Bishop Hefele on Pope Honorius [pp. 273-301]

1872.] VON HEFELE ON POPE HONORIUS. 295
But we have already seen (p. 292) that the Latin original
of this letter was before the Council, and that the Roman
deputies themselves investigated the point whether the Greek
translation was accurate. Hence the Sixth General Council
pronounced its judgment on the basis of the gen~~e acts.
That which is contained in these acts, viz.; a. Forbidding
the specific orthodox phrase, two enerUies; and, b. Enjoining
the specific heterodox term, one?Vill, was decidedly heretical,
sounded heretical; and these declarations, but not the ~terna
offlntb of Honorius, formed the basis of the synodical judgment.
V. M. de Margerie, Professor of Philosophy in Nancy, has
lately attempted another solution of the Honorius question, in
his" pamphlet, "Le Pape lionorius," Paris, 1870, against
Gratry. His argumentation runs thus: 1. Pope Agatho in
two letters declared that the Roman Pontiff is infallible.
2.The Sixth General Council soleitinly recognized these letters, and consequently the infallibility of the Pope. 3. Hence
it is quite impossible that the same Council should have condemned Pope Honorius as a heretic, in the proper sense of
the word.
Let us look at these points and conclusions in order:
1. In the first epistle addressed to the Emperor, which
Pope Agatho delivered to his Legates, departing for Constantinople to attend the Sixth General Council, he says: "By
the effectual protection of Peter, this his Apostolic Church
(the Roman), has never deflected from the way of truth to
have a part in any error.... For this is the rule of the
true faith (that is Duothelism, the doctrine of Two Wills),
which this spiritual Mother (the Roman Church) has vigorously held and defended in prosperity and adversity; and
this Church is proved never to have erred from the path of
apostolic tradition by the omnipotent grace of God, and never
to have submitted to heretical novelties," etc. (Mansi, I.
xi., p. 239-242).
Accordingly, Agatho claims that the Roman Church has
never lapsed into error. lie wishes to state an historical
jact, and that this steadfastucss of the Roman Church in the