▁them ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁either ▁accept ▁the ▁decision ▁of ▁the ▁council ▁or ▁lose ▁their ▁positions . ▁Abraham ▁refused ▁to ▁entertain ▁the ▁idea . ▁The od ora ▁tried ▁to ▁persu ade ▁Justin ian ▁to ▁change ▁his ▁mind , ▁seem ingly ▁to ▁no ▁avail . ▁Abraham ▁himself ▁stated ▁in ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁his ▁mon ks ▁that ▁he ▁preferred ▁to ▁remain ▁in ▁ex ile ▁rather ▁than ▁sub scribe ▁to ▁a ▁faith ▁contrary ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁Ath anas ius . ▁They ▁were ▁not ▁alone , ▁and ▁the ▁non - Ch al ced on ▁churches ▁compose ▁Oriental ▁Orth odox y , ▁with ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁Alexand ria ▁as ▁their ▁prim us ▁inter ▁par es . ▁Only ▁in ▁recent ▁years ▁has ▁a ▁degree ▁of ▁rapp ro ch ement ▁between ▁Chal ced onian ▁Christians ▁and ▁the ▁Oriental ▁Orth odox ▁been ▁seen . ▁ ▁Oriental ▁Orth odox ▁view ▁Several ▁Oriental ▁Orth odox ▁Church ▁histor ians ▁have ▁viewed ▁the ▁Council ▁as ▁a ▁dispute ▁with ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁Rome ▁over ▁preced ence ▁among ▁the ▁various ▁patri arch al ▁sees . ▁Co ptic ▁sources ▁both ▁in ▁Co ptic ▁and ▁in ▁Arab ic , ▁suggest ▁that ▁questions ▁of ▁political ▁and ▁ecc les iast ical ▁authority ▁ex agger ated ▁differences ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁prof essions ▁of ▁faith . ▁ ▁The ▁Co pts ▁consist ently ▁rep udi ate ▁the ▁Western ▁identification ▁of ▁Alexand r ine ▁Christian ity ▁with ▁the ▁E ut ych ian ism ▁which ▁origin ated ▁in ▁Constantin ople ▁and ▁which ▁they ▁have ▁always ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁flag rant ▁her es y ▁( mon oph ys