fundamental doctrine of our faith, that " undoubtedly even the nature of God itself in the only person of the Son is incarnate, and hath taken to itself flesh." (Hooker.) In the words of Basil of Seleucia," the Virgin having brought forth God incarnate is named Theotocos.” Θεὸν σαρκωθέντα τεκοῦσα Θεοτόκος ὀνομάζεται. It is not known who first introduced the term, but it is to be met with in many of the most eminent Fathers of the Church who lived before the time of the Council of Ephesus, as Athanasius, Basil, Gregory Nazianzen, Gregory Nyssene, Eusebius, Alexander of Alexandria, Dionysius of Alexandria, Chrysostom, and others, whose words are quoted by Beveridge and by Suicer, in v. Ooróxos. Indeed it appears that Nestorius or Anastasius were the first persons who expressly denied that the Virgin might properly be called Theotocos, because they could not reconcile this title with their particular opinions respecting our Lord's incarnation. The Council of Ephesus, however, having solemnly approved of the word, it was from that time constantly used not only by Greek but also by Latin writers. In later times, indeed, the word Deipara was introduced as a translation of Theotocos, but it was not used by the earlier Latin writers, such compounds not being agreeable to the idiom of their language. They therefore retained the Greek word Theotocos, as they did the other famous Greek compound Homoousios; or if they wished to explain the term, they used the word Genitrix, which properly signifies the bringer forth, and not Mater in doing so. Peter the Deacon, "We believe rightly and according to the truth, that the Blessed Virgin is Theotocos, i. e. the bringer forth of God. (Dei genitricem.)" And Leo I. Bishop of Rome, We anathematize Nestorius, who believed the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the bringer forth (genitricem) not of God, but only of man." Ephraim of Theopolis translating these words of Leo into Greek, uses the word τng to express the Latin genitrix, and therefore says in another part of his works, that Leo was the first person who called the Holy Theotocos, Mother of God, Múτng Otov, which none of the Fathers before him had done in express words. From this it appears, as Beveridge observes, that the Greeks first called the Blessed Virgin, Theotocos; the Latins afterwards interpreted that phrase by

F

Thus

the Latin Genitrix Dei ; the Greeks then rendered the expression Genitrix Dei by Márng toũ, which being retranslated into Latin became Mater Dei, the Mother of God. To this I would add, that the expression, Mother of God, having thus originated in a mistranslation of the original word, and having, as we know, been in after ages perverted from its primary intention of an assertion of our Lord's divinity, and used to exalt the privileges of the Blessed Virgin beyond those bounds within which (blessed and highly to be honoured as she is) they ought to be confined; and being on this account likely to give offence, and lead to error, it seems desirable that it should be avoided, and that either the original word Theotocos should be retained, or some such rendering as that of, The bringer-forth of God, be adopted in its stead. vid. Suicer in voce seróxos, and Pearson on the third Article of the Creed.

THE CANONS OF THE COUNCIL OF EPHESUS.

The Introduction from the Acts of the Council.

The Canons of the 200 holy and blessed Fathers, who assembled at Ephesus.

The holy and Ecumenical Synod which was assembled at Ephesus by the decree of our most religious Sovereign, to the Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons, and all the people, in every Province.

When we were assembled in the Metropolis of Ephesus, according to the religious decrees of the Emperors, certain persons, a little more than thirty in number, separated from us, having for the leader of their schism, John, Bishop of Antioch, whose names are as follows. First, the said John, Bishop of Antioch in Syria, John, Bishop of Damascus, Alexander of Apamæa, Alexander of Hierapolis, Himerius of Nicomedia, Fritilas of Heraclea, Helladius of Tarsus, Maximin of Anazarbus, Dorotheus of Marcianopolis, Paul of Emissa, Polychronius of Heracleopolis, Eutherius of the Tyanen

sians, Meletius of Neocæsarea, Theodoret of Cyrus, Apringius of Chalcedon, (al.. Chalcis,) Macarius of Laodicea Magna, Zosys of Esbuns, Sallustius of Corycus in Cilicia, Hesychius of Castabala in Cilicia, Valentinus of Mutoblaca, Eustathius of Parnassus, Philip of Theodosiopolis, Daniel, and Decianus, and Julian, and Cyril, and Olympius, and Diogenes, and Palladius, Theophanes of Philadelphia, Tatian of Augusta, Aurelius of Irenopolis, Museus of Aradus, Helladius of Ptolemais. These having no privilege of ecclesiastical communion, nor any priestly authority wherewith to injure or benefit any one, inasmuch as some of them were already deposed, and all shewed most clearly that they were favourable to the sentiments of Nestorius and Celestius, since they did not choose to join in our decree against Nestorius, were deposed by the common decree of the holy Synod from all ecclesiastical communion, (see note on 16th Nicene Canon,) and all their priestly power taken away from them, by which they might have injured or benefited any one.

CANON I. But forasmuch as it is needful that those who failed to attend the holy Synod, for some cause, ecclesiastical or bodily, should not be ignorant of the things which were established in it, we make known to your Holiness and Love, that if any Metropolitan of a Province, having separated from the holy and Ecumenical Synod, has joined himself to the schismatical assembly (1), or shall hereafter so join himself; or has adopted or shall adopt the sentiments of Celestius (2), he may by no means do any thing contrary to the Bishops of the Province, being now, and from henceforth, entirely cast off from all ecclesiastical communion

by the Synod, and being deprived of all his powers of office and he shall be altogether subject to the Bishops of the Province, and to the neighbouring Metropolitans, who hold orthodox sentiments, and be degraded from his episcopal rank.

II. If any of the provincial Bishops failed to attend the holy Synod, and have joined the schismatical assembly, or attempted to join it, or if any having subscribed to the deposition of Nestorius, have gone off to the schismatical assembly, such persons, according to the decree of the holy Synod, are to be entirely removed from the Priesthood, and to be put down from their rank.

III. If however any of the Clergy in any city or place which is under Nestorius or his adherents, have been hindered in their sacred functions on account of their right opinions, we have thought it just that they should obtain again their proper rank. But, generally, we order the Clergy who agree in opinion with the orthodox and Ecumenical Synod, not to submit in any way to those Bishops who either have joined the separation, or shall do so.

IV. But if any of the Clergy shall fall off, and dare, either privately or publicly, to assent to the opinions of Nestorius or Celestius, it has been decided as right by the holy Synod, that they should be deposed.

V. But if any have been condemned for their wrong practices by the holy Synod, or by their own Bishops, and Nestorius and those of his party have attempted, or may attempt uncanonically, and according to his way of doing all things indifferently, to restore them either to communion, or to their rank, the Synod has decided it to be right that they should derive no benefit, but should continue not the less deposed from their order.

VI. In like manner if any persons desire to disturb in any way whatever the things which have been done respecting any matter in the holy Synod of Ephesus, the holy Synod has determined, that, if they are Bishops or Clergymen, they shall forfeit their rank, but if they are laymen, they shall be excluded from communion.

VII. These things having been read, the holy Synod has determined that no person shall be allowed to bring forward, or to write, or to compose any other Creed besides that which was settled by the holy Fathers who were assembled in the city of Nicæa, with the Holy Ghost. But those who shall dare to compose any other Creed, or to exhibit or produce any such to those who wish to turn to the acknowledgment of the truth, whether from Heathenism, or Judaism, or any heresy whatsoever, if they are Bishops or Clergymen, they shall be deposed, the Bishops from their episcopal office, and the Clergymen from the Clergy; but if they are of the laity, they shall be anathematized. In like manner, if any, whether Bishops or Clergymen, shall be discovered either holding or teaching the things contained in the exposition which was exhibited by the Presbyter Charisius (1) concerning the incarnation of the onlybegotten Son of God, or the impious and profane doctrines of Nestorius, which have been put down, they shall be subjected to the sentence of this holy and Ecumenical Synod; so that if it be a Bishop who does so, he shall be removed from his Bishopric, and be deposed; and in like manner if a Clergyman, he shall forfeit his clerical rank; but if he be a layman, he shall be anathematized, as has before been said.

VIII. The most beloved of God, and our fellow Bishop Rheginus (1), and Zeno and Euagrius, the most