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Letters concerning the Establishment of the Holy Synod (1723)
Eastern Patriarchs, tr. King, 1865
15. Article 15
We believe that the evangelical mysteries in the Church are in number seven. For a less or a greater number of mysteries in the Church we have not. For the number of mysteries except the seven, is an invention of heretical foolishness. But the number seven is instituted by the Holy Gospel, as also the other dogmas of the Catholic faith. For example, he (Christ) commanded, saying: “Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” (Matt. 28: 19.) Also this: “He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16: 16.) But the mysteries of holy oil and holy chrism he taught by this, “But tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high,” (Luke 24: 49,) with which power they were clothed by the coming of the Holy Ghost. And this, the mystery of holy chrism makes manifest, concerning which (mystery) Paul also speaks of in the second Epistle to the Corinthians, (chap. 1: 21, 22,) and more clearly is it discussed by Dionysius the Areopagite. But the mystery of ordination is taught by this, “This do in remembrance of me,” (Luke 22: 19,) and by this: “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matt. 18: 18.) But the mystery of the bloodless sacrifice by this, “Take, eat, this is my body. Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the New Testament,” (Matt. 26: 26, 27, 28;) and this: “Except ye eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” (John 6: 53.) And that of marriage, after what is said in the Old Testament concerning it, (is taught) by his ratification of it saying: “What, therefore, God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” (Matt. 19: 6.) Which also the divine Apostle calls a “great mystery.” (Eph. 5: 32.) But the mystery of repentance, with which that of mysterious confession is combined, is taught by this, “Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained,” (John 20: 23,) and by this: “But except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luke 13: 3.) But the holy oil, or anointing with oil, is spoken of in Mark 6: 13, and it is expressly testified to by the brother of God, (James 5: 14, 15.) But the mysteries consist both of the natural and the supernatural. They are not, however, simple signs of the promises of God. But we confess that they are necessarily efficacious means of grace to the initiated.
But we reject as foreign to Christian doctrine, that the perfection of the mysteries requires the use of any earthly thing. For this is contrary to the mystery of the Eucharist, which mystery being instituted by a substantive verb and sanctified by the invocation of the Holy Ghost, is perfected by the actual existence of the signified body and blood of Christ. And the perfection of this necessarily precedes the use. For, if before the use it were not perfect, he who used it unworthily would not eat and drink condemnation to himself, having partaken only of simple bread and wine. But now unworthily partaking of this, he eats and drinks damnation to himself; so that the mystery of the Eucharist is not in the use, but in the rite which precedes the use. We also reject, as vile and abominable, this: that where faith is wanting the whole of the mystery is lost. For heretics who were once baptized, when they have cast away their heresy and are joined to the Catholic Church, the Church receives, although they have had a defective faith, by virtue of their having received perfect baptism, and therefore having afterward acquired a perfect faith they are not re-baptized.