But it is quoted by the Orthodox and printed in collections of their symbolic works.[1] It consists of twenty-two chapters arranged in no order, in which he discusses not only the faith but such customs as praying towards the East (chap. 21), and not kneeling on Sundays and during Pentecost (chap. 22). The last part, "of the state of the Eastern Church," is made into a separate chapter (23) by Kimmel and Michalcescu. It is a short summary of their Canon Law. Kritopulos makes a speciality of arguments against the procession of the Holy Ghost from both Persons; he divides the Sacraments into two classes, of which only the first class (Baptism, Holy Eucharist, Penance) are strictly Sacraments.[2] His division of "simple" and "economical" theology[3] is curious and is part of his protestantizing tendency. He is very much opposed to the Latins. Besides these Confessions the liturgical books of the Orthodox Church contain prayers and declarations from which its faith may be deduced.[4] These are the sources to which one must refer for a genuine interpretation of their beliefs.
2. The Church and the Primacy.
The Orthodox, of course, believe that Christ our Lord founded one Church only, of which all his followers should be members. It is of this Church that they understand the texts about the Kingdom of Heaven, and they acknowledge in her the triple authority of teaching, ruling, and sanctifying. And this Church is absolutely and exclusively their own communion. Every one who is outside that communion is a schismatic; every one who denies any part of its faith is a heretic. Nothing can be clearer than this in their formulas, prayers, and declarations. It is the faith of their official documents, and it is the consciousness of all their people. They continually
- ↑ Kimmel, ii. pp. 1-213; Michalcescu, pp. 186-252.
- ↑ Chap. 5, Michalcescu, p. 214.
- ↑ Chap. 1, Michalcescu, p. 187.
- ↑ A collection of such prayers, &c., is printed as an appendix to Michalcescu's Bekenntnisse, pp. 277-314.
universities — Oxford, Wittenberg, Tübingen, &c. But he took part in the Synod of Constantinople in 1638 against Lukaris. Cf. Michalcescu, pp. 183-186, who quotes the protestantizing clauses in his Confession.
