13. That the vows of priests and monks, and the prayers which they recite, are agreeable to God. 14. That the books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, the Maccabees, make a part of the Holy Scripture, and are not rejected like those of the Pagans. 15. That the Eastern church also acknowleges seven sacraments, as she has learned from tradition. We, children of the Eastern church, believe all these articles from our heart, and profess them with our tongue, having received from the ancient fathers and holy councils the tradition, which induces us to adopt this belief; and those who entertain on these points other sentiments, are engaged in hurtful and peṛṇicious error. Besides, they SPEAK IMPUDENTLY, in the fury with which they are seized against our orthodox confession, and against the Greek church, and vent their murmurs against her with the utmost insolence, willing to excite a belief that she has fallen into the sentiments of obscure persons, and that she has abandoned the customs and rules of her fathers, which have been authorized by the practice of these same fathers, and confirmed by synods; such as that of Constantinople, under the patriarch Cyril of Berocia, and a little after under the patriarch Parthenius, surnamed the elder, who condemned certain infamous articles, published under the name of Cyril Lucaris, as monsters and falsehoods, which corresponded with the phantoms of the Calvinists. And the refutation of these unfounded opinions of Cyril, in which his fallacies were detected and exposed, have been placed in the archives of the great church. Accordingly we, the undersigned, certify all the articles above-mentioned, to all those who believe and profess the true religion. Given at Pera, July 18, 1671. BARTHOLOMEW of Heraclea, JEREMY of Chalcedon, METHODIUS Of Pisidiæ, ANTHONY of Athens, JOACHIM of Rhodes, NEOPHITUS of Nicomedia. The reader cannot fail to remark the positive and peremptory manner in which this document is worded, together with the tone of indignation which it breathes against those who imputed to the Greek church the errors of Calvinism. All the other documents are drawn up in the same style, and breathe the same spirit 1. NOTE B. Referred to in Page 400. It is really a matter of curiosity to observe the terms in which the first four general councils, at which the respective popes presided by their representatives, are solemnly and officially acknowledged by the church of England by law established. In the act of 1 Eliz. c. 1. ad ann. 1558, sect. 36, occurs the following pas"Provided always, and be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that such person or persons, to whom your highness, your heirs and successors, shall hereafter by letters patent, under the great seal of sage. 1 See loc. cit. p. 411, et seq. England, give authority to have or execute any jurisdiction, power or authority spiritual, or to visit, reform, order, or correct any errors, heresies, schisms, abuses, or enormities by virtue of this act, shall not, in any wise, have authority or power to order, determine, or adjudge any matter or cause to be heresy, but only such as heretofore have been determined, ordered or adjudged to be heresy, by the authority of the canonical Scriptures, or by the first of the four general councils, or any of them, or by any other general council, wherein the same was declared heresy by the express and plain words of the canonical Scriptures." Let the learned reader calmly consider the inevitable consequences of this singular admission, and he will readily discover by what a feeble prop the cause of Protestantism is supported. THE END. W. WILSON, PRINTER, 57, SKINNER-STREET, LONDON. |