<P> At the same time as these changes were taking place the Western Empire was beginning to decay rapidly . Germanic tribes, particularly the Goths, gradually conquered the western provinces . The Arian Germanic tribes established their own systems of churches and bishops in the western provinces but were generally tolerant of those who chose to remain loyal to the imperial church . </P> <P> The Council of Ephesus in 431 and the Council of Chalcedon in 451 led to the schism with Church of the East and the schism with the Miaphysite churches . The latter schism established what is today known as Oriental Orthodoxy . </P> <P> In November 448, a synod at Constantinople condemned Eutyches for unorthodoxy . An archimandrite of a large Constinapolitan monastery, Eutyches taught that Christ was not consubstantial with humanity . </P> <P> Theodosius II called a council to settle the Nestorian controversy . Eutyches was exonerated and returned to his monastery . Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, opposed use of the term Theotokos (Greek Η Θεοτόκος, "God - bearer"). This term had long been used by orthodox writers, and it was gaining popularity along with devotion to Mary as Mother of God . He reportedly taught that there were two separate persons in the incarnate Christ, though whether he actually taught this is disputed . Cyril of Alexandria charged that this teaching of Nestorius implied that there had been in fact two Jesus Christs; one Christ was a man born of the virgin Mary and the other was divine and not born but also Jesus Christ . </P>

What was the structure of the roman church prior to the fifth century