Chapter 3

And that it was impossible that the Confession of Cyril forsooth could be, or could even be spoken of, as the Confession of the Eastern Church, is plain, unless any one be mad, or choose to oppose the known truth. For if, as hath been said, this Cyril, who was formerly Œcumenical Patriarch, was really and truly a heretic, and himself wrote the vaunted chapters, and taught one thing publicly, but believed another in his heart, he wrote and believed against his own conscience, not against the Eastern Church, for which the Holy Spirit careth. And let not our adversaries be so stupid as to boast of a deceitful and utterly godless man (if indeed he was godless, as a mocker of God, who had one thing in his heart, but made profession of another with his mouth, trifling with what ought not to be trifled with); but if he wrote as also on behalf of the Eastern Church, what is that to us? Let him be ashamed that lieth against us, and those that give heed to what is manifestly a lie, as though it were truth.

Further, if it be most undeniably evident that it is impossible that the Confession of Cyril can be the Confession of a Patriarch of Constantinople (because lacking the characteristics belonging to Patriarchal Letters); though, perhaps, that of some crafty Cyril secretly playing the fool; it is more impossible, or rather, so to speak, altogether impossible to be, or to be spoken of as, the Confession of the Eastern Church; because, moreover, in addition to the three aforesaid characteristics of the Synodical Letters of any Patriarch, there are necessarily required the votes and signatures of the other holy Patriarchs, and generally the common consent of all the Ecclesiastics, and of others eminent for holiness and wisdom, so as not to be gainsaid by any such.

For the Eastern Church doth not give heed to, or rely upon one, or two, or more who represent a party, but not the whole; that she should be directed as they would, be they who they may, though they be the highest theologians, or be eminent for sanctity, so as to be able even to raise the dead, much less to the ambitious and deceitful, and who secretly weave, as it were, a spider’s web of trumpery bugbears; but in all the aforesaid agree closely together. For being so led she recogniseth as her teacher the Holy Spirit, and maketh a profession in nowise out of harmony with the divine word, and the Apostolical and Patriarchal traditions.

Consequently, it is plain that the Confession of Cyril cannot be the Confession of the Eastern Church; or, rather, as black is the opposite of white; and as darkness is the lack of light; so this said Confession of Cyril is opposed to, and is the negation of the divinely-inspired and evangelical truth found in the Eastern Church.