SYMBOLA GRÆCA ET RUSSICA.

GREEK AND RUSSIAN SYMBOLS.

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I. ORTHODOXA CONFESSIO FIDEI CATHOLICÆ ET APOSTOLICE ECCLESIÆ ORIENTALIS.

THE ORTHODOX CONFESSION OF THE CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC EASTERN CHURCH. A.D. 1643.....

II. DOSITHEI CONFESSIO, SIVE DECRETA XVIII. SYNODI

HIEROSOLYMITANÆ.

THE CONFESSION OF DOSITHEUS, OR THE EIGHTEEN DECREES OF THE SYNOD OF JERUSALEM. A.D. 1672..

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III. THE LONGER CATECHISM OF THE RUSSIAN CHURCH, PREPARED BY PHILARET. REVISED AND APPROVED BY THE MOST HOLY SYNOD, A.D. 1839....

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THE ORTHODOX CONFESSION OF THE EASTERN

CHURCH. A.D. 1643.

[THE ORTHODOX CONFESSION OF FAITH OF THE CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH OF THE EAST (also called CATECHISM from its method) was drawn up by Peter Mogilas, Metropolitan of Kieff, the father of Russian theology (d. 1647), or under his direction, and was revised and adopted by the GræcoRussian Synod at Jassy, 1643, signed by the Eastern Patriarchs, and approved again by the Synod of Jerusalem, 1672. It sets forth the faith of the Eastern Church in distinction both from the Latin and Protestant Churches. We print the introduction and doctrinal part in full, but omit Parts II. and III., which contain an exposition of the Lord's Prayer, the Beatitudes, and the Ten Commandments, and belong to Ethics rather than Symbolics. In the division of the Decalogue the Greek Church sides with the Reformed against the Roman and the Lutheran. Comp. History, pp. 58 sqq.

The modern Greek text, with the semi-official Latin translation of Panagiota, appeared first at Amsterdam, 1662. It is here reprinted from KIMMEL'S Monumenta Fidei Ecclesiæ Orientalis, Pars I. pp. 56203. On other editions and textual variations, see his Prolegomena, p. lxii.]

Quid tenere atque observare Orthodoxus et Catholicus homo Christianus debet, ut æternæ olim vitæ heres fiat?

RESPONSIO. Rectam fidem et

bona opera. Qui enim hæc duo servat, ille bonus Christianus est,

ex

Απόκρισις. Πίστιν ὀρθὴν καὶ ἔργα καλά. Διατὶ ὁποῖος τὰ δύο ταῦτα κρατεῖ, εἶναι καλός χριστια νὸς, καὶ ἔχει βεβαίαν ἐλπίδα της certamque æternæ salutis spem haαἰωνίου σωτηρίας· μαρτυρούσης τῆς bet teste sacra scriptura (Jac. ii. ἁγίας Γραφῆς (Ἰακ. β'. κδ'.)· ὁρᾶτε, 24): Videtis, quod ex operibus ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος, justificetur homo non autem καὶ οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως μόνον· καὶ ὁ fide tantum. Tum paullo post λόγος κατώτερον (στιχ. κς'.)· ὥσπερ (v. 26) : Nam quemadmodum corγὰρ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος νε- pus sine spiritu mortuum est: ita κρόν ἐστιν, οὕτω καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρίς et fides sine operibus mortua est. τῶν ἔργων νεκρά ἐστι· καὶ ἀλλα- Idem alibi divinus ille Paulus adχοῦ ὁ Παῦλος ὁ θεῖος λέγει τὸ αὐτό struit (1 Tim. i. 19): ‘Habens (α'. Τιμ. α'. ι'.)· ἔχων πίστιν καὶ fidem et bonam conscientiam : qua

ἀγαθὴν συνείδησιν· ἥν τινες ἀπωσά- repulsa nonnulli fidei naufragium fecerunt. Et alio idem loco (1 Tim. iii. 9) : ‘Habentes mysterium fidei in pura conscientia.

μενοι περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἐναυάγησαν καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ (α'. Τιμ. γ'. 3.)· ἔχοντες τὸ μυστήριον τῆς πίστεως ἐν και παρᾷ συνειδήσει.

Ερώτησις β'.

Διατί χρεωστεῖ ὁ χριστιανὸς νὰ πιστεύῃ πρῶτον, καὶ ὕστερα νὰ κάμῃ τὰ καλὰ ἔργα ;

QUÆSTIO II.

Quid vero prius credere, tum deinde bona opera efficere debet Christianus?

Απ. Ἐπειδὴ εἶναι ἀδύνατον νὰ RESP. Quoniam sine fide nemo ἀρέσσῃ τινὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ χωρὶς πίστιν, Deo placere potest, secundum dicκατὰ τὸν Παῦλον λέγοντα (Εβρ. ια'. tum Pauli (Hebr. xi. 6): ‘Fieri ς ́.)· χωρὶς πίστεως ἀδύνατον εὐαρε- non potest, ut sine fide quisquam στῆσαι· πιστεῦσαι γὰρ δεῖ τὸν προσ- placeat; nam qui ad Deum acceερχόμενον τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι ἔστι, καὶ dit, hunc credere oportet, et esse τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτὸν μισθαποδότης Deum, et remuneratorem iis esse, γίνεται. Διὰ νὰ ἀρέσσῃ λοιπὸν ὁ qui illum sedulo quærunt. Ut acχριστιανὸς τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ ceptus igitur Deo homo Christiaνὰ εἶναι εἰς αὐτὸν εὐπρόσδεκτα, πρῶ- nus sit, ut illique grata ejus sint τον πρέπει νὰ ἔχῃ πίστιν εἰς τὸν opera; primum fidem in Deum Θεὸν, καὶ δεύτερον νὰ εὐθήνῃ τὴν habeat oportet: postmodum ut vi

ζωὴν τοῦ κατὰ τὴν πίστιν.

Ερώτησις γ.

Τὰ δύο ταῦτα εἰς τί στέκουνται ;

tam etiam suam ad fidei regulam componat ac conformet.

QUÆSTIO III.

Quibus in rebus hæc duo consistunt?

RESP. In tribus hisce virtutibus theologicis: in Fide, in Spe, in Caritate, secundum quas etiam tres Confessionis hujus partes distribu

Απ. Εἰς τὰς τρεῖς Θεολογικὰς ἀρετάς· ἤγουν εἰς τὴν πίστιν· εἰς τὴν ἐλπίδα καὶ εἰς τὴν ἀγάπην κατὰ τὰς ὁποίας θέλομεν μερίσειν καὶ τὰ τρία μέρη τῆς Ὁμολογίας, ere nobis animus est ; nimirum ut ὥστε εἰς τὸ πρῶτον νὰ ὁμολογήσω- in prima parte concordi concessione μεν περὶ τῶν ἄρθρων τῆς πίστεως, de Articulis Fidei agamus; in seεἰς τὸ δεύτερον περὶ ἐλπίδος, καὶ τῆς cunda, de Spe et Oratione Domini

προσευχῆς τῆς Κυριακῆς, καὶ περὶ ca, et Beatitudinibus Evangelicis: τῶν μακαρισμῶν, εἰς δὲ τὸ τρίτον, in tertia denique, de Præceptis Diπερὶ τῶν θείων ἐντολῶν, ἐν αἷς πε- vinis, quibus Caritas in Deum et ριέχεται ἡ πρὸς Θεὸν καὶ τὸν πλη- Proximum continetur. σίον ἀγάπη.

Πρῶτον μέρος

τῆς ὀρθοδόξου ὁμολογίας,

ἐν ᾧ περὶ Πίστεως.

Ερώτησις δ.

Τί ἐστὶ Πίστις ;

Orthodoxa Confessionis

PARS PRIMA,

DE FIDE.

QUESTIO IV.

Quid est Fides?

RESP. 'Fides (secundum beatum Paulum (Heb. xi. 1) est substan

Απ. Πίστις ἐστι (κατὰ τὸν μα κάριον Παῦλον Ἑβρ. ιά. ά.) ελπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγ- tia earum rerum quæ sperantur, χος οὐ βλεπομένων· ἐν ταύτῃ γὰρ earumque quæ non videntur deἐμαρτυρήθησαν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι· ἢ monstratio; per hanc enim testiοὕτω· πίστις ὀρθόδοξος, καθολική monium consecuti sunt seniores. τε καὶ ἀποστολική ἐστι, καρδίᾳ πι- Aut hunc in modum: Fides Orστεύειν καὶ στόματι ὁμολογεῖν ἕνα thodoxa, Catholica et Apostolica Θεὸν τρισυπόστατον, κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ est corde credere et ore profiteri τοῦ Παύλου διδασκαλίαν, λέγοντος· unum Deum, personis trinum ; id(Ρωμ. ί. ί.) καρδίᾳ γὰρ πιστεύεται que secundum Pauli ipsius doctriεἰς δικαιοσύνην, στόματι δὲ ὁμολο- nam Rom. x. 10): 4 Corde crediγεῖται εἰς σωτηρίαν. Πρὸς τούτῳ tur ad justitiam : ore fit confessio πρέπει να κρατῇ διὰ βέβαιον καὶ ad salutem. Ad hæc pro certo αναμφίβολον ὁ ὀρθόδοξος χριστια- atque indubitato tenere debet or νὸς (ς'. Συνοδ. καν. πβ ́.), πῶς ὅλα thodoxus Christianus (Synod. VI. τὰ ἄρθρα τῆς πίστεως τῆς καθολι- Can. LXXXII.), omnes fidei Artiκῆς καὶ ὀρθοδόξου ἐκκλησίας εἶναι culos, quos Catholica et Orthodoxa παραδεδομένα ἀπὸ τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν credit Ecclesia, a Domino nostro Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν μὲ τὸ μέσον τῶν Jesu Christo per Apostolos Eccleἀποστόλων του εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, siæ traditos: atque ab acumenicis καὶ αἱ οἰκουμενικαὶ σύνοδοι τὰ ἑρ- conciliis expositos approbatosque μηνεύουσαν καὶ τὰ ἐδοκίμασαν, καὶ fuisse. Quos et ipse vera fide νὰ πιστεύῃ εἰς αὐτὰ καθὼς προστάσ- complecti debet, secundum præ

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σει ὁ ̓Απόστολος, λέγων (β'. Θεσσ. ceptum Apostoli (2 Thess. ii. 15): β ́. ιέ.)· ἄρα οὖν, ἀδελφοὶ, στήκετε Vos igitur, fratres, perstate traκαὶ κρατεῖτε τὰς παραδόσεις, ἃς ἐδι- ditionesque tenete, quas sive ex δάχθητε, εἴτε διὰ λόγου εἴτε δι' ἐπισ- sermone nostro sive epistola didiτολῆς ἡμῶν· καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ (α'. Κορ. cistis. Rursus alibi (1 Cor. xi. 2): ια. β'.)· ἐπαινῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅτι Collaudo ego vos, fratres, quod πάντα μου μέμνησθε, καὶ καθὼς πα- mea omnia memoria tenetis; quodρέδωκα ὑμῖν τὰς παραδόσεις, κατέ- que traditiones, prout illas vobis χετε. ̓Απὸ τὰ ὁποῖα λόγια εἶναι tradidi, retinetis Ex hisce maniφανερὸν, πῶς τὰ ἄρθρα τῆς πίστεως festum est, Articulos Fidei auctoriἔχουσι τὸ κῦρος καὶ τὴν δοκιμασίαν, tatem approbationemque suam parμέρος ἀπὸ τὴν ἁγίαν γραφήν, μέρος tim sacræ scripturæ partim tradiἀπὸ τὴν ἐκκλησιαστικὴν, παράδοσιν, tioni Ecclesiasticæ atque doctrina καὶ ἀπὸ τὴν διδασκαλίαν τῶν συνό- Conciliorum sanctorumque Patrum δων καὶ τῶν ἁγίων πατέρων. Το acceptam referre. Quam rem hunc ὁποῖον φανερώνωντας τὸ ὁ ἱερὸς in modum clarius illustrat S. DionyΔιονύσιος λέγει (ἐκκλ. Ιερ. α'.) οϋ- sius (Hierarch. Eccles. cap. i. p. 108, τως· οὐσία γὰρ τῆς κατ ̓ ἡμᾶς ἱε- Morell.): Quippe essentia Hierar ραρχίας ἐστὶ τὰ Θεοπαράδοτα λόγια chiæ hujus nostræ tradita diviniσεπτότατα δὲ λόγια ταῦτα φαμεν, tus oracula sunt, quorum ea quam ὅσα πρὸς τῶν ἐνθέων ἡμῶν ἱεροτε- maxime venerabilia ducimus, quæ λεστῶν ἐν ἁγιογράφοις ἡμῖν καὶ πεο- cunque a divinis doctoribus nostris λογικαῖς δεδώρηται δέλτοις, καὶ μὴν (Apostolis) in sacris ac theologicis ὅσα πρὸς τῶν ἱερῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀΰλω- codicibus nobis data sunt: itemque τέρᾳ μυήσει, καὶ γείτονι πῶς ἤδη τῆς illa, in quibus a sanctissimis istis οὐρανίας ἱεραρχίας ἐκ νοὸς εἰς νοῦν, hominibus immateriali quadam ini διὰ μέσου λόγου σωματικοῦ μὲν. αϋ- tiatione, et coelesti Hierarchiæ jam λωτέρου δὲ ὅμως, γραφῆς ἐκτὸς, οἱ quodammodo vicina, de mente in καθηγεμόνες ἡμῶν ἐμυήθησαν, ἤγουν mentem facta, ope quidem corpoπῶς δύο λογίων εἶναι τὰ δόγματα. reæ sermocinationis, sed minus taΑλλα παραδίδει ἡ γραφὴ, τὰ ὁποῖα men materiatæ, nec ullis literis περιέχονται εἰς τὰ θεολογικὰ βιβλία prodita, præceptores et duces nosτῆς ἁγίας γραφῆς· καὶ ἄλλα εἶναι tri initiati institutique fuere. Sciδόγματα παραδεδομένα ἐκ στόματος licet quod gemina ac duplicia Ecἀπὸ τοὺς ̓Αποστόλους, καὶ τοῦτα clesiæ dogmata sunt: alia literis ἑρμηνεύθησαν ἀπὸ τὰς συνόδους καὶ mandata, quæ divinis sacræ scrip