Pope also (Sixtus III, 432–440, successor of Celestin I) wrote and took steps to bring about this reconciliation. At first John would have nothing to say to it. The Eastern bishops on their way home held a synod at Tarsus in Cilicia, in which they renewed their excommunication of Cyril and his adherents. In 432 the Emperor (Theodosius II) wrote to John imploring him to make peace,[1] and to St. Simon Stylites, at that time venerated by everyone,[2] asking him to try and bring about a reconciliation. The imperial notary Aristolaus went to Antioch with the letter and found John more tractable. Then he went to Alexandria and discussed matters with Cyril. The basis of his proposals was that Cyril should not insist on his twelve anathemas (p. 63), and that John should drop Nestorius. It was on this general basis that union was at last achieved. Cyril's anathemas were felt to be harsh and offensive by many Syrian bishops; very sensibly, then, he let them be ignored, when John and his friends had agreed to an entirely sufficient and orthodox declaration. The negotiations took some time; we need not go into the details here.[3] But two points may be noted. First, throughout the discussion Cyril appears as the superior. This is right and natural for several reasons; among others, Alexandria was then the second see in Christendom, superior to Antioch the third. So it is John who approaches Cyril and offers explanations and a creed to him, which Cyril eventually accepts. Secondly, in these discussions Cyril makes it clear that he does not deny two natures in our Lord. He denies that he in any way teaches Apollinarism, he acknowledges a perfect human soul in Christ, he says that the Logos in his own nature is certainly unchanging, not subject to human conditions.[4] He explains that he never meant that our Lord's humanity came from heaven (is identified with the divinity): "One nature of the Son, that is the nature of one (μίαν φύσιν, ὡς ἑνός) yet made human
- ↑ The letter is in Hefele-Leclercq: Hist. des Conciles, ii. i. p. 385.
- ↑ St. Simon (Simeon) Stylites, †459, the most famous of the hermits who lived on a column. His column was about one day's journey from Antioch on the way to Aleppo, where the great monastery called after him (Ḳal‘at Sim‘ān) stands.
- ↑ A full account will be found in Hefele-Leclercq; loc. cit. chap. iii. pp. 378–422.
- ↑ So his letter to Acacius of Berrhœa; Mansi, v. 831.
