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Orthodox Confession
St Peter Mogila, tr. Lodvel, 1762
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Dearly beloved Brother, in our Lord and God, and Saviour,
Jesus Christ,
Be pleased to accept this Labour of Love, of thine unworthy Fellow-Servant; who mindful of the Command, “When thou art converted, strengthen thy Brethren,” presenteth, with all Humility, these his Endeavours, for thine Attainment of the Truth and everlasting Salvation: And, in return, assist him with thy Prayers, to the throne of Grace and Mercy; that whilst he offereth Instruction to others, he may so take heed unto himself, that he become not a Cast-away.
Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the Ways, and see, and ask for the old Paths, where is the good Way, and walk therein, and ye shall find Rest for your Souls. — Jerem. vi. 16.
Unto you that fear my Name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his Wings. — Mal. iv. 2.
THE ORTHODOX CONFESSION OF THE CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC EASTERN CHURCH.
Nectarius, By the Mercy of God, Patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and of all Palestine,
TO All orthodox Readers, my beloved Brethren, and Children in the Lord, Grace, Peace, and Mercy, from God.
If thou desirest, dear Reader, to be instructed in the right Faith and to be enlightened with the Brightness of the immaterial Light; now, whilst thou livest in this thy Material Body which is to live above all visible Beings, and to ascend on the Wings of the Mind, to God; it behoveth thee to read, with the closest Attention, this little book, which containeth a very compendious, yet plain and clear, Comprehension of true Doctrine: as appears, I think fully, from the Title of it; being called, The Orthodox Confession of the Greeks, which is as much as to say: the Pure and Peculiar; inasmuch as it hath no Admixture of Novelty from other Religions. It was originally composed in the Russian Church, which, for a long series of Time, hath conformed herself to the orthodox Canon of the Eastern Church on the following occasion.
Peter Mogila, who lately departed piously, and holily, unto God, being chosen, and ordained, an orthodox Metropolitan, by the most holy, and eminent, the Lord Theophanes, Patriarch of Jerusalem; when he took upon him the Government of the Church of Kieff that was committed to his charge he found his Flock confused and infected, with certain novel Opinions of Sectaries entirely contrary to the genuine and ancient Doctrine of their Forefathers. Wherefore, as became a good Shepherd and zealous Defender of the Faith, he entered immediately on a Resolution, the most pious and pleasing to God, of restoring and conducting the Russian Church into that purity of the holy Doctrine, in which it had flourished from its first Beginning: And of utterly rooting out again those novel Opinions, which then began to spring up in those Parts; and also of filling his spiritual Garner with a joyful Harvest of good and wholesome Fruits.
Having thus wisely and duly determined with himself, he entered upon the Work without any Delay; and convened, in his metropolitical City, a number of the learned and eminent Persons of his Province: Having first of all gathered together his three Bishops who were ordained at the same time together with him by the same most praiseworthy Patriarch of Jerusalem. Here after many Disquisitions, it was, with one Consent and one Voice, agreed by all, that they should consign this Exposition of the Faith to writing, Point by Point, and lay it before the Church of Constantinople, and her holy Synod, for a more mature Examination, and Judgment of the Matter: (for at that time they followed the Authority of that Church, and unto her, as to an Head did all the Orthodox Greeks submit themselves; and on her fixed their Attention, as on a most sure Guide) to the end that whatsoever Articles she confirmed by her Approbation, the same they should firmly retain: and reject as spurious and false, whatsoever she condemned. Having in this manner finished the book which they called The Exposition of the Russian Faith; they solicited that some Synodical Curators, and Patriarchal Exarchs, might be sent into Moldavia, and promised, that they should send thither also certain Delegates from themselves; by whom these Heads of their Faith should first be accurately examined, namely, whether they agreed or not, with the sound and right Doctrines of the Eastern Church, After which they should be publicly and solemnly communicated to the Church of Constantinople. There were therefore sent for this purpose, from the holy Synod, the most holy Metropolitan of Nice, Porphyrius; and Meletius Syrigus, Doctor of the Church, a Man who from his Childhood, having been nourished and brought up in true, and holy Doctrines, was most eminent for Sanctity of Life and exquisite Learning; and was deservedly esteemed to be, and really was, the Preacher, Interpreter, and very Rule itself, of the most genuine and true Doctrines of the Faith. Representing therefore the very Person of the Patriarch; and vested with the most full and plenary Powers of the whole sacred Synod; he went into Moldavia, as we had said, together with Porphyrius; whither also, sent from the Russians, came Isaias Trophimus, and Conovicius, and Xenovicius; Men truly excellent, adorned with all kind of Learning and liberal Knowledge. These three taking God only for their Guide and Master, who is the Giver of all Knowledge, and of all true Holiness and Understanding, brought the book to this excellent Conclusion; having by much mutual Disquisition and Disputation thoroughly purged it from all foreign Doctrines and Defilements of Novelty, and then forthwith he sent it to the most holy four orthodox Patriarchs, the Successors in the Seats of the Apostles, to be reviewed and considered of. They also confirmed it with their Approbation, as containing the true and genuine Doctrines, and in nothing departing from the sincere and catholic Faith of the Greeks: And declared it to be pure and uncorrupt; by the universal Judgment, Determination, and Consent of all, And furthermore by their own proper subscription, and of their Clergy as appears hereunto annexed, they decreed and confirmed it; and entitled it, not only of the Russians, but by a more universal Appellation, The orthodox Confession of all the Greeks. Yet however, this book as it was but lately to be had in print among the Russians, so among the Greeks it was only to be had in Manuscripts, and that but very rarely: Whereupon the Lord Panagiota, Interpreter to his imperial Majesty of the East and West, A person of Wisdom and Piety, and entirely devoted to true Religion; as he is most regardful and affectionate of our Greek Nation, and zealous Contender for the orthodox Faith; among his many other magnificent Works and public Employments, wherein he is daily and hourly engaged, he willingly undertook the Care and Patronage of this also; and caused this book to be printed at his own Expense in our and the Latin Languages: That every one, who was desirous to increase in Piety, might without any Expense (For he caused the Copies to be distributed to all gratis) be provided with a book: from whence as from a source of pure and living Water, and out of the genuine Fountain of Salvation (Isaiah xiii. 3) draw the sacred Doctrine of our Church, unpolluted with the muddy and foreign Opinions of Sectaries. And now, let no one marvel, that this book is expressed in a plain Style, and unadorned with Eloquence; seeing that thereby, it is not only fitted for the learned, but the unlearned Multitude also: For the wise and prudent Reader ought not to regard the unfinished Manner of Expression, but the truth of the Words and Thoughts: but rather we are bound to the highest and most perpetual thanks unto him who hath bestowed so great a Benefit upon us, and implore God, with ceaseless Prayers, that he would be pleased abundantly to reward him; and in the world to come, crown him with an everlasting Retribution.
Given at our Court at Constantinople Monastery the xx Day of November ciↄiↄclxii.
Parthenius, By the Mercy of God, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and Universal Patriarch.
Our Mediocrity, together with the sacred Congregation of Archbishops, and Clergy, here present, have carefully perused a Book transmitted unto us from our own Sister, the Church of Little Russia, entitled, The Orthodox Confession of Faith of the Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ; Wherein those Things are treated of under a threefold Division, of Faith, and Charity, and Hope; so that Faith is set forth in the Twelve Articles of Faith, or the holy Nicene Creed: Charity in the Ten Commandments, and in the holy and divinely inspired Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, shewing what is necessary to be believed; Hope in the Lord’s Prayer, and the nine sacred Evangelical Beatitudes. We find the said Book to be set in the Footsteps of the Church of Christ and to be agreeable to the holy Canons, from which it differeth not in any Part: But not having Read the Latin Translation Thereof, which is in the opposite Pages, we do only confirm that, which is written in our Language, We do therefore with an unanimous and Synodical Sentence; decree and ordain, that every pious and orthodox Christian, who is a Member of the Eastern and Apostolical Church, do attentively, and sedulously, read and receive the said Book.
In perpetual Faith and Assurance whereof we have confirmed these Presents with our Subscriptions this xi Day of March in the Year ciↄiↄcxliii.
Subscribed by the Hand of the most holy Patriarch thus:
Parthenius, By the Mercy of God, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and universal Patriarch.
Joannicius, By the Mercy of God, Papas and Patriarch of the Great City of Alexandria, and Judge of the Universe.
Macarius, By the Mercy of God, Patriarch of the Great City of Antioch.
Paisius, By the Mercy of God, Patriarch of the holy City of Jerusalem.
Laurence, of Ancyra.
Gregory, of Lissa.
Pachomius, of Chalcedon.
Parthenius, of Adrianople.
Joannicius, of Berrhœa.
Meletius, of Rhodes.
Cornelius, of Methymna.
Gabriel, of Lacedæmon.
Parthenius, of Chio.
Lascaris, Great Logothetes of the great Church.
Christodulus, Great Oeconomus of the great Church.
Michael, Great Rhetor of the great Church.
Theologus, Priest, Great Chaplain of the great Church.
George, Lesser Chaplain of the great Church.
The Great Chartophylax, of the great Church.
Thomas Blastus, Protecdik of the great Church.
Philip, Protonotary of the great Church.
Constantine, Protapostolary of the great Church.
Nicolaus, Logothetes of the great Church.
Constantine, Comentariensis of the great Church.
Michael, Dicæophylax of the great Church.
Chrysosculus, Logothetes of the public Treasury of the great Church.
These copies are to be given, and presented gratis, to all pious Christians, for the Benefit of the Soul of the most illustrious and eloquent Lord, the Lord Panagiota.
THE ORTHODOX CONFESSION OF THE CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC EASTERN CHURCH.