The Council of Chalcedon (451) was the largest assembly that the Church had ever seen; 630 bishops met at it. It is also for all time the great touchstone of Orthodoxy in the East. Nearly all the great schisms that have cut away branches from the Eastern Church (except Nestorianism) are Monophysite, and Chalcedon condemned Monophysism. The Copts, Jacobites, Armenians, &c., are still out of communion with Constantinople, as well as with Rome, because they reject the Council of Chalcedon. We have already seen how clearly this council acknowledges the Roman Primacy (pp. 36, 37). No synod ever more entirely satisfied the conditions we require. St. Leo the Great formally asked the Emperor to summon it. He wrote to Theodosius II: "All the Churches of our parts, all bishops, with sighs and tears, beg your clemency to order a general council to meet in Italy."[1] Theodosius died too soon (450), and Marcian (450–457), his successor, did not fix on Italy as the place for the council. But he was very conscious that in summoning the council he was obeying the Pope. He writes to St. Leo that he will do as he wishes "so that, when all impious error has been removed through the council held by your authority, a great peace may reign among all bishops of the Catholic faith."[2] St. Leo answers, asking him now to wait awhile, because at that moment wars and troubles would prevent many bishops from attending.[3] But Marcian had summoned the council to Chalcedon, just across the water opposite Constantinople, before the Pope's letter arrived. So St. Leo accepts what has happened: "Since you, out of zeal for the Catholic faith, have wished the council to take place now, I send my brother and fellow-bishop Paschasius, from that province which seems safest[4] to stand in my place, in order that I may not appear to stand in the way of your goodwill."[5] He then writes to the Fathers at Chalcedon: "The general council has come together by command of the
