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Orthodox Confession
St Peter Mogila, tr. Lodvel, 1762
Part 2, 1. Questions 1–10
Question 1
What is Hope?
Answer.
Hope is a true Confidence in God, bestowed on the Heart of Man by the divine Enlightening and Inspiration, that he might never despair of God’s Grace and Favour in granting his Petitions, whether they be for Pardon of his Sins, or for any other spiritual or temporal Good. Concerning which the Apostle sayeth thus (Heb. x. 35), Cast not away, therefore, your Confidence, which hath great Recompense of Reward. And elsewhere (Rom. viii. 24), We are saved by Hope; but Hope that is seen is not Hope; for what a Man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we, through Patience, wait for it.
Question 2
Whence have we this sure and certain Hope?
Answer.
All our Hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ; as the Apostle sayeth (1 Tim. i. 1), By the Commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our Hope. Because from him we receive all things: as Christ himself teacheth (John xiv. 13), Whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Now, hereby is to be understood the divine Grace; for by Jesus Christ both Grace and Truth were given unto us: According to the blessed Scripture (John i. 17), For the Law was given by Moses, but Grace and Truth by Jesus Christ. And in this Grace is all our Hope founded. We also place great Confidence in the Observation of God’s Commands, seeing Christ hath said (John xiv. 21), He that hath my Commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him. Moreover, our Hope is confirmed by the Communion of the awful and most holy Mysteries; namely, of the Body and Blood of Christ; whereby the Lord himself doth dwell in us: As himself testifieth (John vi. 56), He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood dwelleth in me, and I in him. Lastly, Our Faith is established by constant Prayer: As we are taught by the Apostle (James v. 13), Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. And another Apostle saith (Jude ver. 20), Ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy Faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal Life.
Question 3
What is necessary to be considered in order to a right Comprehension of this second Part of the Orthodox Confession?
Answer.
In this second Part of the Orthodox Confession, it seemeth best that we should take into Consideration the Lord’s Prayer and the Nine Beatitudes; for whatsoever we would obtain of God, we must ask both with a true and lively Faith, and also with Hope that God will assuredly grant out Petitions: According to the Apostle (1 Thess. v. 24), Faithful is he that calleth you; who also will do it. In like manner, through Hope, we make these Beatitudes ours when we exercise those Virtues in hopes of obtaining the Blessings which are promised as a Reward for them.
Question 4
What is Prayer?
Answer.
Prayer is a certain Petition offered up to God, out of an ardent Faith, with the Hope of obtaining that which we ask, according to his Will. Or it is thus to be defined: Prayer is a lifting up of our Minds and Wills to God, whereby we praise him or beseech him, or give Thanks unto him for his Benefits towards us.
Question 5
How ought a Man to prepare himself for praying?
Answer.
It is to be observed that there be three principal Kinds of Prayer.
First, When we give Thanks to God for his Benefits unto us, as the ancient People of Israel gave Thanks unto God for their Deliverance out of Egypt. In like manner, we ought, at all Times, to give Thanks for the great Benefits we have received at his Hands, but more especially for that he hath delivered us from the Bondage of the most cruel Enemy of our Souls: According to the Apostle (1 Thess. v. 17), Pray without ceasing; in everything give Thanks; for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. And again (1 Cor. i. 4), I thank my God always on your Behalf for the Grace of God, which is given you by Jesus Christ. And also elsewhere (Coloss. i. 12), Giving Thanks unto the Father, who hath made us meet to be Partakers of the Inheritance of the Saints in Light; who hath delivered us from the Power of Darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.
The second Kind of Prayer is that whereby we beseech God for Pardon of our Sins; that is, that he would deliver us from the Punishment due to them, and that he would pour out upon our Souls and Bodies the Abundance of his holy Grace. Of this Kind, we offer up our Prayers both for Ourselves and for our Neighbour; according to the Apostle (Coloss. i. 9), For this Cause we also, since the Day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the Knowledge of his Will, in all Wisdom and spiritual Understanding.
The third Kind of Prayer is that wherein we praise and magnify the Lord our God for his excellent Majesty and immortal Glory; according to that of the holy Prophet (Psal. cxlv. 2), Every Day will I give Thanks unto Thee; and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and Marvellous, worthy to be praised; there is no End of his Greatness. One Generation shall praise thy Works unto another, and declare thy Power. Of this Kind, especially, is the Great Doxology (Glory be to God in the highest, &c.) which we daily say or sing in the Church.
Question 6
What is further necessary in order to pray?
Answer.
It is requisite that when we go to pray we should rightly prepare ourselves; namely, with Soberness, Temperance, and Reverence: As we are taught by the Apostle (Tit. ii. 12), That, denying Ungodliness and worldly Lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present World; and also with Compunction of Heart, as the same Apostle says elsewhere (Coloss. iii. 16), Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all Wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms, and Hymns, and spiritual Songs; singing with Grace in your Hearts unto the Lord. But all Wrath and Malice must be put away from him that goeth to pray: According to the Scripture (Matth. vi. 15), If ye forgive not Men their Trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your Trespasses. If, therefore, there be any one that hath aught against us, we must first be reconciled unto him: According to the Scripture (Matth. v. 23), Therefore, if thou bring thy Gift to the Altar, and there rememberest that thy Brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy Gift before the Altar, and go thy Way; first be reconciled to thy Brother, and then come and offer thy Gift. We must also, when we are praying, put far away from us all other Thoughts but those of Devotion, that our Prayer may be pure and acceptable to God; lest God pronounce of us as he did of the Hypocrites (Mark vii. 6), This People honoureth me with their Lips, but their Heart is far from me. And further, lest we be liable to that of the Psalmist (Psal. cix. 7), Let his Prayer be turned into Sin.
Question 7
What is the Lord’s Prayer?
Answer.
Our Father which art in Heaven; Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven, &c.
Question 8
Into how many Parts is the Lord’s Prayer divided?
Answer.
Three. The Preface, or Invocation; the Petitions; and the Conclusion.
Question 9
What is the Preface, or Invocation?
Answer.
Our Father which art in Heaven.
Question 10
What meaneth this Invocation?
Answer.
First, It teacheth that whoso prayeth unto God ought to appear before him, not only as his Creature, but also as his Son by Grace; for unless he be his Son he cannot call upon God as his Father. Now, this Grace of Adoption, whereby we are made the Sons of God, we receive from Christ, who hath bestowed it on those that believe in him: As saith the Scripture (John i. 12), As many as received him, to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God. And elsewhere (Gal. iv. 6), Because ye are Sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son unto your Hearts, crying, Abba, Father. And for this Reason, therefore, we call God our Father.
Secondly, It is requisite that he who goeth about to pray should be a Son of the Catholic and Orthodox Church; for whosoever hath not the Church for a Mother, neither can he have God for his Father: As it is said (Matth. xviii. 17), Tell it unto the Church; but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an heathen Man and a Publican.
Thirdly, Let not the devout Petitioner doubt but that he shall receive that which he asketh for, seeing he prayeth unto the most indulgent and merciful, as the common Father of all: According to the Scripture (Luke vi. 36), Be ye, therefore, merciful, as your Father which is in Heaven is merciful, who not only doth not deny us, but even doth himself stir us up to ask of him, and teacheth us how; and with infinite Mercy accepts our Prayers, provided only they be offered up with Humility and Sincerity: For he well knows wherefore we ask. And the Scripture says (Matth. vi. 8), Your Father knoweth whereof ye have Need, before ye ask him. And in another Place (Matth. vii. 11), If ye then, being evil, know how to give good Gifts to your Children, how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good Things to them that ask him!
Fourthly, This Introduction, or Invocation, teacheth us, that as God is the Father of us all, in like Manner we, who are of the Faithful, should be unto each other as Brothers; and not only pray to God for ourselves, but also for our Brethren, interceding for each other: According to the Scripture (James v. 16), Pray one for another, that ye may be healed; namely, to God, who is our Common Father; as Christ himself teacheth us (Matth. xxiii. 9), Call no Man your Father upon the Earth, for one is your Father which is in Heaven. And when he beholds this our brotherly Love (which he so frequently recommends to us in his holy Gospel), he is both pleased with it, as a Father, and, also, more induced thereby to hear us when we pray, and to grant our Petitions.
Fifthly, By these Words, which art in Heaven, we are taught that when we pray we should raise our Minds and Thoughts wholly above all earthly and worldly Things, and fix them entirely on Heaven and Things incorruptible. Nevertheless, God, our Father, is not only in Heaven, but he is present in all Places and filleth all Things: But whereas his Grace and Glory more abundantly are manifest in Heaven, it is, therefore, said to be his Throne: According to that of the Psalmist, where he said (Psal. xi. 4), The Lord’s Seat is in Heaven, and also (Psal. ciii. 19), The Lord hath prepared his Seat in Heaven, and his Kingdom ruleth over all.