recognizing or honoring the One who gave you the lot of the bishopric. Have you not been convinced by Paul, who says: If an angel from heaven brings you good news rather than with good news, let him be accursed (Gal. 1:8)? And if Paul didn’t stop your vain wisdom, couldn’t Isaiah stop you when he said: “Behold, the virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and they will call his name Immanuel, as it is said: God is with us” (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14)? And if he could not (keep you from wicked wisdom) - since your mind is infected with terrible evil wisdom - at least listen to the demons who cry: what is the Son of God to us and to you? Thou hast come before the time to torment us (Matthew 8:29). Who advised you to preach such empty thoughts? Who was infected with this strange disease along with you? Aren't you afraid to liken God to the Persian kingdom? Are you not ashamed to overthrow the traditions of the fathers and evangelists and prophets? Having imagined to be in charge of all the churches, you did not remember the One who raised you from the dirt to heavenly heights. Caring for created things, you did not know the Creator, planning to disturb the universe with evil thoughts, insulting the church of God and wanting to divide the One born of the Virgin Mary, introducing into the world evil 281 dogmas and ardent hatred, which neither ceases nor is revealed, you even decided, uninvited, having prematurely become an imitator of Belial, you decided to entangle the emperor in the nets of your wicked thoughts, a champion of Orthodoxy and a worshiper of the consubstantial Trinity, by which he firmly reigns, by which he crushes hostile nations, and by which he maintains peace in the world. It was him through your insidious speeches that you decided to make him an apostate. You also wanted to corrupt the God-loving people and scattered many fathers who lived in the silence of solitude. You were not content with destroying yourself through blasphemy, but spread blasphemous thoughts throughout the entire universe. And now the words have been fulfilled on you: the sinner ties his hand in deeds (Ps. 9:17). You excommunicated the holy clergy of presbyters and deacons, who denounced your untimely frenzy and (convinced you) not to philosophize in accordance with Arius. And now I do not trample on the fallen, I do not plunge the drowning, but I overthrow the vain lies of lawless plans. Who has seen a ship that arrived safely at a calm harbor be wrecked? Who has seen that a fighter who fell on the battlefield did not get up and recover? But did we not extend a helping hand to you when you fell and failed in your faith? Let the venerable and holy Archbishop of the great Rome Celestin be your witness to this, who persistently asked you through a letter to leave behind the vain and useless and unfounded teaching. (Let you be a witness of this) and our humility, since we, in short messages, urged you to listen to our words about God. But you did not heed our convictions, clothed, so to speak, in a kind of insensibility and madness, boasting of evil, as if strong, and having lawlessness in your thoughts. And plotting deceit, you became an ax wielded against yourself. And so God, about whom you were malicious, deposed you and uprooted your root from the land of the living, because you did not know how to think about God. But enough of what we have said to reprove him. God is the judge and rewarder of each according to his deeds (Rom. 2:6). As for ourselves, let us reverently honor and humbly confess the unity (that is, between the Divinity and humanity in Christ), obey the most God-loving emperor, submit to the principalities and powers, and with fear and trembling honor and glorify the indivisible Trinity, pleasing the ever-virgin Mary, the holy church (of the Divinity) and Her Son and the immaculate bridegroom: for to Him be glory forever and ever.