Epistle of the Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Church on the Orthodox Faith (1723).

20.09.2019

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The Nativity Epistle of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to archpastors, pastors, monastics and all the faithful children of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Beloved in the Lord archpastors, honorable elders and deacons, God-loving monks and nuns, dear brothers and sisters!

I sincerely congratulate all of you on the great holiday of the Nativity of Christ: the holiday of birth in the flesh from the Holy Spirit and the Most Pure Virgin Mary, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now we call on all people, together with the Church, to glorify the Creator and Creator with the words: "Sing to the Lord, all the earth"(irmos of the 1st canon of the Nativity of Christ).

The All-good God, who loves His creation, sends the Only Begotten Son - the long-awaited Messiah, so that He would accomplish the work of our salvation. Son of God, living in the bosom of the Father(John 1:18), becomes the Son of Man and comes into our world to deliver us with His blood from sin and so that the sting of death no longer frightens man.

We know that the wise men who worshiped Christ brought Him gifts. What gift can we bring to the Divine Teacher? The one about which He Himself asks us: "Give your heart to me, and let your eyes watch my ways"(Prov. 23:26). What does it mean to give your heart? The heart is a symbol of life. If it stops beating, the person dies. To give your heart to God is to devote your life to Him. This dedication does not require us to surrender everything we have. We are called only to remove from the heart that which hinders God's presence in it. When all thoughts are occupied only with their own "I", when there is no place in the heart for a neighbor, then there is no place for the Lord in it. The presence of a neighbor in the heart depends primarily on our ability to experience the pain of another person and respond to it with deeds of mercy.

The Lord requires us watch his ways... Observing the ways of God means seeing the Divine presence in your life and in human history: to see the manifestations of both Divine love and His righteous anger.

The past year in the life of our people was filled with memories of the tragic events of the 20th century and the beginning of the persecution of faith. We recalled the feat of the new martyrs and confessors, who steadfastly testified to their devotion to Christ. But even at this terrible time for the country, the Lord showed us His mercy: after a forced two-hundred-year break, the Patriarchate was restored in the Russian land, and the Church in a difficult time of trials found in the person of St. Tikhon, chosen by the Primate, a wise and courageous pastor, whose fervent prayers before the throne Our Church and people were able to pass through the crucible of trials of the Most High Creator.

Now we are going through a special period: sorrows have not left the world, every day we we hear about wars and rumors of war(Matthew 24: 6). But how much of God's love is poured out on the human race! The world exists in spite of the forces of evil, and human love, family values - in spite of incredible efforts to finally destroy, desecrate and pervert them. Faith in God is alive in the hearts of most people. And our Church, despite decades of persecution in the recent past and the mechanisms that have been launched to undermine its authority in the present, has been, remains and will always be a place of meeting with Christ.

We believe that, having gone through the current trials, the peoples of historical Russia will preserve and renew their spiritual unity, become materially prosperous and socially prosperous.

The Nativity of Christ is the central event in human history. People have always sought God, but in all the fullness possible for us, the Creator revealed Himself - the Triune God - to the human race only through the incarnation of the Only Begotten Son. He comes to a sinful earth in order to make people worthy of the grace of the Heavenly Father and to lay a solid foundation for the world, commanding: "Peace I leave to you, My peace I give to you"(John 14:27).

May this year be a peaceful and prosperous year for our people, for the peoples of historical Russia and all the peoples of the earth. May the Divine Infant, born in Bethlehem, help us find hope that overcomes fear, and through faith to feel the power of Divine love that transforms human life.

about the Orthodox faith (1723)

His Holiness of the new Rome of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch Jeremiah, His Beatitude Patriarch of the City of God of Antioch Athanasius, His Beatitude Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem Chrysanthus, and the Most Reverend Bishops, i.e. Metropolitans, Archbishops and Bishops, and all Christian Eastern Orthodox clergy to those who exist in Great Britain, to the glorious and beloved Archbishops and Bishops in Christ, and to all their most venerable Clears, we wish every blessing and salvation from God.

Your Scripture, in the form of a small book, with which you, for your part, respond to our previously sent answers to you, we received. Having learned from it about your good health, about your zeal and respect for our Eastern Holy Church of Christ, we rejoiced greatly, having accepted, as it should, your pious and good intention, your care and zeal for the unification of the Churches: such unity is the affirmation of the faithful; They are pleased with the Lord and our God Jesus Christ, who, as a sign of communion with Himself, set for His sacred Disciples and Apostles mutual love, harmony and like-mindedness.

So, at your request, we now briefly answer you that, having read carefully your last epistle, we understood the meaning of what was written and have nothing more to say about it, except what we have already said before, setting out our opinion and the teaching of our Eastern Church ; and now we say the same to all the proposals you sent to us, i.e. that our dogmas and teachings of our Eastern Church have been studied even anciently, correctly and piously defined and approved by the Holy and Ecumenical Councils; it is not permissible to add to or subtract from them. Therefore, those who wish to agree with us in the Divine dogmas of the Orthodox faith must, with simplicity, obedience, without any research and curiosity, follow and submit to everything that has been determined and decreed by the ancient tradition of the Fathers and approved by the Holy and Ecumenical Councils since the time of the Apostles and their successors, the God-giving Fathers of our Church. ...

Although these answers are enough for what you are writing about; however, for a more complete and indisputable certification, behold, we are sending you in the most extensive form an exposition of the Orthodox Faith of our Eastern Church, adopted after careful study at the Council, which was long ago (1672 AD), called Jerusalem; which exposition was subsequently published in Greek and Latin in Paris in 1675, and, perhaps, at the same time reached you, and you have it. From it you can learn and undoubtedly comprehend the pious and Orthodox way of thinking of the Eastern Church; and if you agree with us, being satisfied with the teaching that we have now expounded, you will be one with us in everything, and there will be no division between us. As for other church customs and ordinances, before the sacred rites of the Liturgy, even this, with the unity accomplished with God's help, can be easily and conveniently corrected. For it is known from church history books that some customs and ordinances in various places and churches have been and are changing; but the unity of the Faith and the unity of mind in the dogmas remain unchanged.

May the Lord and Providence of all God grant, "Who wants all people to be saved and achieve the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2: 4), so that judgment and research about this would take place in accordance with His Divine will, to the soulful and salvific assertion in Vera.

This is what we believe and how we think - Eastern Orthodox Christians.

We believe in the One true God, the Almighty and Infinite - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: the unborn Father, the Son born of the Father before ever, the Holy Spirit, from the Father proceeding, the Father and the Son of the consubstantial. These three Persons (Hypostases) in a single being we call the All-Holy Trinity, always blessed, glorified and worshiped from all creation.

We believe that Divine and Holy Scripture is inspired by God; therefore, we must believe him unquestioningly, and, moreover, not in our own way, but exactly as the Catholic Church explained and betrayed it. For the superstition of heretics also accepts Divine Scripture, only misleading it, using allegorical and similarly meaningful expressions and tricks of human wisdom, merging that which cannot be merged, and playing with such objects as a child that cannot be joked. Otherwise, if everyone began to explain Scripture every day in his own way, then the Catholic Church would not have remained, by the grace of Christ, a Church that, being of one mind in faith, always believes equally and unshakably, but would be divided into countless parts, would be subjected to heresies. and at the same time it would cease to be a holy Church, a pillar and an affirmation of truth, but would become the church of the crafty, that is, as it should be assumed without a doubt, the church of heretics, who are not ashamed to learn from the Church, and then lawlessly reject it. Therefore, we believe that the testimony of the Catholic Church is no less powerful than the Divine Scripture. Since the culprit of both is the same Holy Spirit, it is all the same whether you learn from Scripture or from the Universal Church. A person who speaks for himself can sin, deceive and be deceived; but the Universal Church, since she never spoke and does not speak from herself, but from the Spirit of God (which she incessantly has and will have as her Teacher to the eternity), can in no way sin, nor deceive, nor be deceived; but, like Divine Scripture, it is infallible and has everlasting importance.

We believe that the all-good God predestinated those whom He chose from eternity to glory; and those whom He rejected, those He gave up to condemnation, not because, however, that He wanted to thus justify some, and leave others and condemn without reason; for this is unusual for God, the common and impartial Father, who “wants all people to be saved and to attain the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2: 4), but because He foresaw that some would use their free will well, and others badly; therefore he predestined some to glory, and condemned others. We argue about the use of freedom as follows: because the goodness of God has bestowed Divine and enlightening grace, which we also call anticipatory, which, like the light that enlightens those who walk in darkness, guides everyone; then those who wish to freely submit to her (for she helps those who seek her, and not those who oppose her), and to fulfill her commands, which are necessary for salvation, therefore receive special grace, which, helping, strengthening and constantly improving them in the love of God, i.e. ... in those good deeds that God requires of us (and which was also required by the anticipatory grace), justifies them and makes them predetermined; those, on the contrary, who do not want to obey and follow grace and therefore do not keep the commandments of God, but, following the suggestions of Satan, abuse their freedom given to them by God so that they willfully do good - indulge in eternal condemnation.

But what the blasphemous heretics say, that God predetermines or condemns, no matter how much in spite of the deeds of the predetermined or condemned, we regard this as folly and wickedness; for then Scripture would contradict itself. It teaches that every believer is saved by faith and by his works, and at the same time presents God as the only culprit of our salvation, because that is, He first gives enlightening grace, which gives man the knowledge of Divine truth and teaches him to conform to it (if he does not resist) and to do good, pleasing to God, in order to receive salvation, not destroying the free will of man, but leaving it to obey or disobey its action. Is it not folly, after this, to assert without any reason that the Divine will is the fault of the misfortune of the condemned? Doesn't this mean uttering a terrible slander against God? Doesn't this mean to utter terrible injustice and blasphemy against heaven? God has no part in any evil, equally desires salvation for everyone, He has no place for partiality; why we confess that He justly gives condemnation to those who remain in wickedness by their corrupted will and unrepentant heart. But we have never, never called and will not call the culprit of eternal punishment and torment, as it were, man-hating, God, Who Himself pronounced that joy is in heaven about a single sinner who repents. We never dare to believe or think in this way, as long as we have consciousness; and those who say and think so, we give eternal anathema and recognize the worst of all infidels.

We believe that the Trinitarian God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the Creator of everything visible and invisible. By the name of the invisible we mean the Angelic Forces, intelligent souls and demons (although God did not create demons as they later became by their own will); and we call the heavens visible and everything under heaven. Since the Creator is essentially good, therefore, everything that He alone created, created beautiful, and never wants to be the Creator of evil. If there is in a person or in a demon (because we simply do not know evil in nature) some kind of evil, i.e. sin contrary to the will of God, then this evil comes either from a person or from the devil. For this is absolutely true and is not subject to any doubt that God cannot be the culprit of evil, and that therefore perfect justice requires not to attribute it to God.

We believe that everything that exists, visible and invisible, is governed by Divine Providence; however, evil, like evil, God only foresees and permits, but does not provide for it, since He did not create it. And the evil that has already happened is directed to something useful by the supreme goodness, which itself does not create evil, but only directs it to the best, as far as possible. We must not test, but revere the Divine Providence and His hidden and untested destinies. However, what is revealed to us about this in Holy Scripture, as pertaining to eternal life, we must prudently investigate and, along with the first concepts of God, take for certain.

We believe that the first man, created by God, fell in paradise at the time when he listened to the commandment of God, following the insidious advice of the serpent, and that from here the ancestral sin spread successively to all posterity so that there is not one of those born in the flesh who is free I was from that burden and did not feel the consequences of the fall in real life. And we do not call sin itself a burden and a consequence of the fall, such as: impiety, blasphemy, murder, hatred and everything else that comes from an evil human heart, contrary to the will of God, and not from nature; (for many Forefathers, Prophets and countless others, both in the Old and in the New Testament, men, also the divine Forerunner and mainly the Mother of God the Word and the Ever-Virgin Mary, were not involved in both this and other similar sins), but the inclination to sin and those calamities with which Divine justice punished a person for his disobedience, such as: exhausting labors, sorrows, bodily infirmities, birth diseases, a difficult life for some time on the land of wandering, and finally bodily death.

We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is our only Intercessor, Who gave Himself for the redemption of all, who became by His own blood the reconciliation of man with God and remains the guardian Protector of His followers and the propitiation for our sins. We also confess that the Saints intercede for us in prayers and petitions to Him, and most of all the Immaculate Mother of the Divine Word, also our Holy Guardian Angels, Apostles, Prophets, Martyrs, Righteous and all whom He glorified as His faithful servants, to whom we reckon Bishops, priests, as standing by the holy altar, and righteous men, known for their virtue. For we know from Scripture that we must pray for one another, that the prayer of the righteous can do much, and that God listens more to the Saints than to those who remain in sins. We also confess that the saints are mediators and intercessors for us before God, not only here, during their stay with us., But even more after death, when after the destruction of the mirror (which the Apostle mentions) in all clarity contemplate the Holy Trinity and the infinite her light. For just as we do not doubt that the Prophets, while still in a mortal body, saw the things of heaven, which is why they predicted the future, so surely we not only do not doubt, but also firmly believe and confess that the Angels and Saints, who became as if Angels, in the infinite light of God, see our needs.

We believe that the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ has exhausted himself, that is, he took on himself in his own Hypostasis human flesh, conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary from the Holy Spirit, and became human; that He was born without sorrow and illness of His Mother in the flesh and without breaking Her virginity - suffered, was buried, rose in glory on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father, and the pack will come, as we expect, to judge the living and the dead.

We believe that no one can be saved without faith. By faith we call our right conception of God and divine objects. Prompted by love, or, what is all the same, the fulfillment of the Divine commandments, it justifies us through Christ, and without it it is impossible to please God.

Because, among other impious opinions, the heretics also argued that a simple Priest and a Bishop are equal, that one can be without a Bishop, that several Priests can govern the Church, that not one Bishop can ordain a Priest, but also a Priest and several Priests can to consecrate a Bishop - and disclose that the Eastern Church shares this delusion with them; then we, in accordance with the opinion that has prevailed in the Eastern Church since ancient times, confirm that the title of Bishop is so necessary in the Church that without it neither the Church, the Church, nor a Christian can not only be, but even be called a Christian. - For the Bishop, as the successor of the apostolic, by the laying on of hands and invoking the Holy Spirit, having received the power successively given to him from God to decide and knit, is a living image of God on earth and, by the sacred power of the Holy Spirit, an abundant source of all the Sacraments of the Universal Church, by which salvation is acquired. We believe that the Bishop is as necessary for the Church as breath is for man and the sun is for the world. Therefore, some in praise of the episcopal dignity say well: "That God is in the Church of the firstborn in heaven and the sun in the world is each Bishop in his private Church; so that by him the flock is illuminated, warmed and made the temple of God." - that the great sacrament and title of the Bishopric has passed to us successively, this is obvious. For the Lord, who promised to be with us to the eternity, although he is with us under other images of grace and Divine benefits, but through the sacred rite the Episcopal communicates with us in a special way, abides and unites with us through the sacred Sacraments, which are the first performer and priest, in power Spirit, there is a Bishop, and does not allow us to fall into heresy.

Therefore, St. John Damascene, in his fourth letter to the Africans, says that the Ecumenical Church was in general entrusted to the Bishops; that Peter's successors are recognized: in Rome - Clement the first Bishop, in Antioch - Euodius, in Alexandria - Mark; that Saint Andrew installed Stachius on the throne of Constantinople; in the great Holy City of Jerusalem, the Lord made Jacob the Bishop, after whom there was another Bishop, and after him another, and so even before us. That is why Tertullian, in a letter to Papian, calls all the Bishops the successors of the Apostles. Eusebius Pamphilus and many of the Fathers also testify to their succession, Apostolic dignity and power, it would be superfluous to list, equally common and ancient custom of the Ecumenical Church. It is also obvious that the episcopal dignity differs from the dignity of a simple Priest. For a Priest is ordained by a Bishop, and a Bishop is ordained not by Priests, but, according to the Apostolic rule, by two or three Bishops. Moreover, the Priest is elected by the Bishop, and the Bishop is elected not by the Priests or Presbyters or by the secular authorities, but by the Cathedral of the highest Church of the region where the city for which the ordained person is appointed is located, or at least the Cathedral of that region. where the Bishop should be.

Sometimes, however, the whole city also elects; but not simply, but presents his election to the Council; and if it turns out to be in accordance with the rules, then the chosen one is produced through the episcopal ordination through the invocation of the Holy Spirit.

Besides this, the Priest accepts the power and grace of the Priesthood only for himself, while the bishop transfers this to others. The first, having received the Priesthood from the Bishop, performs only holy baptism with prayers, performs a bloodless sacrifice, distributes to the people the holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, anoints those who are baptized with holy peace, crowns those who are piously and legally entering into marriage, prays for the sick, for salvation and bringing into the knowledge of the truth of all people, but mainly about the forgiveness and forgiveness of sins to the Orthodox, living and dead, and, finally, since he is distinguished by knowledge and virtue, then, according to the power given to him by the bishop, he teaches those of the Orthodox who come to him, showing them the way to receive the Kingdom of Heaven and delivered by the preacher of the Holy Gospel. But the Bishop, in addition to doing all this (for he, as it is said, is the source of Divine sacraments and gifts by the power of the Holy Spirit), alone exclusively performs the holy myrrh, to him only one has learned dedication in all degrees and positions of the Church; he especially and predominantly has the power to knit and decide and create, according to the commandment of the Lord, a judgment pleasing to God; he preaches the Holy Gospel and affirms the Orthodox in the Faith, but he excommunicates the disobedient, like pagans and publicans, from the Church, while he consigns heretics to eruption and anathema, and lays down his soul for the sheep. This reveals the indisputable difference between a Bishop and a simple Priest, and together with the fact that, except for him, all the Priests in the world cannot shepherd the Church of God and completely rule it. But it was rightly noted by one of the Fathers that it is not easy to find a reasonable person among the heretics; because, leaving the Church, they are abandoned by the Holy Spirit, and there remains in them neither knowledge nor light, but darkness and blindness. For if this had not happened to them, then they would not have rejected the most obvious, such as, for example, the truly great sacrament of the Bishopric, which Scripture speaks of, the Church history and the scriptures of the Saints mention, and which has always been recognized and confessed by the entire Ecumenical Church.

We believe that the members of the Catholic Church are all faithful, i.e. undoubtedly all professing the pure Faith of the Savior Christ (which we received from Christ Himself, from the Apostles and Holy Ecumenical Councils), at least some of them were subject to various sins. For if the faithful but sinners were not members of the Church, they would not be subject to her judgment. But she judges them, calls them to repentance and leads them on the path of saving commandments; and therefore, in spite of the fact that they are subjected to sins, they remain and are recognized as members of the Catholic Church, so long as they do not become apostates and adhere to the Catholic and Orthodox Faith.

We believe that the Holy Spirit teaches the Catholic Church, for He is the true Comforter whom Christ sends from the Father in order to teach the truth and drive away darkness from the minds of the faithful. The Holy Spirit teaches the Church through the Holy Fathers and teachers of the Catholic Church. For, as all Scripture, admittedly, is the Word of the Holy Spirit, not because He spoke it directly, but spoke in it through the Apostles and Prophets; in the same way, the Church learns from the Life-Giving Spirit, but not otherwise than through the intermediary of the Holy Fathers and teachers (whose rules are recognized by the Holy Ecumenical Councils, which we will not cease to repeat); why we are not only convinced, but also undoubtedly confess, as a firm truth, that the Catholic Church cannot sin or err and speak lies instead of truth; for the Holy Spirit, always working through the faithful serving Fathers and teachers of the Church, protects her from all error.

We believe that a person is justified not simply by faith alone, but by faith promoted by love, i.e. through faith and deeds. Let us acknowledge the completely impious thought that faith, replacing works, acquires justification in Christ; for faith in this sense could befitting everyone, and there would not be one unsaved, which is obviously false. On the contrary, we believe that it is not the specter of only faith, but the faith that exists in us through works justifies us in Christ. We regard deeds not only as a testimony confirming our vocation, but also as fruits that make our faith active and can, according to the Divine promise, deliver everyone a well-deserved reward, good or bad, depending on what he has done with his body.

We believe that a person who has fallen through a crime has become like dumb cattle, that is, he has become darkened and has lost perfection and dispassion, but has not lost the nature and strength that he received from the All-good God. For otherwise he would have become unreasonable, and, consequently, not a man; but he has the nature with which he was created, and natural strength, free, living, active, so that by nature he can choose and do good, flee and turn away from evil. And that man by nature can do good, this is also indicated by the Lord when he says that the Gentiles love those who love them, and the Apostle Paul teaches very clearly (Rom. 1:19), and in other places where he says that “Gentiles, those who do not have the law, by nature do what is lawful. " Hence it is obvious that the good done by man cannot be sin; for good cannot be evil. Being natural, it makes a person only spiritual, not spiritual, and alone, without faith, does not contribute to salvation, but it does not serve to condemnation either; for good, as good, cannot be the cause of evil. In those who have been reborn it is grace-filled, being strengthened by grace, it becomes perfect and makes a person worthy of salvation. Although a person before rebirth can by nature be inclined to good, choose and do moral good, but so that, having been reborn, he can do spiritual good (for the works of faith, being the cause of salvation and performed by supernatural grace, are usually called spiritual), for this it is necessary that grace should precede and lead, as it is said about the predestinated; so that he cannot by himself do perfect works worthy of life in Christ, but he can always be willing or unwilling to act according to grace.

We believe that there are seven Gospel Sacraments in the Church. We have neither less nor more than this number of Sacraments in the Church. The number of the Sacraments in excess of seven was invented by unreasonable heretics. The sevenfold number of the Sacraments is affirmed in Holy Scripture, as well as other dogmas of the Orthodox Faith. And firstly: Holy Baptism was given to us by the Lord in these words: "Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19); "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:16). The Sacrament of Holy Peace, or Holy Confirmation, is also based on the words of the Savior: "But you remain in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from above" (Luke 24:49), with which power the Apostles were clothed after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them. This power is communicated through the sacrament of Confirmation, about which the Apostle Paul also discusses (2 Cor. 1: 21-22), and more clearly Dionysius the Areopagite. The priesthood is based on the following words: "Do this in remembrance of Me" (1 Cor. 11:24); also: "What you bind on earth will be tied up in heaven; and what you loose on earth will be permitted in heaven" (Matthew 16:19). Bloodless Sacrifice - on the following: "Accept, eat, this is My Body .... drink from it all, this is My Blood of the New Testament" (1 Cor. 11: 24-25); "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not have life in you" (John 6:53). The sacrament of marriage has its basis in the words of God himself, said about him in the Old Testament (Gen. 2: 4); which words were confirmed by Jesus Christ, saying: "What God has united, let not man separate" (Mark 10: 9). The Apostle Paul calls marriage a great mystery (Eph. 5:32). Repentance, with which the mysterious confession is combined, is affirmed in these words of Scripture: "To whom you forgive sins, to him will be forgiven; on whom you leave, on that they will remain" (John 20:23); See also: "If you do not repent, you will all perish in the same way" (Luke 13: 3). The Evangelist Mark mentions the sacrament of the Holy Oil, or prayer Oil, the brother of God testifies more clearly (5: 14-15).

The sacraments are composed of natural (visible) and supernatural (invisible), and are not only signs of God's promises. We recognize them as instruments that must act by grace on those who come to them. But we reject, as alien to the Christian teaching, the opinion that the sacrament is performed only during the actual use (for example, eating, etc.) of an earthly thing (that is, sanctified in a sacrament; as if out of use, a thing sanctified in a sacrament and after consecration remains a simple thing). This is contrary to the sacrament of Communion, which, being established by the Most-Substantial Word and sanctified by the invocation of the Holy Spirit, is accomplished by the presence of the signified, that is, the body and blood of Christ. And the fulfillment of this sacrament of necessity precedes its use through communion. For if it had not been accomplished before communing it: then he who partakes unworthily would not eat and drink to his own judgment (1 Cor. 11:29); because he would partake of simple bread and wine. And now, having partaken unworthily, he eats and drinks judgment on himself. Consequently, the sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated not during the communion itself, but before that. In the same way, we regard as extremely false and impure the teaching that the integrity and perfection of the sacrament is violated by the imperfection of faith. For heretics, whom the Church accepts when they renounce their heresy and join the Universal Church, received perfect Baptism, although they had imperfect faith. And when they finally acquire perfect faith, they are not re-baptized.

We believe that Holy Baptism, commanded by the Lord and performed in the name of the Holy Trinity, is necessary. For without him no one can be saved, as the Lord says: "Unless one is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God" (John 3: 5). Therefore, babies also need it, for they too are subject to original sin, and without baptism they cannot receive the remission of this sin. And the Lord, showing this, said without any exception, simply: "Who will not be born ..." that is, after the coming of the Savior Christ, all who have entered the Kingdom of Heaven must be reborn. If babies need salvation, they also need baptism. And those who have not been reborn, and therefore have not received absolution in their ancestral sin, are necessarily subject to eternal punishment for that sin, and therefore are not saved. So babies need baptism. Moreover, babies are saved, as the Evangelist Matthew says, and the one who is not baptized is not saved. Consequently, babies must be baptized. And in Acts it says that all the household were baptized (16:33), and therefore babies. The ancient Church Fathers also clearly testify to this, namely: Dionysius in his book on the Church Hierarchy and Justin in question 57 says: "Infants are rewarded with the blessings given through baptism by faith of those who bring them to baptism." Augustine also testifies: "There is an Apostolic tradition that babies are saved by baptism." And in another place: "The Church gives infants the feet of others, so that they walk, hearts, so that they believe, a tongue, so that they profess." - And again: "Mother Church gives them a mother's heart." - As for the substance of the sacrament of baptism, it cannot be any other liquid except pure water. It is performed by the Priest; out of need, it can be accomplished by a simple person, but only by the Orthodox and, moreover, who understand the importance of Divine baptism. - The actions of baptism are, in short, the following: firstly, through it, absolution is granted for the sin of the ancestor and for all other sins committed by the baptized. Secondly, the baptized person is freed from the eternal punishment to which everyone is subject both for innate sin and for their own mortal sins. - Thirdly, baptism bestows blessed immortality, for, freeing people from former sins, makes them temples of God. It cannot be said that baptism does not allow for all previous sins, but that although they remain, they no longer have power. To teach in this way is an utter wickedness; it is a refutation of faith, and not a confession of it. On the contrary, every sin that exists or existed before baptism is destroyed and is considered as if it did not exist or never existed. For all the images under which baptism is represented show its cleansing power, and the sayings of Holy Scripture concerning baptism make it clear that through it perfect cleansing is given; - can be seen from the very names of baptism. If it is the baptism in the Spirit and fire, then it is obvious that it brings perfect cleansing; for the Spirit cleanses perfectly. If it is light, then all darkness is chased away by it. If it is rebirth, then everything that is old passes by; and this old is nothing but sins. If the baptized one is put off the old man, then the sin is also put off. If he puts on Christ, he actually becomes sinless through baptism; for God is far from sinners, and the Apostle Paul clearly states this: "As through the disobedience of one man many were made sinners, so by the obedience of the One many were made righteous" (Rom. 5:19). If they are righteous, then they are also free from sin; for life and death cannot abide in one and the same person. If Christ truly died, consequently, the remission of sins through the Holy Spirit is also true.

This shows that all babies who die after baptism will undoubtedly receive salvation by the power of the death of Jesus Christ. For if they are clean from sin, both from the common, because they are cleansed by Divine baptism, so also from their own, for, like children, they do not yet have their own will and therefore do not sin; then, without any doubt, they are saved. For it is impossible to re-baptize correctly once baptized, even if after this he committed a thousand sins or even rejected the faith itself. The one who wants to turn to the Lord perceives the lost sonhood through the sacrament of repentance.

We believe that the all-holy sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, which we have placed fourth above among the sacraments, is mysteriously commanded by the Lord on the night on which He gave himself up for the life of the world. For, taking bread and blessing, He gave it to His disciples and Apostles, saying: "Take, eat, this is my body." And, taking the cup, giving praise, he said: "Drink all of it: this is my blood, even for you shed for the remission of sins."

We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is present in this sacrament not symbolically, not figuratively (tipikos, eikonikos), not with an abundance of grace, as in other sacraments, not only by inspiration, as some Fathers said about baptism, and not through the penetration of bread (kat Enartismon - per impanationem), so that the Deity of the Word should be included in the bread offered for the Eucharist is essential (ipostatikos), as the followers of Luther quite unskilfully and unworthily explain; but truly and truly, so that after the consecration of bread and wine, the bread is blessed, transubstantiated, transformed, transformed into the most true body of the Lord, which was born in Bethlehem from the Ever-Virgin, was baptized in Jordan, suffered, buried, resurrected, ascended, sits at the right hand of God the Father, has to appear in the clouds of heaven; and the wine is transformed and transubstantiated into the very true blood of the Lord, which, during His suffering on the cross, was poured out for the life of the world.

We also believe that after the consecration of bread and wine, it is not the bread and wine itself that remains, but the very body and blood of the Lord under the guise and image of bread and wine.

We also believe that this most pure body and blood of the Lord are distributed and enter the mouths and womb of those who partake, both pious and ungodly. Only those who are pious and worthy receive are given remission of sins and eternal life, while those who are wicked and unworthy receive condemnation and eternal torment.

We also believe that although the body and blood of the Lord are divided and fragmented, this happens in the sacrament of communion only with types of bread and wine, in which they are both visible and tangible, but in themselves the essence is completely whole and inseparable. Why does the Ecumenical Church also say: "The fragmented, but indivisible, always poisoned and dependent on nothing, but who partakes (of course, worthily) sanctifies, is fragmented and divided."

We also believe that this body and blood of the Lord in the sacrament of the Eucharist should be given special honor and Divine worship; for how much we owe the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the same body and blood of the Lord.

We also believe that this sacrifice, both before use, immediately after consecration, and after use, kept in consecrated vessels for admonishing the dying, is the true body of the Lord, not at all indistinguishable from His body, so that both before use after sanctification, and in itself use, and after that it always remains the true body of the Lord.

We also believe that the word "transubstantiation" does not explain the image by which bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of the Lord; for this cannot be comprehended by anyone except God himself, and the efforts of those who wish to comprehend this can only be the result of folly and wickedness; but it is only shown that bread and wine, after consecration, are transferred into the body and blood of the Lord not figuratively, not symbolically, not by an excess of grace, not by the message or influx of the one Divinity of the Only Begotten, and not an accidental belonging of bread and wine is assumed to be an accidental belonging to the body and the blood of Christ by any change or mixing, but, as said above, truly, really and essentially bread is the most true body of the Lord, and wine is the very blood of the Lord.

We also believe that this sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is performed not by everyone, but only by a pious, lawful Priest who received the Priesthood from a pious and lawful Bishop, as the Eastern Church teaches. Here is an abbreviated teaching of the Ecumenical Church on the sacrament of the Eucharist; this is the true confession and the most ancient tradition, which those wishing to be saved and rejecting new and bad false wisdom of heretics should not change in any way; on the contrary, we are obliged to keep this legitimate tradition intact and intact. For those who distort this are rejected and cursed by the Catholic Church of Christ.

We believe that the souls of the dead are blissful or tormented, depending on their deeds. Separated from their bodies, they immediately pass to either joy or sorrow and sorrow; however, they feel neither perfect bliss nor perfect torment; for perfect bliss, as well as perfect torment, each will receive after the general resurrection, when the soul is united with the body in which it lived virtuously or viciously.

The souls of people who fell into mortal sins and did not despair at death, but once again before being separated from the real life of those who repented, only who did not manage to bear any fruits of repentance (which are: prayers, tears, contrition, consolation of the poor and expression in actions of love for God and neighbors that the entire Catholic Church from the very beginning recognizes God-pleasing and useful), the souls of such people descend into hell and suffer punishment for the sins they have committed, without depriving, however, of relief from them.

They receive relief by infinite goodness through the prayers of the Priests and the beneficence performed for the dead; and especially by the power of the bloodless Sacrifice, which, in particular, the clergyman brings for each Christian about his relatives, in general, for all, the Catholic and Apostolic Church brings daily.

Questions and answers

Do all reading Christians understand the Scriptures?

If all reading Christians understood the Holy Scriptures, then the Lord would not have commanded those who wish to receive salvation to experience it. Saint Paul in vain would have said that the gift of teaching was given to the Church from God; Peter would not have said that there is something incomprehensible in the letters of the Pavlovs. So, since it is clear that the Scripture contains the height and depth of thoughts, then experienced and God-enlightened people are required to test it, for true comprehension, for knowing the correct one, consistent with all Scripture and its Creator, the Holy Spirit. And although the reborn know the doctrine of faith about the Creator, about the incarnation of the Son of God, about His suffering, resurrection and ascension to heaven, about rebirth and judgment, for which doctrine many willingly endured death; but there is no need, or, better, it is impossible for everyone to comprehend what the Holy Spirit reveals only to those who are perfect in wisdom and holiness.

How should one think about holy icons and worship of the Saints?

Since there are Saints, and the Catholic Church recognizes them as representatives, therefore we honor them as friends of God, praying for us before God of all kinds. But our veneration of the Saints is twofold: one refers to the Mother of God the Word, whom we honor more than the servant of God, since the Mother of God, although truly the servant of the One God, is also the Mother, who gave birth to the fleshly One from the Trinity. Therefore, we magnify Her as the highest without comparing all the Angels and Saints, and we give worship more than what is fitting for a servant of God. Another kind of worship, decent for the servants of God, refers to the Holy Angels, Apostles, Prophets, Martyrs, and in general to all Saints. Above this, we honor with worship the tree of the honest and life-giving Cross, on which our Savior suffered for the salvation of the world, the image of the life-giving Cross, the Bethlehem manger, through which we are delivered from speechlessness, the Calvary place, the life-giving Tomb and other holy places, also the Holy Gospel, sacred vessels , in which a bloodless Sacrifice is performed, we honor and glorify the Saints with annual memories of them, nationwide festivities, the construction of holy Temples and offerings. We also worship the icons of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Most Holy Theotokos and all the Saints; we honor these icons and kiss, as well as images of the Holy Angels, as they appeared to some Patriarchs and Prophets; we depict the Holy Spirit as He appeared in the form of a dove.

If some reproach us of idolatry for worshiping holy icons, then we consider such a reproach empty and absurd; for we serve no one else, but only God, one in the Trinity. We venerate the saints in two ways. First, in relation to God, for for His sake we please the Saints; secondly, in relation to the Saints themselves, since they are living images of God. Moreover, when we honor the Saints as servants of God, we honor holy icons relatively, - honoring icons refers to archetypes; for whoever worships an icon, through the icon worships the prototype; so that in no way can one separate the celebration of the icon from the celebration of what is depicted on it; but both are in unity, just as the honor given to the king's messenger is inseparable from the honor given to the king himself.

Those passages, which opponents take from Scripture, to confirm their absurdity, do not favor them as much as they think; on the contrary, they are in perfect agreement with our opinion. For as we read Divine Scripture, we experience time, face, examples, and reasons. Therefore, if we find that one and the same God in one place says: "Do not make yourself an idol, nor likeness, but do not worship, serve them below," and in another he commands to make Cherubim; and if, moreover, we see in the temple made images of oxen and lions, we do not accept all this superstitiously (for superstition is not faith); but, as they said, considering the time and other circumstances, we come to the correct understanding. The words "Do not make yourself an idol or likeness", in our understanding, the same means that the words: do not worship alien gods, do not idolatry. - Thus, both the custom of worshiping holy icons, and the service that befits one God, kept by the Church from the times of the Apostles, will remain inviolable, and God will not contradict His words. And that our opponents refer to the Holy Fathers, who supposedly say that it is indecent to worship icons, then these holy men protect us more; because in their contests they more rebel against those who worship the holy icons Divine, or bring images of the relatives of their dead into the temples; they strike such worshipers with anathema, but do not condemn the correct worship of the Saints and holy icons, the honest Cross and all of the above. And that from the Apostolic times holy icons were used in churches, and the believers worshiped them, there are many narrating about this, along with whom the Holy Ecumenical VII Council also shames all heretical blasphemy.

Since this Council makes it clear in the clearest way how to worship holy icons, when it betrays damnation and excommunication those who worship icons Divine or call the Orthodox who worship icons, idolaters, then together with it we also anathematize those who are either Saint or An angel, or an icon, or a Cross, or relics of saints, or sacred vessels, or the Gospel, or any other thing, a tree in heaven, a mountain and a tree on earth and in the sea, are given such honor as befits one God in the Trinity. We equally anathematize those who call the worship of icons idolatry, and therefore do not worship them, do not honor the Cross and the Saints, as the Church has commanded.

We worship holy and holy icons as we said, and we draw them to decorate churches, so that they serve for the unlearned instead of books and encourage them to imitate the virtues of the Saints and remember them, help to increase love, to wakefulness and the everlasting invocation of the Lord as Lords and fathers, and the Saints, as His servants, our helpers and intermediaries.

But heretics also condemn the very prayer of the pious to God, and we do not understand why they predominantly condemn the prayer of monks. On the contrary, we are convinced that prayer is an interview with God, asking for decent blessings from God, from whom we hope to receive them; it is an ascent to God, a pious disposition directed towards God; mental search for something higher; the healing of the holy soul, service pleasing to God, a sign of repentance and firm hope. It happens either in one mind, or both in the mind and on the lips. During prayer, we contemplate the goodness and mercy of God, we feel our unworthiness, we are filled with a feeling of gratitude, we vow to continue to submit to God. Prayer strengthens faith and hope, teaches patience, keeping the commandments and especially asking for heavenly goods; it produces many fruits, the calculation of which would be superfluous; occurs at any time, either in an upright position of the body, or with kneeling. The benefit of prayer is so great that it constitutes the food and life of the soul. All that has been said is based on Holy Scripture, and the one who requires proof of this is like a madman or a blind man who doubts the light of the sun on a clear afternoon.

However, the heretics, wishing to refute everything that Christ commanded, also touched upon prayer. However, being ashamed to reveal their wickedness so clearly, they do not reject prayer at all; but on the other hand, they rebel against monastic prayers, and do this with the aim of arousing hatred of the monks in the simple-minded, presenting them as unbearable people, even objectionable and innovators, so that no one wants to learn from them the dogmas of the pious and Orthodox Faith. For the adversary is cunning in evil and skillful in matters of vanity; therefore, his followers (what these heretics really are) have no desire to engage in works of piety just as zealously as they zealously strive for the abyss of evils and are thrown down into places that the Lord does not look upon.

After that, I must ask the heretics what they say about the prayers of the monks? If heretics prove that monks are something incongruous with Orthodox Christian piety, then we will agree with them, and not only will we not call monks monks, but also Christians. If monks, with complete forgetfulness of themselves, proclaim the glory and miracles of God, ceaselessly and at all times, as much as possible, glorify the greatness of God in songs and praises, singing the words of Scripture or composing their own, consistent with Scripture, then the monks, in our opinion, carry out the work of the Apostolic, Prophetic, or, better, the work of God.

Why, when we sing the consoling songs from the Triodi and the Menaion, we do nothing that would be indecent to Christians; because all these books contain sound and true Theology and consist of songs, either chosen from the Holy Scriptures, or compiled by the inspiration of the Spirit, so that in our chants only words are different from those in Scripture, but in fact we sing the same as in Scripture , only in other words. To make sure that our hymns are composed of the words of Scripture, we place a verse of Scripture in each so-called troparion. If, afterwards, we read the prayers compiled by the ancient Fathers, then let the heretics tell us that they noticed the blasphemous and wicked among these Fathers? Then, together with the heretics, we will rise up against them. If the heretics also point to the everlasting and unceasing prayer, then what harm from such a prayer for them and for us? Let them resist (as they really resist) Christ, who told the parable of the unjust judgment precisely in order to confirm the need for unceasing prayer; Who taught to stay awake and pray in order to avoid adversity and stand before the Son of man; let them oppose the words of the Apostle Paul in the Epistle of Thessalonians (chapter 5) and many other passages of Scripture. We do not consider it necessary to turn to the testimonies of other Divine teachers of the Catholic Church, which were only from the time of Christ to us; for to shame heretics it is enough even to point to the intense prayer of the Patriarchs, Apostles and Prophets.

So, if the monks imitate the Apostles, Prophets, Holy Fathers and Forefathers of Christ Himself, then it is obvious that monastic prayers are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. As for heretics who concoct blasphemy against God and reinterpret everything Divine, distort and insult Holy Scripture, their inventions are the essence of the devil's tricks and inventions. Neither is the objection that it is impossible to prescribe to the Church abstinence from food without compulsion and violence. For the Church has done very well, having established with every care for the mortification of the flesh and passions, prayer and fasting, of which all the Saints have shown themselves to be guardians and models, and through which our adversary the devil, with the help of higher grace, is deposed with all his armies and forces, and the path that lies before the pious conveniently done. Thus, the Ecumenical Church, delving into all this, does not compel, does not make violence, but calls, exhorts, teaches what is in Scripture, and convinces by the power of the Spirit.

Jeremiah, by the grace of God, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch;
Athanasius, by the grace of God Patriarch of the great city of God Antioch;
Chrysanthus, by the grace of God Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem;
Kallinikos of Irakli;
Anthony of Kyzikisky;
Paisius of Nicomedia;
Gerasimus of Nicea;
Pachomius of Chalcedon;
Ignatius of Thessalonica;
Anfim Filippopolsky;
Kallinik of Varna.

MESSAGE OF THE PATRIARCHS OF THE EASTERN CATHOLIC CHURCH ABOUT THE ORTHODOX FAITH 1723

His Holiness of the new Rome of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch Jeremiah,

His Beatitude Athanasius, Patriarch of the City of God of Antioch,

His Beatitude Patriarch Chrysanthus of the Holy City of Jerusalem,

and the Most Reverend Bishops who are found with Us, that is, Metropolitans, Archbishops and Bishops, and the entire Christian Eastern Orthodox clergy,

To those who are in Great Britain, to the glorious and beloved Archbishops and Bishops in Christ, and to all their most venerable Clears, we wish every blessing and salvation from God.

So, at your request, we now briefly reply to you that, having read carefully your last epistle, we understood the meaning of what was written and have nothing more to say about it, except for what we have already said before, setting out our opinion and the teaching of our Eastern Church. ; and now, in response to all the proposals you have sent to us, we say the same thing, that is, that our dogmas and teachings of our Eastern Church have been studied even more anciently, correctly and piously defined and approved by the Holy and Ecumenical Councils; it is not permissible to add to or subtract from them. Therefore, those who wish to agree with us in the Divine dogmas of the Orthodox faith must, with simplicity, obedience, without any research and curiosity, follow and submit to everything that has been determined and decreed by the ancient tradition of the Fathers and approved by the Holy and Ecumenical Councils since the time of the Apostles and their successors, the God-giving Fathers of our Church. ...

May the Lord and Providence of all God grant, “Who wants all man to be saved and to come into the mind of truth” (1 Tim. 2, 4), so that judgment and research about this would take place in accordance with His Divine will, to the soulful and salvific assertion in Faith ...

This is what we believe and how we think - Eastern Orthodox Christians.

We believe in the One true God, the Almighty and Infinite - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: the unborn Father, the Son born of the Father before the ages, the Holy Spirit, from the Father proceeding, the Father and the Consubstantial Son. These three Persons (Hypostases) in a single being we call the All-Holy Trinity, always blessed, glorified and worshiped from all creation.

We believe that the all-good God predestinated those whom He chose from eternity to glory; and those whom He rejected, those He gave up to condemnation, not because, however, that He wanted to thus justify some, and leave others and condemn without reason; for this is not typical of God, the common and impartial Father, who “wants all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2, 4), but because He foresaw that some would use their free will well, while others badly; therefore he predestined some to glory, and condemned others. We argue about the use of freedom as follows: because the goodness of God has bestowed Divine and enlightening grace, which we also call anticipatory, which, like the light that enlightens those who walk in darkness, guides everyone; then those who wish to freely submit to her (for she helps those who seek her, and not those who oppose her), and to fulfill her commands, which are necessary for salvation, therefore receive special grace, which, helping, strengthening and constantly improving them in the love of God, i.e. in those good deeds that God requires of us (and which was also required by the anticipatory grace), justifies them and makes them predetermined; those, on the contrary, who do not want to obey and follow grace and therefore do not keep the commandments of God, but, following the suggestions of Satan, abuse their freedom given to them by God so that they willfully do good - indulge in eternal condemnation.

We believe that the Trinitarian God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the Creator of everything visible and invisible. By the name of the invisible we mean the Angelic Forces, intelligent souls and demons (although God did not create demons as they later became by their own will); and we call the heavens visible and everything under heaven. Since the Creator is essentially good, therefore, everything that He alone created, created beautiful, and never wants to be the Creator of evil. If there is in a person or in a demon (for we simply do not know evil in nature) some kind of evil, that is, a sin contrary to the will of God, then this evil comes either from a person or from the devil. For this is absolutely true and is not subject to any doubt that God cannot be the culprit of evil, and that therefore perfect justice requires not to attribute it to God.

We believe that everything that exists, visible and invisible, is governed by Divine Providence; however, evil, as evil, God only foresees and permits, but does not provide for it, since He did not create it. And the evil that has already happened is directed towards something useful by the supreme goodness, which itself does not create evil, but only directs it to the best, as far as possible. We must not test, but revere the Divine Providence and His hidden and untested destinies. However, what is revealed to us about this in Holy Scripture, as pertaining to eternal life, we must prudently investigate and, along with the first concepts of God, take for certain.

We believe that the first man, created by God, fell in paradise at the time when he listened to the commandment of God, following the insidious advice of the serpent, and that from here the ancestral sin spread successively to all posterity so that there is not one of those born in the flesh who is free I was from that burden and did not feel the consequences of the fall in real life. And we do not call sin itself a burden and a consequence of the fall, such as: impiety, blasphemy, murder, hatred and everything else that comes from an evil human heart, contrary to the will of God, and not from nature; (for many Forefathers, Prophets and other countless men, both in the Old and New Testaments, men, also the divine Forerunner and mainly the Mother of God the Word and the Ever-Virgin Mary, were not involved in both these sins and other similar sins), but an inclination to sin and those calamities with which Divine justice punished a person for his disobedience, such as: exhausting labors, sorrows, bodily infirmities, birth diseases, a difficult life for some time on the land of wandering, and finally bodily death.

We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is our only Intercessor, Who gave Himself for the redemption of all, who by His own blood became the reconciliation of man with God and remains the guardian Protector of His followers and the propitiation for our sins. We also confess that the Saints intercede for us in prayers and petitions to Him, and most of all the Immaculate Mother of the Divine Word, also our Holy Guardian Angels, Apostles, Prophets, Martyrs, Righteous and all whom He glorified as His faithful servants, to whom we reckon Bishops, priests, as standing by the holy altar, and righteous men, known for their virtue. For we know from Scripture that we must pray for one another, that the prayer of the righteous can do much, and that God listens more to the Saints than to those who remain in sins. We also confess that the saints are mediators and intercessors for us before God, not only here, during their stay with us., But even more after death, when after the destruction of the mirror (which the Apostle mentions) in all clarity contemplate the Holy Trinity and the infinite her light. For as we do not doubt that the Prophets, while still in a mortal body, saw the things of heaven, which is why they predicted the future, so surely we not only do not doubt, but also firmly believe and confess that Angels and Saints. who have become, as it were, Angels, see our needs in the infinite light of God.

We believe that the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ has exhausted himself, that is, he has taken on himself in his own Hypostasis human flesh, conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary from the Holy Spirit, and became human; that He was born without sorrow and illness of His Mother in the flesh and without breaking Her virginity - suffered, was buried, rose in glory on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father, and the pack will come, as we expect, to judge the living and the dead.

We believe, as we have learned to believe, in the so-called and in the thing itself, that is, the Holy, Ecumenical, Apostolic Church, which embraces everyone and everywhere, whoever they are, believers in Christ, who now, being in an earthly wandering, have not yet settled in the heavenly fatherland. But we do not at all confuse the Church that travels with the Church that has reached the fatherland, because only, as some of the heretics think, that both exist; that both of them constitute, as it were, two flocks of one Archpastor of God and are sanctified by one Holy Spirit. Such a mixture of them is inappropriate and impossible, since one is fighting and is on the way, while the other is already triumphant, has reached the fatherland and received a reward, which will follow with the entire Ecumenical Church. Since a person is subject to death and cannot be the permanent head of the Church, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, as the Head, holding the helm of the government of the Church, governs it through the Holy Fathers. For this, the Holy Spirit has appointed Bishops to private Churches, lawfully founded and lawfully composed of members, as Rulers, Pastors, Heads and Chiefs, who are such by no means out of abuse, but lawfully, indicating in these Pastors the image of the Chief and Finisher of our Salvation, so that the communities of believers under this rulership ascended by His power. Because, among other impious opinions, the heretics also argued that a simple Priest and a Bishop are equal, that one can be without a Bishop, that several Priests can govern the Church, that not one Bishop can ordain a Priest, but also a Priest and several Priests can to consecrate a Bishop - and disclose that the Eastern Church shares this delusion with them; then we, in accordance with the opinion that has prevailed in the Eastern Church since ancient times, confirm that the title of Bishop is so necessary in the Church that without it neither the Church, the Church, nor a Christian can not only be, but even be called a Christian. - For the Bishop, as the successor of the apostolic, by the laying on of hands and invoking the Holy Spirit, having received the power successively given to him from God to decide and knit, is the living image of God on earth and, by the sacred power of the Holy Spirit, the abundant source of all the Sacraments of the Universal Church, by which salvation is acquired. We believe that the Bishop is as necessary for the Church as breath is for man and the sun is for the world. Therefore, some in praise of the episcopal dignity say well: “That God is in the Church of the firstborn in heaven and the sun in the world is each Bishop in his private Church; so that by it the flock is illuminated, warmed and made the temple of God. " - that the great sacrament and title of the Bishopric has passed to us successively, this is obvious. For the Lord, who promised to be with us to the eternity, although he is with us under other images of grace and Divine benefits, but through the sacred rite the Episcopal communicates with us in a special way, abides and unites with us through the sacred Sacraments, which are the first performer and priest, in power Spirit, there is a Bishop, and does not allow us to fall into heresy. Therefore, St. John Damascene, in his fourth letter to the Africans, says that the Ecumenical Church was in general entrusted to the Bishops; that Peter's successors are recognized: in Rome - Clement the first Bishop, in Antioch - Euodius, in Alexandria - Mark; that Saint Andrew installed Stachius on the throne of Constantinople; in the great Holy City of Jerusalem, the Lord made Jacob the Bishop, after whom there was another Bishop, and after him another, and so even before us. That is why Tertullian, in a letter to Papian, calls all the Bishops the successors of the Apostles. Eusebius Pamphilus and many of the Fathers also testify to their succession, Apostolic dignity and power, it would be superfluous to list, equally common and ancient custom of the Ecumenical Church. It is also obvious that the episcopal dignity differs from the dignity of a simple Priest. For a Priest is ordained by a Bishop, and a Bishop is ordained not by Priests, but, according to the Apostolic rule, by two or three Bishops. Moreover, the Priest is elected by the Bishop, and the Bishop is elected not by the Priests or Presbyters or by the secular authorities, but by the Cathedral of the highest Church of the region where the city for which the ordained person is appointed is located, or at least the Cathedral of that region. where the Bishop should be. Sometimes, however, the whole city also elects; but not simply, but presents his election to the Council; and if it turns out to be in accordance with the rules, then the chosen one is produced through the episcopal ordination through the invocation of the Holy Spirit. Besides this, the Priest accepts the power and grace of the Priesthood only for himself, while the bishop transfers this to others. The first, having received the Priesthood from the Bishop, performs only holy baptism with prayers, performs a bloodless sacrifice, distributes to the people the holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, anoints those who are baptized with holy peace, crowns those who are piously and legally entering into marriage, prays for the sick, for salvation and bringing into the knowledge of the truth of all people, but mainly about the forgiveness and forgiveness of sins to the Orthodox, living and dead, and, finally, since he is distinguished by knowledge and virtue, then, according to the power given to him by the bishop, he teaches those of the Orthodox who come to him, showing them the way to receive the Kingdom of Heaven and delivered by the preacher of the Holy Gospel. But the Bishop, in addition to doing all this (for he, as it is said, is the source of Divine sacraments and gifts by the power of the Holy Spirit), alone exclusively performs the holy myrrh, to him only one has learned dedication in all degrees and positions of the Church; he especially and predominantly has the power to knit and decide and create, according to the commandment of the Lord, a judgment pleasing to God; he preaches the Holy Gospel and affirms the Orthodox in the Faith, but he excommunicates the disobedient, like pagans and publicans, from the Church, while he consigns heretics to eruption and anathema, and lays down his soul for the sheep. This reveals the indisputable difference between a Bishop and a simple Priest, and together with the fact that, except for him, all the Priests in the world cannot shepherd the Church of God and completely rule it. But it was rightly noted by one of the Fathers that it is not easy to find a reasonable person among the heretics; because, leaving the Church, they are abandoned by the Holy Spirit, and there remains in them neither knowledge nor light, but darkness and blindness. For if this had not happened to them, then they would not have rejected the most obvious, such as, for example, the truly great sacrament of the Bishopric, which Scripture speaks of, the Church history and the scriptures of the Saints mention, and which has always been recognized and confessed by the entire Ecumenical Church.

We believe that the members of the Catholic Church are all, and, moreover, they are only faithful, that is, they undoubtedly profess the pure Faith of Christ the Savior (which we received from Christ Himself, from the Apostles and Holy Ecumenical Councils), at least some of them were subject to various sins ... For if the faithful but sinners were not members of the Church, they would not be subject to her judgment. But she judges them, calls them to repentance and leads them on the path of saving commandments; and therefore, in spite of the fact that they are subjected to sins, they remain and are recognized as members of the Catholic Church, so long as they do not become apostates and adhere to the Catholic and Orthodox Faith.

We believe that the Holy Spirit teaches the Catholic Church, for He is the true Comforter whom Christ sends from the Father in order to teach the truth and drive away darkness from the minds of the faithful. The Holy Spirit teaches the Church through the Holy Fathers and teachers of the Catholic Church. For, as all Scripture, admittedly, is the Word of the Holy Spirit, not because He spoke it directly, but spoke in it through the Apostles and Prophets; in the same way, the Church learns from the Life-Giving Spirit, but not otherwise than through the intermediary of the Holy Fathers and teachers (whose rules are recognized by the Holy Ecumenical Councils, which we will not cease to repeat); why we are not only convinced, but also undoubtedly confess, as a firm truth, that the Catholic Church cannot sin or err and speak lies instead of truth; for the Holy Spirit, always working through the faithful Fathers and teachers of the Church, protects her from all error.

We believe that a person is justified not simply by faith alone, but by faith promoted by love, that is, through faith and deeds. Let us acknowledge the completely impious thought that faith, replacing works, acquires justification in Christ; for faith in this sense could befitting everyone, and there would not be one unsaved, which is obviously false. On the contrary, we believe that it is not the specter of only faith, but the faith that exists in us through works justifies us in Christ. We regard deeds not only as a testimony confirming our vocation, but also as fruits that make our faith active and can, according to the Divine promise, deliver everyone a well-deserved reward, good or bad, depending on what he has done with his body.

We believe that a person who has fallen through a crime has become like dumb cattle, that is, he has become darkened and has lost perfection and dispassion, but has not lost the nature and strength that he received from the All-good God. For otherwise he would have become unreasonable, and, consequently, not a man; but he would have the nature with which he was created, and natural strength, free, living, active, so that by nature he can choose and do good, flee and turn away from evil. And that man by nature can do good, this is also indicated by the Lord when he says that the Gentiles love those who love them, and the Apostle Paul teaches very clearly (Rom. 1:19), and in other places where he says that “Gentiles, Those who do not have the law, by nature they create lawful things. " Hence it is obvious that the good done by man cannot be sin; for good cannot be evil. Being natural, it makes a person only spiritual, not spiritual, and alone, without faith, it does not contribute to salvation, however, it does not serve to condemnation either; for good, as good, cannot be the cause of evil. In those who have been reborn, it is grace-filled, being strengthened by grace, it becomes perfect and makes a person worthy of salvation. Although a person before rebirth can by nature be inclined to good, choose and do moral good, but so that, having been reborn, he can do spiritual good (for the works of faith, being the cause of salvation and performed by supernatural grace, are usually called spiritual), for this it is necessary so that grace will precede and lead, as it is said about the predestinated; so that he cannot by himself do deeds worthy of life in Christ, but can only be willing or unwilling to act in accordance with grace.

We believe that there are seven Gospel Sacraments in the Church. We have neither less nor more than this number of Sacraments in the Church. The number of the Sacraments in excess of seven was invented by unreasonable heretics. The sevenfold number of the Sacraments is affirmed in Holy Scripture, as well as other dogmas of the Orthodox Faith. And firstly: Holy Baptism was given to us by the Lord in these words: "Come teach all languages that baptize them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28, 19); “He who has faith and is baptized, will be saved; but those who do not have faith, will be condemned ”(Mark 16:16). The Sacrament of Holy Peace, or Holy Confirmation, is also based on the words of the Savior: “You sit in the city of Jerusalem, until you will be clothed with power from above” (Luke 24, 49), with which power the Apostles were clothed after the descent of the Holy Spirit on them. This power is communicated through the sacrament of Confirmation, about which the Apostle Paul also discusses (2 Cor. 1, 21-22), and more clearly Dionysius the Areopagite. The priesthood is based on the following words: “Do this in remembrance of Me” (1 Cor. 11:24); also: “Even if you bind on the earth, it will be bound in heaven; and even if you give permission to the earth, it will be authorized in heaven "(Matthew 16, 19). Bloodless Sacrifice - on the following: “Take, eat: this is my body; drink from it all, this is my blood of the New Testament ”(1 Cor. 11, 24-25); "Unless you bear the flesh of the Son of man, you drink not His blood, you have no belly in you" (John 6, 53). The sacrament of marriage has its basis in the words of God himself, said about him in the Old Testament (Genesis 2, 4); which words were confirmed by Jesus Christ, saying: "The hedgehog God combines, let not man separate" (Matthew 19:16). The Apostle Paul calls marriage a great mystery (Eph. 5:32). Repentance, with which the mysterious confession is united, is affirmed in these words of Scripture: “With him, forgive sins, they will be forgiven; and with them hold back, hold on to ”(John 20:23); also: "If you do not repent, you will all perish in the same way" (Luke 13: 3). The Evangelist Mark mentions the sacrament of the Holy Oil, or the prayed Oil, the brother of God testifies more clearly (5, 14-15).

The sacraments are composed of the natural and the supernatural, and are not only signs of the promises of God. We recognize them as instruments that must act by grace on those who come to them. But we reject, as alien to the Christian teaching, the opinion that the sacrament is performed only during the actual use (for example, eating, etc.) of an earthly thing (that is, sanctified in a sacrament; as if out of use a thing sanctified in a sacrament and after consecration remains a simple thing). This is contrary to the sacrament of Communion, which, being established by the Most-Substantial Word and sanctified by the invocation of the Holy Spirit, is accomplished by the presence of the signified, that is, the body and blood of Christ. And the fulfillment of this sacrament of necessity precedes its use through communion. For if it had not been accomplished before communing it: then he who partakes unworthily would not eat and drink to his own judgment (1 Cor. 11:29); because he would partake of simple bread and wine. And now, having communed unworthily, he feeds and drinks judgment on himself. Consequently, the sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated not during the communion itself, but before that. In the same way, we regard as extremely false and impure the teaching that the integrity and perfection of the sacrament is violated by the imperfection of faith. For heretics, whom the Church accepts when they renounce their heresy and join the Universal Church, received perfect Baptism, although they had imperfect faith. And when they finally acquire perfect faith, they are not re-baptized.

We believe that Holy Baptism, commanded by the Lord and performed in the name of the Holy Trinity, is necessary. For without him no one can be saved, as the Lord says: “If anyone is not born by water and spirit, he cannot bring him into the Kingdom of God” (John 3, 5). Therefore, babies also need it, for they too are subject to original sin, and without baptism they cannot receive the remission of this sin. And the Lord, showing this, said without any exception, simply: "Who will not be born ..." that is, after the coming of the Savior Christ, all who have entered the Kingdom of Heaven must be reborn. If babies need salvation, they also need baptism. And those who have not been reborn, and therefore have not received absolution in their ancestral sin, are necessarily subject to eternal punishment for that sin, and therefore are not saved. So babies need baptism. Moreover, babies are saved, as the Evangelist Matthew says, and the one who is not baptized is not saved. Consequently, babies must be baptized. And in Acts it says that all the household were baptized (16, 33), and therefore babies. The ancient Fathers of the Church also clearly testify to this, namely: Dionysius in his book on the Church Hierarchy and Justin in question 57 says: "Infants are rewarded with the blessings given through baptism by faith of those who bring them to baptism." Augustine also testifies: "There is an Apostolic tradition that babies are saved by baptism." And in another place: "The Church gives babies the feet of others, so that they walk, hearts, so that they believe, a tongue, so that they profess." - And again: "Mother Church gives them a mother's heart." - As for the substance of the sacrament of baptism, it cannot be any other liquid except pure water. It is performed by the Priest; out of need, it can be accomplished by a simple person, but only by the Orthodox and, moreover, who understand the importance of Divine baptism. - The actions of baptism are, in short, the following: firstly, through it, absolution is granted for the sin of the ancestor and for all other sins committed by the baptized. Secondly, the baptized person is freed from the eternal punishment to which everyone is subject both for innate sin and for their own mortal sins. - Thirdly, baptism bestows blessed immortality, for, freeing people from former sins, makes them temples of God. It cannot be said that baptism does not allow for all previous sins, but that although they remain, they no longer have power. To teach in this way is an utter wickedness; it is a refutation of faith, and not a confession of it. On the contrary, every sin that exists or existed before baptism is destroyed and is considered as if it did not exist or never existed. For all the images under which baptism is represented show its cleansing power, and the sayings of Holy Scripture concerning baptism make it clear that through it a complete cleansing is obtained; - can be seen from the very names of baptism. If it eats the baptism in spirit and fire, then it is obvious that it delivers perfect cleansing; for the spirit cleanses perfectly. If it is light, then all darkness is chased away by it. If it is rebirth, then everything that is old passes by; and this old is nothing but sins. If the baptized one is put off the old man, then the sin is also put off. If he puts on Christ, he actually becomes sinless through baptism; for God is far removed from sinners, and the Apostle Paul clearly says about this: “As if by disobeying the one man, sin was many, but by the obedience of the One righteous there will be many” (Rom. 5:19). If they are righteous, then they are also free from sin; for life and death cannot abide in one and the same person. If Christ truly died, consequently, the remission of sins through the Holy Spirit is also true.

We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is present in this sacrament not symbolically, not figuratively (tipikos, eikonikos), not with an abundance of grace, as in other sacraments, not only by inspiration, as some Fathers said about baptism, and not through the penetration of bread (kat Enartismon - per impanationem), so that the Deity of the Word should be included in the bread offered for the Eucharist is essential (ipostatikos), as the followers of Luther quite unskilfully and unworthily explain; but truly and truly, so that after the consecration of bread and wine, the bread is blessed, transubstantiated, transformed, transformed into the very true body of the Lord, which was born in Bethlehem from the Ever-Virgin, was baptized in Jordan, suffered, buried, rose again, ascended, sits at the right hand of God the Father, has to appear in the clouds of heaven; and the wine is transformed and transubstantiated into the very true blood of the Lord, which, during His suffering on the cross, was poured out for the life of the world. We also believe that after the consecration of bread and wine, it is not the bread and wine itself that remains, but the very body and blood of the Lord under the guise and image of bread and wine.

We also believe that although the body and blood of the Lord are divided and fragmented, this happens in the sacrament of communion only with types of bread and wine, in which they are both visible and tangible, but in themselves the essence is completely whole and inseparable. This is why the Ecumenical Church says: “The fragmented, but indivisible, always poisoned and never dependent, but who partakes (of course, worthily), sanctify, is fragmented and divided”.

We also believe that in every part, to the smallest particle of the laid bread and wine, there is not any separate part of the body and blood of the Lord, but the body of Christ, always whole and in all parts one, and the Lord Jesus Christ is present in His essence, then there is with soul and Godhead, or perfect God and perfect man. Therefore, although at the same time there are many sacred rites in the universe, there are not many bodies of Christ, and one and the same Christ is present truly and truly, His one body and one blood in all the separate Churches of the faithful. And this is not because the body of the Lord, which is in heaven, descends on the altars, but because the bread of the offering, prepared separately in all churches and transformed and transformed after sanctification, is the same thing with the body in heaven. For the Lord always has one body, and not many in many places. Therefore, this sacrament, according to the general opinion, is the most miraculous, comprehended by faith alone, and not by the speculations of human wisdom, which vanity and insane sophistication with regard to Divine things is rejected by this holy sacrifice determined for us from above. We also believe that this body and blood of the Lord in the sacrament of the Eucharist should be given special honor and Divine worship; for how much we owe the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the same body and blood of the Lord. We also believe that this sacrifice, both before use, immediately after consecration, and after use, kept in consecrated vessels for admonishing the dying, is the true body of the Lord, not at all indistinguishable from His body, so that both before use after sanctification, and in itself use, and after that it always remains the true body of the Lord. We also believe that the word "transubstantiation" does not explain the image by which bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of the Lord; for this cannot be comprehended by anyone except God himself, and the efforts of those who wish to comprehend this can only be the result of folly and wickedness; but it is only shown that the bread and wine, after consecration, are transformed into the body and blood of the Lord not figuratively, not symbolically, not by an excess of grace, not by the message or influx of the one Divinity of the Only Begotten, and it is not an accidental belonging of bread and wine that is transformed into an accidental belonging to the body and the blood of Christ by any change or mixing, but, as said above, truly, really and essentially bread is the most true body of the Lord, and wine is the very blood of the Lord.

We also believe that this sacrament of the Holy Eucharist is not performed by everyone, but only by the pious Priest, who received the Priesthood from the pious and legitimate Bishop, as the Eastern Church teaches. Here is an abbreviated teaching of the Ecumenical Church on the sacrament of the Eucharist; this is the true confession and the most ancient tradition, which those wishing to be saved and rejecting new and bad false wisdom of heretics should not change in any way; on the contrary, we are obliged to keep this legitimate tradition intact and intact. For those who distort this are rejected and cursed by the Catholic Church of Christ.

SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO THEM

QUESTION 1.- Should all Christians read the Holy Scriptures at all?

ANSWER - We know that all Scripture is divinely inspired and useful, and so necessary that without it it is absolutely impossible to be godly; however, not everyone is able to read it, but only those who know how to test the Scriptures, study and correctly understand it. Thus, everyone who is pious is allowed to listen to Scripture in order to believe with his heart in the truth and confess with his lips for salvation, but not everyone is allowed to read some parts of Scripture without guidance, especially the Old Testament. Indiscriminately allowing the unskilled reading of the Holy Scriptures is the same as offering infants the use of strong food.

QUESTION 2- Do all reading Christians understand the Scriptures?

ANSWER. - If all reading Christians understood the Holy Scriptures, then the Lord would not have commanded those who wish to receive salvation to experience it. Saint Paul in vain would have said that the gift of teaching was given to the Church from God; Peter would not have said that there is something incomprehensible in the letters of the Pavlovs. So, since it is clear that the Scripture contains the height and depth of thoughts, then experienced and God-enlightened people are required to test it, for true comprehension, for knowing the correct one, consistent with all of Scripture and its Creator, the Holy Spirit. And although the reborn know the doctrine of faith about the Creator, about the incarnation of the Son of God, about His suffering, resurrection and ascension to heaven, about rebirth and judgment, for which doctrine many willingly endured death; but there is no need, or, better, it is impossible for everyone to comprehend what the Holy Spirit reveals only to those who are perfect in wisdom and holiness.

QUESTION 3. - How should one think about holy icons and worship of the Saints?

ANSWER. - Since there are Saints, and the Catholic Church recognizes them as representatives, therefore we honor them as friends of God, praying for us before God of all kinds. But our veneration of the Saints is twofold: one refers to the Mother of God the Word, whom we honor more than the servant of God, since the Mother of God, although truly the servant of the One God, is also the Mother, who gave birth to the fleshly One from the Trinity. Therefore, we magnify Her as the highest without comparing all the Angels and Saints, and we give worship more than what is fitting for a servant of God. Another kind of worship, decent for the servants of God, refers to the Holy Angels, Apostles, Prophets, Martyrs, and in general to all Saints. Above this, we honor with worship the tree of the honest and life-giving Cross, on which our Savior suffered for the salvation of the world, the image of the life-giving Cross, the Bethlehem manger, through which we are delivered from speechlessness, the Calvary place, the life-giving Tomb and other holy places, also the Holy Gospel, sacred vessels , in which a bloodless Sacrifice is performed, we honor and glorify the Saints with annual memories of them, nationwide festivities, the construction of holy Temples and offerings. We also worship the icons of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Most Holy Theotokos and all the Saints; we honor these icons and kiss, as well as images of the Holy Angels, as they appeared to some Patriarchs and Prophets; we depict the Holy Spirit as He appeared in the form of a dove.

However, heretics, wishing to refute everything that Christ commanded, also touched upon prayer. However, being ashamed to reveal their wickedness so clearly, they do not reject prayer at all; but on the other hand, they rebel against monastic prayers, and do this with the aim of arousing hatred of the monks in the simple-minded, presenting them as unbearable people, even objectionable and innovators, so that no one wants to learn from them the dogmas of the pious and Orthodox Faith. For the adversary is cunning in evil and skillful in matters of vanity; therefore, his followers (what these heretics really are) have no desire to engage in works of piety just as zealously as they zealously strive for the abyss of evils and are thrown down into places that the Lord does not look upon.

In Constantinople, 1723 A.D., the month of September.

Jeremiah, by the grace of God, the Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and the Ecumenical Patriarch signed with his own hand, and I testify and confess that this is the Orthodox Faith of our Christ, Apostolic, Catholic and Eastern Church.
Athanasius, by the grace of God, the Patriarch of the great city of God Antioch, signed with his own hand, and I testify, and affirm and confess that this is the Orthodox Faith of our Christ, Apostolic, Catholic and Eastern Church.
Chrysanthus, by the grace of God, the Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem, signed with his own hand, and I testify and confess that this is the Orthodox Faith of our Christ, Apostolic, Catholic and Eastern Church.
Kallinikos of Heraclius, signed with his own hand, in agreement with the heart and lips with the aforementioned Holy Patriarchs, which I will confess until my last breath.
Anthony of Cyzikia, I confess that this is the Catholic Faith of the Eastern Church.
Paisius of Nicomedia signed with his own hand and I confess that this is the Faith of the Catholic Eastern Church.
Gerasimus of Nicea, signed with his own hand and confess that this is the teaching of the Catholic and Eastern Church.
Pachomius of Chalcedon signed with his own hand and I confess and testify that this is the teaching of the Catholic and Eastern Church.
Ignatius of Thessalonica signed with his own hand, confessing and testifying that this is the teaching of the Catholic and Eastern Church.
Anthim of Philippopolis signed with his own hand, confessing and testifying that this is the teaching of the Catholic and Eastern Church.
Kallinikos of Varna, signed with his own hand and I confess and testify that this is the teaching of the Catholic and Eastern Church.

His Holiness of the new Rome of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch Jeremiah,

His Beatitude Athanasius, Patriarch of the City of God of Antioch,

His Beatitude Patriarch Chrysanthus of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and

The Most Reverend Bishops who are found with Us, i.e. Metropolitans, Archbishops and Bishops, and all Christian Eastern Orthodox clergy,

To those who are in Great Britain, to the glorious and beloved Archbishops and Bishops in Christ, and to all their most venerable Clears, we wish every blessing and salvation from God.

Your Scripture, in the form of a small book, with which you, for your part, respond to our previous answers to you, we have received. Having learned from it about your good health, about your zeal and respect for our Eastern Holy Church of Christ, we rejoiced greatly, having accepted, as it should, your pious and good intention, your care and zeal for the unification of the Churches: such unity is the affirmation of the faithful; They are pleased with the Lord and our God Jesus Christ, who, as a sign of communion with Himself, set for His sacred Disciples and Apostles mutual love, harmony and like-mindedness. And so, at your request, we now briefly answer you that, having read carefully your last message, we understood the meaning of what was written and have nothing more to say about it, except for what we have already said before, setting out our opinion and the teachings of our Eastern Churches; and now we say the same to all the proposals you sent to us, i.e. that our dogmas and teachings of our Eastern Church have been studied even anciently, correctly and piously defined and approved by the Holy and Ecumenical Councils; it is not permissible to add to or subtract from them. Therefore, those who wish to agree with us in the Divine dogmas of the Orthodox faith must, with simplicity, obedience, without any research and curiosity, follow and submit to everything that has been determined and decreed by the ancient tradition of the Fathers and approved by the Holy and Ecumenical Councils since the time of the Apostles and their successors, the God-giving Fathers of our Church. ... Although these answers are enough for what you are writing about; however, for a more complete and indisputable confirmation, behold, we are sending you in the most extensive form an exposition of the Orthodox Faith of our Eastern Church, adopted after careful study at the Council, which was long ago (1672 AD), called Jerusalem; which exposition was subsequently published in Greek and Latin in Paris in 1675, and, perhaps, at the same time reached you, and you have it. From it you can learn and undoubtedly comprehend the pious and Orthodox way of thinking of the Eastern Church; and if you agree with us, being satisfied with the teaching that we have now expounded, you will be one with us in everything, and there will be no division between us. As for other church customs and ordinances, before the sacred rites of the Liturgy, even this, with the unity accomplished with God's help, can be easily and conveniently corrected. For it is known from church history books that some customs and ordinances in various places and churches have been and are changing; but the unity of the Faith and the unity of mind in the dogmas remain unchanged. May the Lord and Provider of all God grant, He wants everyone to be saved and come to the mind of truth(1 Tim. 2: 4), so that judgment and research about this should be in accordance with His Divine will, to the soulful and saving affirmation in the Faith.

This is what we believe and how we - Eastern Orthodox Christians - think:

Member 1

We believe in the One true God, the Almighty and Infinite - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: the unborn Father, the Son born of the Father before ever, the Holy Spirit, from the outgoing Father, the Father and the Son of the consubstantial. These three Persons (Hypostases) in a single being we call the All-Holy Trinity, always blessed, glorified and worshiped from all creation.

Member 2

We believe that Divine and Holy Scripture is inspired by God; therefore, we must believe him unquestioningly, and, moreover, not in our own way, but exactly as the Catholic Church explained and betrayed it. For the superstition of heretics also accepts Divine Scripture, only misleading it, using allegorical and similarly meaningful expressions and tricks of human wisdom, merging that which cannot be merged, and playing with such objects as a child that cannot be joked. Otherwise, if everyone began to explain Scripture every day in his own way, then the Catholic Church would not have remained by the grace of Christ until now such a Church that, being of one mind in faith, always believes equally and unshakably, but would be divided into countless parts, would be subjected to heresies. and at the same time it would cease to be a holy Church, a pillar and an affirmation of truth, but would become the church of the crafty, that is, as it should be assumed without a doubt, the church of heretics, who are not ashamed to learn from the Church, and then lawlessly reject it. Therefore, we believe that the testimony of the Catholic Church is no less powerful than the Divine Scripture. Since the culprit of both is the same Holy Spirit, it doesn't matter whether you learn from Scripture or from the Universal Church. A person who speaks for himself can sin, deceive and be deceived; but the Universal Church, since she never spoke and does not speak from herself, but from the Spirit of God (which she incessantly has and will have as her Teacher to the eternity), can in no way sin, nor deceive, nor be deceived; but, like Divine Scripture, it is infallible and has everlasting importance.

Member 3

We believe that the all-good God predestinated those whom He chose from eternity to glory; and those whom He rejected, those He gave up to condemnation, not because, however, that He wanted to thus justify some, and leave others and condemn without reason; for this is not typical of God, the common one and impartial Father, Who wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth(1 Tim. 2: 4), but because He foresaw that some would use their free will well, and others badly; therefore he predestined some to glory, and condemned others. We argue about the use of freedom as follows: because the goodness of God has bestowed Divine and enlightening grace, which we also call anticipatory, which, like the light that enlightens those who walk in darkness, guides everyone; then those who wish to freely submit to her (for she helps those who seek her, and not those who oppose her), and to fulfill her commands, which are necessary for salvation, therefore receive special grace, which, helping, strengthening and constantly improving them in the love of God, i.e. ... in those good deeds that God requires of us (and which was also required by the anticipatory grace), justifies them and makes them predetermined; those, on the contrary, who do not want to obey and follow grace and therefore do not keep the commandments of God, but, following the suggestions of Satan, abuse their freedom given to them by God so that they willfully do good - indulge in eternal condemnation.

Member 4

We believe that the Trinitarian God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the Creator of everything visible and invisible. By the name of the invisible we mean the Angelic Forces, intelligent souls and demons (although God did not create demons as they later became by their own will); and we call the heavens visible and everything under heaven. Because the Creator is essentially good: therefore, everything that only He created, He created beautiful, and never wants to be the Creator of evil. If there is in a person or in a demon (because we simply do not know evil in nature) some kind of evil, i.e. sin contrary to the will of God, then this evil comes either from a person or from the devil. For this is absolutely true and is not subject to any doubt that God cannot be the culprit of evil, and that therefore perfect justice requires not to attribute it to God.

Member 5

We believe that everything that exists, visible and invisible, is governed by Divine Providence; however, evil, like evil, God only foresees and permits, but does not provide for it, since He did not create it. And the evil that has already happened is directed towards something useful by the supreme goodness, which itself does not create evil, but only directs it to the best, as far as possible. We must not test, but revere the Divine Providence and His hidden and untested destinies. However, what is revealed to us about this in Holy Scripture, as pertaining to eternal life, we must prudently investigate and, along with the first concepts of God, take for certain.

Member 6

We believe that the first man, created by God, fell in paradise at the time when he listened to the commandment of God, following the insidious advice of the serpent, and that from here the ancestral sin spread successively to all posterity so that there is not one of those born in the flesh who is free I was from that burden and did not feel the consequences of the fall in real life. And we do not call sin itself a burden and a consequence of the fall, such as: impiety, blasphemy, murder, hatred and everything else that comes from an evil human heart, contrary to the will of God, and not from nature; (for many Forefathers, Prophets and other countless ones, both in the Old and New Testaments, men, also the divine Forerunner and mainly the Mother of God the Word and the Ever-Virgin Mary, were not involved in both this and other similar sins), but the inclination to sin and those calamities with which Divine justice punished a person for his disobedience, such as: exhausting labors, sorrows, bodily infirmities, birth illnesses, a difficult life on earth for some time, wanderings, and finally bodily death.

Member 7

Member 8

We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is our only Intercessor, Who gave Himself for the redemption of all, who by His own blood became the reconciliation of man with God and remains the guardian Protector of His followers and the propitiation for our sins. We also confess that the Saints intercede for us in prayers and petitions to Him, and most of all the Immaculate Mother of the Divine Word, also our Holy Guardian Angels, Apostles, Prophets, Martyrs, Righteous and all whom He glorified as His faithful servants, to whom we reckon Bishops, priests, as standing by the holy altar, and righteous men, known for their virtue. For we know from Scripture that we must pray for one another, that the prayer of the righteous can do much, and that God listens more to the Saints than to those who remain in sins. We also confess that the Saints are mediators and intercessors for us before God, not only here, during their stay with us, but even more after death, when, after the destruction of the mirror (which the Apostle mentions), in all clarity, contemplate the Holy Trinity and the infinite light Her. For as we do not doubt that the Prophets, while still in a mortal body, saw the things of heaven, which is why they predicted the future, so surely we not only do not doubt, but also unshakably believe and confess that the Angels and Saints, who have become, as it were, Angels, in the infinite light of God, see our needs.

Member 9

Member 10

We believe, as we have learned to believe, in the so-called and in the thing itself, that is, the Holy, Ecumenical, Apostolic Church, which embraces everyone and everywhere, whoever they are, believers in Christ, who now, being in an earthly wandering, have not yet settled in the heavenly fatherland. But we do not at all confuse the Church that travels with the Church that has reached the fatherland, because only, as some of the heretics think, that both exist; that both of them constitute, as it were, two flocks of one Archpastor of God and are sanctified by one Holy Spirit. Such a mixture of them is inappropriate and impossible, since one is fighting and is on the way, while the other is already triumphant, has reached the fatherland and received a reward, which will follow with the entire Ecumenical Church. Since a person is subject to death and cannot be the permanent head of the Church, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, as the Head, holding the helm of the government of the Church, governs it through the Holy Fathers. For this, the Holy Spirit has appointed Bishops to private Churches, lawfully founded and lawfully composed of members, as Rulers, Pastors, Heads and Chiefs, who are such by no means out of abuse, but lawfully, indicating in these Pastors the image of the Chief and Finisher of our Salvation, so that the communities of believers under this rulership ascended by His power. Because, among other impious opinions, the heretics also argued that a simple Priest and a Bishop are equal, that one can be without a Bishop, that several Priests can govern the Church, that not one Bishop can ordain a Priest, but also a Priest and several Priests can to consecrate a Bishop - and disclose that the Eastern Church shares this delusion with them; then we, in accordance with the opinion that has prevailed in the Eastern Church since ancient times, confirm that the title of Bishop is so necessary in the Church that without it neither the Church, the Church, nor a Christian can not only be, but even be called a Christian. - For the Bishop, as the successor of the apostolic, by the laying on of hands and invoking the Holy Spirit, having received the power successively given to him from God to decide and knit, is a living image of God on earth and, by the sacred power of the Holy Spirit, an abundant source of all the Sacraments of the Universal Church, by which salvation is acquired. We believe that the Bishop is as necessary for the Church as breath is for man and the sun is for the world. Therefore, some in praise of the episcopal dignity say well: “That God is in the Church of the firstborn in heaven and the sun in the world is each Bishop in his private Church; so that by it the flock is illuminated, warmed and made into the temple of God, ”- that the great sacrament and the title of the Bishopric passed down to us successively, this is obvious. For the Lord, who promised to be with us to the eternity, although he is with us under other images of grace and Divine benefits, but through the sacred rite the Episcopal communicates with us in a special way, abides and unites with us through the sacred Sacraments, which are the first performer and priest, in power Spirit, there is a Bishop, and does not allow us to fall into heresy. Therefore, St. John Damascene, in his fourth letter to the Africans, says that the Ecumenical Church was in general entrusted to the Bishops; that Peter's successors are recognized: in Rome - Clement the first Bishop, in Antioch - Euodius, in Alexandria - Mark; that Saint Andrew installed Stachius on the throne of Constantinople; in the great Holy City of Jerusalem, the Lord made Jacob the Bishop, after whom there was another Bishop, and after him another, and so even before us. That is why Tertullian, in a letter to Papian, calls all the Bishops the successors of the Apostles. Eusebius Pamphilus and many of the Fathers also testify to their succession, Apostolic dignity and power, it would be superfluous to list, equally common and ancient custom of the Ecumenical Church. It is also obvious that the episcopal dignity differs from the dignity of a simple Priest. For a Priest is ordained by a Bishop, and a Bishop is ordained not by Priests, but, according to the Apostolic rule, by two or three Bishops. Moreover, the Priest is elected by the Bishop, and the Bishop is elected not by the Priests or Presbyters or by the secular authorities, but by the Cathedral of the highest Church of the region where the city for which the ordained person is appointed is located, or, at least, the Cathedral of the region where the Bishop should be. Sometimes, however, the whole city also elects; but not simply, but presents his election to the Council; and if it turns out to be in accordance with the rules, then the chosen one is produced through the episcopal ordination through the invocation of the Holy Spirit. Besides this, the Priest accepts the power and grace of the Priesthood only for himself, while the bishop transfers this to others. The first, having received the Priesthood from the Bishop, performs only holy baptism with prayers, performs a bloodless sacrifice, distributes to the people the holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, anoints those who are baptized with holy peace, crowns those who are piously and legally entering into marriage, prays for the sick, for salvation and bringing into the knowledge of the truth of all people, but mainly about the forgiveness and forgiveness of sins to the Orthodox, living and dead, and, finally, since he is distinguished by knowledge and virtue, then, according to the power given to him by the bishop, he teaches those of the Orthodox who come to him, showing them the way to receive the Kingdom of Heaven and delivered by the preacher of the Holy Gospel. But the Bishop, in addition to doing all this (for he, as it is said, is the source of Divine sacraments and gifts by the power of the Holy Spirit), alone exclusively performs the holy myrrh, to him only one has learned dedication in all degrees and positions of the Church; he especially and predominantly has the power to knit and decide and create, according to the commandment of the Lord, a judgment pleasing to God; he preaches the Holy Gospel and affirms the Orthodox in the Faith, but he excommunicates the disobedient, like pagans and publicans, from the Church, while he consigns heretics to eruption and anathema, and lays down his soul for the sheep. This reveals the indisputable difference between a Bishop and a simple Priest, and together with the fact that, except for him, all the Priests in the world cannot shepherd the Church of God and completely rule it. But it was rightly noted by one of the Fathers that it is not easy to find a reasonable person among the heretics; because, leaving the Church, they are abandoned by the Holy Spirit, and there remains in them neither knowledge nor light, but darkness and blindness. For if this had not happened to them, then they would not have rejected the most obvious, such as, for example, the truly great sacrament of the Bishopric, which Scripture speaks of, the Church history and the scriptures of the Saints mention, and which has always been recognized and confessed by the entire Ecumenical Church.

Member 11

We believe that the members of the Catholic Church are all, and, moreover, only the faithful, i.e. undoubtedly professing the pure Faith of the Savior Christ (which we received from Christ Himself, from the Apostles and Holy Ecumenical Councils), at least some of them were subject to various sins. For if the faithful but sinners were not members of the Church, they would not be subject to her judgment. But she judges them, calls them to repentance and leads them on the path of saving commandments; and therefore, in spite of the fact that they are subjected to sins, they remain and are recognized as members of the Catholic Church, so long as they do not become apostates and adhere to the Catholic and Orthodox Faith.

Member 12

We believe that the Holy Spirit teaches the Catholic Church, for He is the true Comforter whom Christ sends from the Father in order to teach the truth and drive away darkness from the minds of the faithful. The Holy Spirit teaches the Church through the Holy Fathers and teachers of the Catholic Church. For, as all Scripture, admittedly, is the Word of the Holy Spirit, not because He spoke it directly, but spoke in it through the Apostles and Prophets; in the same way, the Church learns from the Life-Giving Spirit, but not otherwise than through the intermediary of the Holy Fathers and teachers (whose rules are recognized by the Holy Ecumenical Councils, which we will not cease to repeat); why we are not only convinced, but also undoubtedly confess, as a firm truth, that the Catholic Church cannot sin or err and speak lies instead of truth; for the Holy Spirit, always working through the faithful Fathers and teachers of the Church, protects her from all error.

Member 13

Member 14

We believe that a person who has fallen through a crime has become like dumb cattle, that is, he has become darkened and has lost perfection and dispassion, but has not lost the nature and strength that he received from the All-good God. For otherwise he would have become unreasonable, and, consequently, not a man; but he would have the nature with which he was created, and natural strength, free, living, active, so that by nature he can choose and do good, flee and turn away from evil. And that man by nature can do good, this is also indicated by the Lord when he says that the Gentiles love those who love them, and the Apostle Paul teaches quite clearly (Rom. 1:19), and in other places where he says that pagans, who do not have the law, by nature they create lawful... Hence it is obvious that the good done by man cannot be sin; for good cannot be evil. Being natural, it makes a person only spiritual, not spiritual, and alone, without faith, it does not contribute to salvation, however, it does not serve to condemnation either; for good, as good, cannot be the cause of evil. In those who have been reborn, it is grace-filled, being strengthened by grace, it becomes perfect and makes a person worthy of salvation. Although a person before rebirth can by nature be inclined to good, choose and do moral good, but so that, having been reborn, he can do spiritual good (for the works of faith, being the cause of salvation and performed by supernatural grace, are usually called spiritual), for this it is necessary so that grace will precede and lead, as it is said about the predestinated; so that he cannot by himself do deeds worthy of life in Christ, but can only be willing or unwilling to act in accordance with grace.

Member 15

We believe that there are seven Gospel Sacraments in the Church. We have neither less nor more than this number of Sacraments in the Church. The number of the Sacraments in excess of seven was invented by unreasonable heretics. The sevenfold number of the Sacraments is affirmed in Holy Scripture, as well as other dogmas of the Orthodox Faith. And firstly: the Lord gave us Holy Baptism in these words: Come teach all languages, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit(Matt. 28:19); He who has faith and is baptized, will be saved; and those who do not have faith, will be condemned(Mark 16:16). The Sacrament of Holy Peace, or Holy Confirmation, is also based on the words of the Savior: But you sit in the city of Jerusalem, until you will be clothed with power from on high(Luke 24:49), with what power the Apostles put on them after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon them. This power is communicated through the sacrament of Confirmation, about which the Apostle Paul also discusses (2 Cor. 1: 21-22), and more clearly Dionysius the Areopagite. The priesthood is based on the following words: Do this in remembrance of me(1 Cor. 11:24); also: Even if you bind on earth, it will be bound in heaven; and even if you allow it on earth, it will be allowed in heaven(Matthew 16:19). Bloodless Sacrifice - on the following: Take, eat: this is my body; drink from her all, this is my blood of the New Testament(1 Cor. 11: 24-25); If you don’t bear the flesh of the Son of man, you don’t drink His blood, you don’t have belly in you(John 6:53). The sacrament of marriage has its basis in the words of God himself, said about him in the Old Testament (Gen. 2: 4); which words were confirmed by Jesus Christ, saying: Hedgehog God combines, let man not part(Matthew 19:16). The Apostle Paul calls marriage a great mystery (Eph. 5:32). Repentance, with which the mysterious confession is united, is affirmed in these words of Scripture: Forgive them their sins, they will be forgiven; and hold on to them, hold on(John 20:23); also: Unless you repent, you will all perish the same way(Luke 13: 3). The Evangelist Mark mentions the sacrament of the Holy Oil, or the prayed Oil, the brother of God testifies more clearly (James 5: 14-15).

The sacraments are composed of the natural and the supernatural, and are not only signs of the promises of God. We recognize them as instruments that must act by grace on those who come to them. But we reject, as alien to the Christian teaching, the opinion that the sacrament is performed only during the actual use (for example, eating, etc.) of an earthly thing (that is, sanctified in a sacrament; as if out of use, a thing sanctified in a sacrament and after consecration remains a simple thing). This is contrary to the sacrament of Communion, which, being established by the Most-Substantial Word and sanctified by the invocation of the Holy Spirit, is accomplished by the presence of the signified, that is, the body and blood of Christ. And the fulfillment of this sacrament of necessity precedes its use through communion. For if it had not been accomplished before communing it: then he who partakes unworthily would not eat and drink to his own judgment (1 Cor. 11:29); because he would partake of simple bread and wine. And now, having communed unworthily, he feeds and drinks judgment on himself. Consequently, the sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated not during the communion itself, but before that. In the same way, we regard as extremely false and impure the teaching that the integrity and perfection of the sacrament is violated by the imperfection of faith. For heretics, whom the Church accepts when they renounce their heresy and join the Universal Church, received perfect Baptism, although they had imperfect faith. And when they finally acquire perfect faith, they are not re-baptized.

Member 16

We believe that Holy Baptism, commanded by the Lord and performed in the name of the Holy Trinity, is necessary. For without him no one can be saved, as the Lord says: If anyone is not born with water and spirit, he cannot bring into the Kingdom of God(John 3: 5). Therefore, babies also need it, for they too are subject to original sin, and without baptism they cannot receive the remission of this sin. And the Lord, showing this, said without any exception, simply: Who will not be born … That is, after the coming of the Savior Christ, all who have entered the Kingdom of Heaven must be reborn. If babies need salvation, they also need baptism. And those who have not been reborn, and therefore have not received absolution in their ancestral sin, are necessarily subject to eternal punishment for that sin, and therefore are not saved. So babies need baptism. Moreover, babies are saved, as the Evangelist Matthew says, and the one who is not baptized is not saved. Consequently, babies must be baptized. And in Acts it says that all the household were baptized (16:33), and therefore babies. The ancient Fathers of the Church also clearly testify to this, namely: Dionysius in his book on the Church Hierarchy and Justin in question 57 says: "Infants are rewarded with the blessings given through baptism by faith of those who bring them to baptism." Augustine also testifies: "There is an Apostolic tradition that babies are saved by baptism." And in another place: "The Church gives babies the feet of others, so that they walk, hearts, so that they believe, a tongue, so that they profess." - And again: "Mother Church gives them a mother's heart." - As for the substance of the sacrament of baptism, it cannot be any other liquid except pure water. It is performed by the Priest; out of need, it can be accomplished by a simple person, but only by the Orthodox and, moreover, who understand the importance of Divine baptism. - The actions of baptism are, in short, the following: firstly, through it, absolution is granted for the sin of the ancestor and for all other sins committed by the baptized. Secondly, the baptized person is freed from the eternal punishment to which everyone is subject both for innate sin and for their own mortal sins. - Thirdly, baptism bestows blessed immortality, for, freeing people from former sins, makes them temples of God. It cannot be said that baptism does not allow for all previous sins, but that although they remain, they no longer have power. To teach in this way is an utter wickedness; it is a refutation of faith, and not a confession of it. On the contrary, every sin that exists or existed before baptism is destroyed and is considered as if it did not exist or never existed. For all the images under which baptism is represented show its cleansing power, and the sayings of Holy Scripture concerning baptism make it clear that through it a complete cleansing is obtained; - can be seen from the very names of baptism. If it is the baptism in spirit and fire, then it is obvious that it brings perfect cleansing; for the spirit cleanses perfectly. If it is light, then all darkness is chased away by it. If it is rebirth, then everything that is old passes by; and this old is nothing but sins. If the baptized one is put off the old man, then the sin is also put off. If he puts on Christ, he actually becomes sinless through baptism; for God is far removed from sinners, and the Apostle Paul clearly states this: As the disobedience of the one man, sin was many, and the obedience of the One righteous will be many(Rom. 5:19). If they are righteous, then they are also free from sin; for life and death cannot abide in one and the same person. If Christ truly died, consequently, the remission of sins through the Holy Spirit is also true.

Member 17

We believe that the all-holy sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, which we have placed fourth above among the sacraments, is mysteriously commanded by the Lord on the night on which He gave himself up for the life of the world. For, taking bread and blessing, He gave it to His disciples and Apostles, saying: Take, eat, this is my body... And taking the cup, giving praise, he said: Drink all from her: this is my blood, which is shed for you for the remission of sins.

We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is present in this sacrament not symbolically, not figuratively (tipikos, eikonikos), not an abundance of grace, as in other sacraments, not only by inspiration, as some Fathers said about baptism, and not through the penetration of bread (kat Enartismon - per impanationem), so that the Deity of the Word should be included in the bread offered for the Eucharist is essential (ipostatikos), as the followers of Luther quite unskilfully and unworthily explain; but truly and truly, so that after the consecration of bread and wine, the bread is blessed, transubstantiated, transformed, transformed into the most true body of the Lord, which was born in Bethlehem from the Ever-Virgin, was baptized in Jordan, suffered, buried, resurrected, ascended, sits at the right hand of God the Father, has to appear in the clouds of heaven; and the wine is transformed and transubstantiated into the very true blood of the Lord, which, during His suffering on the cross, was poured out for the life of the world. We also believe that after the consecration of bread and wine, it is not the bread and wine itself that remains, but the very body and blood of the Lord under the guise and image of bread and wine.

We also believe that although the body and blood of the Lord are divided and fragmented, this happens in the sacrament of communion only with types of bread and wine, in which they are both visible and tangible, but in themselves the essence is completely whole and inseparable. That is why the Ecumenical Church says: "The fragmented, but indivisible, always poisoned and not dependent, but who partakes (of course, worthily) sanctify, is fragmented and divided."

We also believe that in every part, to the smallest particle, of the laid bread and wine, there is not any separate part of the body and blood of the Lord, but the body of Christ, always whole and in all parts one, and the Lord Jesus Christ is present in His essence, then there is with soul and Godhead, or perfect God and perfect man. Therefore, although at the same time there are many sacred rites in the universe, there are not many bodies of Christ, and one and the same Christ is present truly and truly, His one body and one blood in all the separate Churches of the faithful. And this is not because the body of the Lord, which is in heaven, descends on the altars, but because the bread of the offering, prepared separately in all churches, and after sanctification, transformed and transubstantiated, is the same with the body that is in heaven. - For the Lord always has one body, and not many in many places. Therefore, this sacrament, according to the general opinion, is the most miraculous, comprehended by faith alone, and not by the speculations of human wisdom, which vanity and insane sophistication with regard to Divine things is rejected by this holy sacrifice determined for us from above. We also believe that this body and blood of the Lord in the sacrament of the Eucharist should be given special honor and Divine worship; for how much we owe the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the same body and blood of the Lord. - We also believe that this is a true, atoning sacrifice, offered for all piously living and dead, and, as stated in the prayers of this sacrament, committed to the Church by the Apostles according to the behavior of the Lord - “for the salvation of all.” - We also believe that this sacrifice, both before use, immediately after consecration, and after use, kept in consecrated vessels for admonishing the dying, is the true body of the Lord, not at all different from His body, so that both before the use after sanctification, and in the use itself, and after it always remains the true body of the Lord. - We also believe that the word "transubstantiation" does not explain the image by which bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of the Lord; for this cannot be comprehended by anyone except God himself, and the efforts of those who wish to comprehend this can only be the result of madness and wickedness: but it is only shown that bread and wine, after consecration, are transformed into the body and blood of the Lord, not figuratively, not symbolically, not by an abundance of grace, not by a message or influx of the one Divinity of the Only Begotten, and not an accidental belonging to the body and blood of Christ by any change or mixing, but, as said above, truly, really and essentially bread is the most true body of the Lord and the wine is the very blood of the Lord.

Member 18

Some questions and answers to them

Question 1. Should all Christians read Scripture at all?

Answer. We know that all Scripture is divinely inspired and useful, and so necessary that without it it is completely impossible to be godly; however, not everyone is able to read it, but only those who know how to test the Scriptures, study and correctly understand it. Thus, everyone who is pious is allowed to listen to Scripture in order to believe with his heart in the truth and confess with his lips for salvation, but not everyone is allowed to read some parts of Scripture without guidance, especially the Old Testament. Indiscriminately allowing the unskilled reading of the Holy Scriptures is the same as offering infants the use of strong food.

Question 2... Do all reading Christians understand the Scriptures?

Answer. If all reading Christians understood the Holy Scriptures, then the Lord would not have commanded those who wish to receive salvation to experience it. Saint Paul in vain would have said that the gift of teaching was given to the Church from God; Peter would not have said that there is something incomprehensible in the letters of the Pavlovs. So, since it is clear that the Scripture contains the height and depth of thoughts, then experienced and God-enlightened people are required to test it, for true comprehension, for knowing the correct one, consistent with all of Scripture and its Creator, the Holy Spirit. And although the reborn know the doctrine of faith about the Creator, about the incarnation of the Son of God, about His suffering, resurrection and ascension to heaven, about rebirth and judgment, for which doctrine many willingly endured death; but there is no need, or, better, it is impossible for everyone to comprehend what the Holy Spirit reveals only to those who are perfect in wisdom and holiness.

Question 3. How should one think about holy icons and worship of the Saints?

Answer. Since there are Saints, and the Catholic Church recognizes them as representatives, therefore we honor them as friends of God, praying for us before God of all kinds. But our veneration of the Saints is twofold: one refers to the Mother of God the Word, whom we honor more than the servant of God, since the Mother of God, although truly the servant of the One God, is also the Mother, who gave birth to the fleshly One from the Trinity. Therefore, we magnify Her as the highest without comparing all the Angels and Saints, and we give worship more than what is fitting for a servant of God. Another kind of worship, decent for the servants of God, refers to the Holy Angels, Apostles, Prophets, Martyrs, and in general to all Saints. Above this, we honor with worship the tree of the honest and life-giving Cross, on which our Savior suffered for the salvation of the world, the image of the life-giving Cross, the Bethlehem manger, through which we are delivered from speechlessness, the Calvary place, the life-giving Tomb and other holy places, also the Holy Gospel, sacred vessels , in which a bloodless Sacrifice is performed, we honor and glorify the Saints with annual memories of them, national festivities, the construction of holy Temples and offerings. We also worship the icons of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Most Holy Theotokos and all the Saints; we honor these icons and kiss, as well as images of the Holy Angels, as they appeared to some Patriarchs and Prophets; we depict the Holy Spirit as He appeared in the form of a dove.

Those passages, which opponents take from Scripture, to confirm their absurdity, do not favor them as much as they think; on the contrary, they are in perfect agreement with our opinion. For as we read Divine Scripture, we experience time, face, examples, and reasons. Therefore, if we find that the same God in one place says: Do not make yourself an idol, no likeness, but do not bow down, serve them below, and in another he commands the making of Cherubim; and if, moreover, we see in the temple made images of oxen and lions, we do not accept all this superstitiously (for superstition is not faith); but, as they said, considering the time and other circumstances, we come to the correct understanding. The words Do not make yourself an idol or likeness, in our opinion, the same means that the words: do not worship alien gods, do not idolatry. - Thus, both the custom that the Church has kept from the times of the Apostles to worship holy icons and the service that befits one God will remain inviolable, and God will not contradict His words. And that our opponents refer to the Holy Fathers, who supposedly say that it is indecent to worship icons, then these holy men protect us more; because in their contests they more rebel against those who worship the holy icons Divine, or bring images of the relatives of their dead into the temples; they strike such worshipers with anathema, but do not condemn the correct worship of the Saints and holy icons, the honest Cross and all of the above. And that from the Apostolic times holy icons were used in churches, and the believers worshiped them, there are many narrating about this, along with whom the holy Ecumenical 7th Council shameful all heretical blasphemy.

In Constantinople 1723 A.D., the month of September

Jeremiah, by the grace of God, the Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and the Ecumenical Patriarch signed with his own hand, and I testify and confess that this is the Orthodox Faith of our Christ, Apostolic, Catholic and Eastern Church.

Athanasius, by the grace of God, the Patriarch of the great city of God Antioch, signed with his own hand, and I testify, and affirm and confess that this is the Orthodox Faith of our Christ, Apostolic, Catholic and Eastern Church.

Chrysanthus, by the grace of God, the Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem, signed with his own hand, and I testify and confess that this is the Orthodox Faith of our Christ, Apostolic, Catholic and Eastern Church.

Kallinikos of Heraclius, signed with his own hand, in agreement with the heart and lips with the aforementioned Holy Patriarchs, which I will confess until my last breath.

Anthony of Cyzikia, I confess that this is the Catholic Faith of the Eastern Church.

Paisius of Nicomedia signed with his own hand and I confess that this is the Faith of the Catholic Eastern Church.

Gerasimus of Nicea, signed with his own hand and confess that this is the teaching of the Catholic and Eastern Church.

Pachomius of Chalcedon signed with his own hand and I confess and testify that this is the teaching of the Catholic and Eastern Church.

Ignatius of Thessalonica signed with his own hand, confessing and testifying that this is the teaching of the Catholic and Eastern Church.

Anthim of Philippopolis signed with his own hand, confessing and testifying that this is the teaching of the Catholic and Eastern Church.

Kallinikos of Varna, signed with his own hand and I confess and testify that this is the teaching of the Catholic and Eastern Church.

Published by ed .:

Dogmatic epistles of the Orthodox hierarchs of the 17th-19th centuries about the Orthodox faith. Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, 1995. SS. 142-197

I sincerely congratulate all of you on the great holiday of the Nativity of Christ: the holiday of birth in the flesh from the Holy Spirit and the Most Pure Virgin Mary, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now we call on all people, together with the Church, to glorify the Creator and Creator with the words: "Sing to the Lord, all the earth" (irmos of the 1st canon of the Nativity of Christ).

The All-Good God, who loves His creation, sends the Only Begotten Son - the long-awaited Messiah, so that He can accomplish the work of our salvation. The Son of God, who is in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18), becomes the Son of Man and comes into our world to deliver us with His blood from sin and so that the sting of death no longer frightens man.

We know that the wise men who worshiped Christ brought Him gifts. What gift can we bring to the Divine Teacher? The one about whom He Himself asks us: "Give your heart to me, and let your eyes watch my ways" (Proverbs 23, 26). What does it mean to give your heart? The heart is a symbol of life. If it stops beating, the person dies. To give your heart to God is to devote your life to Him. This dedication does not require us to surrender everything we have. We are called only to remove from the heart that which hinders God's presence in it. When all thoughts are occupied only with their own "I", when there is no place for a neighbor in the heart, then there is no place for the Lord in it. The presence of a neighbor in the heart depends primarily on our ability to experience the pain of another person and respond to it with deeds of mercy.

The Lord requires us to observe His ways. Observing the ways of God means seeing the Divine presence in your life and in human history: to see the manifestations of both Divine love and His righteous anger.

My mercy: after a forced two-hundred-year break, the Patriarchate was restored in the Russian land, and the Church in a difficult time of trials found in the person of St. Tikhon, elected Primate, a wise and courageous pastor, whose fervent prayers before the throne

Our Church and people were able to pass through the crucible of trials of the Most High Creator.

Now we are going through a special period: sorrows have not left the world, every day we hear about wars and rumors of war (Matthew 24: 6). But how much of God's love is poured out on the human race! The world exists in spite of the forces of evil, and human love, family values - in spite of incredible efforts to finally destroy, desecrate and pervert them. Faith in God is alive in the hearts of most people. And our Church, despite decades of persecution in the recent past and the mechanisms that have been launched to undermine its authority in the present, has been, remains and will always be a place of meeting with Christ.