κολοβοῦντες καὶ καθυβρίζοντες· τοῦ διαβόλου | ram Sacram perperam interpretando, decur εἰσὶ σοφίσματά τε καὶ ἐφευρήματα. ̓Αλυσιτελὲς δὲ καὶ τὸ ἀδύνατον τῇ ἐκκλησία βρωμάτων τινῶν ἀποχὰς καὶ νηστείας διατάττειν ἄνευ βίας καὶ τυραννίδος. Η γὰρ ἐκκλησία πρὸς νέκρωσιν τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ ὅλως τῶν παθῶν, μάλα καλῶς ποιοῦσα, διατάττει ἐπιμελῶς τὴν προσευχὴν καὶ τὴν νηστείαν, ἧς ἐρασταὶ καὶ τύποι γεγόνασι οἱ ἅγιοι πάντες, δι' ὧν τῇ ἄνωθεν χάριτι καθαιρόμενος ὁ ἀντίδικος ἡμῖν διάβολος σὺν τοῖς στρατεύμασι καὶ ταῖς δυνάμεσι αὐτοῦ ῥᾳδίως τελειοῦται ὁ προκείμενος τοῖς εὐσεβέσι δρόμος. Ταῦτα οὖν σκεπτομένη ἡ ἄσπιλος ἁπανταχοῦ ἐκκλησία οὐ βιάζει οὐδὲ τυραννεῖ· ἀλλὰ παρακαλεῖ, νουθετεῖ, διδάσκει τὰ τῆς γραφῆς καὶ πείθει τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ πνεύματος. Προστίθησι δὲ τοῖς εἰρημένοις καί τις άνθρωπίσκος ὁ ἐν Καρεντονίᾳ προειρημένος, φαμέν, Κλαύδιος καὶ ἕτερά τινα καθ ̓ ἡμῶν γελοῖα καὶ μηδενὸς λόγου ἄξια· ἀλλ ̓ ἡμεῖς καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα αὐτῷ μύθους ἡγούμεθα καὶ τοῦτον αὐτὸν τερατοποιὺν καὶ πάντη ἀμαθῆ γνωρίζομεν. Καὶ μετὰ Φώτιον γὰρ μύριοι ὅσοι καὶ γεγόνασι καί εἰσιν ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ καὶ Θεολογίᾳ καὶ ἁγιότητι παρὰ τῇ ἀνατολικῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ διαφέροντες τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ πνεύματος. Γελοιότατον δὲ καὶ τὸ· διὰ τὸ ἔχειν τινὰς τῶν ἀνατολικῶν ἱερέων τὸν ἅγιον ἄρτον ἐν σκεύεσι ξυλίνοις, ἔσω που τοῦ ναοῦ, ἔξω τοῦ βήματος ἔν τινι τῶν κιόνων κρεμάμενον, μὴ ὁμολογεῖν αὐτοὺς τὴν πραγματικὴν καὶ ἀληθῆ μεταβολὴν τοῦ ἄρτου εἰς τὸ σῶμα τοῦ κυρίου. Ὅτι μὲν γὰρ τινες τῶν πτωχῶν ἱερέων ἔχουσι τὸ δεσποτικὸν σῶμα ἐν σκεύεσι ξυλίνοις, οὐκ ἀρνούμεθα· καὶ γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐχ ὑπὸ λίθων καὶ μαρμάρων τιμᾶται, ἀλλὰ διάνοιαν ὑγιῆ καὶ καρδίαν καθαρὰν αἰτεῖ παρ' ἡμῶν. tando et injuriose tractando; diaboli sophismata esse dicimus et inventa. Neque minus inepte garriunt, non posse Ecclesiam absque violentia et tyrannide ab quibusdam cibis abstinentiam et jejunia constituere. Enimvero recte admodum ad carnis et passionum prorsus mortificationem orationem et jejunia, quorum amantes ac exem pla exstitere sancti omnes, sollicite præcipit: quibus, ac celestis ope gratiæ dejecto cum exercitibus et virtutibus suis adversante nobis diabolo, propositum sibi cursum perquam facile fideles absolvunt. Hunc igitur quum inculpata ubique Ecclesia spectat, vim nullam, nullam adhibet tyrannidem, sed hortatur, sed admonet, sed ea, quæ Scripturæ sunt, edocet, illaque Sancti Spiritus operante virtute persuadet. His et nonnulla adversum nos ridicula penitusque contemnenda homuncio quidam apud Carentonium Claudius nomine, uti diximus, adjicit. Sed et inter fabulas, quæcunque dixit ille, recensemus, ipsumque circulatorem ac funditus illiteratum agnoscimus. Etenim etiam post Photium quam plurimi apud Orientalem Ecclesiam exstiterunt et sunt per virtutem Spiritus Sancti sapientia, theologia et sanctitate præstantes. Ineptissimam pariter adversarii nostri premunt argumentationem, quum Orientales nonnullos sacerdotes realem ac veram panis in corpus Domini conversionem minime confiteri inde probari contendunt, quod panem sanctum in aliquo templi loco extra Bema sive Sanctuarium ligneis inclusum thecis ad aliquam appensum columnam asservant. Neque enim negamus, pauperes quosdam sacer dotes ligneis in vasis Dominicum corpus asservare; verum nec lapidibus nec marmoribus honoratur Christus; sed mentem sanam et cor purum a nobis exposcit. Hoc ipsum et Paulo contigit. Ait enim: Habemus thesaurum in vasis fictilibus. Ast singulis in Ecclesiis, quarum per facultates Τοῦτο καὶ Παύλῳ συμβέβηκεν· ἔχομεν γάρ, φησι, τὸν θησαυρὸν ἐν ὀστρακίνοις σκεύεσιν. Ὅπου δ ̓ αἱ κατὰ μέρος ἐκκλησίαι δύνανται, ὥσπερ τυχὸν παρ' ἡμῖν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις, ἔνδον licet, quemadmodum apud nos Ierosolymis, τοῦ ἁγίου βήματος ἑκάστου τῶν ναῶν τὸ δεσποτικὸν σῶμα τιμᾶται καὶ φωταγωγεῖται ἀείποτε ἑπταφώτῳ κανδήλη. in sacro cujuslibet templi bemate dominicum corpus honoratur, septemplici lampade coram illo jugiter ardente. Mihi vero subit admirari, quomodo ob collapsos fortassis vetustate sacrarii muros dominicum corpus extra sacrarium hæretici viderint appensum, unde et absur Επεισι δέ μοι θαυμάζειν, πῶς τὸ δεσποτι κὸν σῶμα παρά τινι ἐκκλησίᾳ ἴδον κρεμάμενον οἱ αἱρετικοὶ ἔξω τοῦ βήματος, διὰ τὸ ἴσως σεσαθρῶσθαι τοὺς τοίχους τοῦ βήματος ὑπὸ τῆς παλαιότητος, κἀκ τούτου συμπεραίνουσι dissima conficiunt; Christum vero non viτὰ ἀσύστατα· τὸν δὲ Χριστὸν οὐκ εἶδον ὑπὸ τὸ ἡμικύκλιον τοῦ ἁγίου βήματος ἱστορούμενον ὡς βρέφος ἔνδον τοῦ δίσκου, ἵνα ίδωσιν, ὅτι, ὡς ἱστοροῦσιν οἱ ἀνατολικοὶ ἔνδον τοῦ δίσκου οὐ τύπον, οὐ χάριν, οὐκ ἄλλο τι, ἀλλ ̓ αὐτὸν τὸν Χριστὸν, οὕτω καὶ πιστεύουσι, τὸν ἄρτον τῆς εὐχαριστίας οὐκ ἄλλο τι, ἀλλ ̓ αὐτὸ γίνεσθαι οὐσιωδῶς τὸ σῶμα τοῦ κυρίου καὶ οὕτω συμπαραινοῦσι τὸ ἀληθὲς. ̓Αλλὰ περὶ μὲν τούτων ἁπάντων εἴρηται πλατύτερον καὶ σαφέστερον τῷ ὀρθοδόξῳ λεγομένῃ τῆς ἀνατολικῆς ἐκκλησίας ὁμολογίᾳ· Γεωργίῳ Χίῳ τῷ Κορεσίῳ ἐν τοῖς περὶ μυστηρίων καὶ προορισμοῦ καὶ χάριτος καὶ τοῦ ἐφ ̓ ἡμῖν, καὶ πρεσβείας καὶ προσκυνήσεως ἁγίων καὶ προσκυνήσεως εἰκόνων, καὶ ἐν τῇ πονηθείσῃ αὐτῷ ἀντιῤῥήσει κατὰ τῆς ἐν Φλανδρίᾳ ποτὲ τῶν αἱρετικῶν ἀθεμίτου συνόδου καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις πολλοῖς· Γαβριὴλ Πελοποννησίῳ τῷ μητροπολίτη Φιλαδελφίας καὶ Γρηγορίῳ πρωτοσυγγέλλῳ τῷ Χίῳ ἐν τοῖς περὶ μυστηρίων, Ιερεμίᾳ τῷ ἁγιωτάτῳ πατριάρχη Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἐν τρισὶ δογματικαῖς καὶ συνοδικαῖς πρὸς τοὺς ἐν Τυβίγγῃ τῆς Γερμανίας Λουθήρους ἐπιστολαῖς· Ἰωάννη ἱερεῖ καὶ οἰκονόμῳ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως τῷ Ναθαναήλ• Μελετίῳ Συρίγῳ τῷ Κρητί ἐν τῷ πονηθείσῃ αὐτῷ ὀρθοδόξῳ ἀντιῤῥήσει κατὰ τῶν κεφαλαίων καὶ ἐρωτήσεων τοῦ λεγομένου Κυρίλλου Θεοφάνῃ τῷ πατριἀρχῃ Ἱεροσολύμων ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ρωξολάνους δογματικῇ ἐπιστολῇ, καὶ ἄλλοις μυρίοις. Προ τούτων δὲ εἴρηται μάλιστα καλῶς Συμεὼν τῷ Θεσσαλονίκης καὶ πρὸ ἐκείνου πᾶσι τοῖς πατρᾶσι καὶ ταῖς οἰκουμενικαῖς συνόδοις, ἱστορικοῖς τε ἐκκλησιαστικοῖς, καὶ μὴν καὶ τοῖς ἐπὶ τῶν Χριστιανῶν Ρωμαίων αὐτοκρατόρων συγγράψασι τὰς ἐξωτερικὰς ἱστορίας εἴρηται σπο derint infantis specie in disco sacri bema- esse. Sed et fusius juxta ac luculentius de istis dictum est in libro, qui Confessio orthodora Ecclesia Orientalis inscribitur; item ab Georgio Chio Coresio in libris de sacramentis, de prædestinatione et gratia, de libero arbitrio, de invocatione et adoratione sanctorum, de veneratione imaginum, et in confutatione pseudosynodi ab hæreticis in Belgio habitæ, et in aliis plurimis; item ab Gabriele Peloponnesio Philadelphiæ Metropolita ; item ab Gregorio Chio Protosyncello in libro de sacramentis, item ab Jeremia sanctissimo Patriarcha Constantinopoleos in tribus dogmaticis ac synodalibus epistolis ad Lutheranos Tubingenses; item ab Ioanne Nathanaele Presbytero et Economo Constantinopoleos; item ab Meletio Syrigo Cretensi in ea, quam composuit, refutatione orthodoxa capitum et quæstionem Cyrilli, quem vocant; item ab Theophane Hierosolymorum Patriarcha in dogmatica ad Roxolanos epistola; item ab aliis innumeris ; sed et ante istos ab Symeone Thessalonicensi de iisdem egregie scriptum, imo ab omnibus retro ipsum patribus, synodis cecumenicis et Annalium ecclesiasticorum scriptoribus, quin etiam et ab iis, qui sub Christiano-Romanis principibus degentes res politicas sparsim ράδην, οἷς ἅπασι τὰ εἰρημένα χωρὶς πάσης | sunt prosecuti. Quorum omnia una sentenἀντιλογίας εἴληπται παρὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὧν tia est ab Apostolis prædicta omnia dimaαἵ τε διὰ γραφῆς καὶ λόγου παραδόσεις διὰ τῶν nasse, quorum traditiones sive scripto sive πατέρων ἀφίκοντο μέχρις ἡμῶν. verbo per patres ad nos usque pervenere. Συνίστησι δὲ τὰ προειρημένα καὶ ὁ παρὰ τῶν αἱρετικῶν λόγος. Νεστορίται μὲν γὰρ μετὰ ἔτη τῆς σωτηρίας υκή, ̓Αρμήνιοί τε καὶ Κόπται καὶ Σύροι καὶ ἔτι Αἰθίοπες οἱ ὑπὸ τὸν ἰσημερινὸν καὶ ἐπέκεινα τούτου κατὰ τὸν χειμερινὸν τροπικὸν οἰκοῦντες, οὓς καὶ Καμπεσίους οἱ ἐνταῦθα κοινῶς ὀνομάζουσι, μετὰ ἔτη . τῆς ἐνσάρκου ἐπιδημίας ἀπεῤῥάγησαν τῆς καΘόλου ἐκκλησίας καὶ· ἕκαστος τούτων ἔχει μόνην τὴν αἵρεσιν, ἣν ἅπαντες ἀπὸ τῶν πρακτικῶν τῶν οἰκουμενικῶν ἴσασι συνόδων. Περὶ μέντοι τοῦ σκόπου καὶ τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ τῶν ἱερῶν μυστηρίων καὶ τῶν εἰρημένων ἡμῖν ἀνωτέρω ἅπαντων-πλὴν τῆς ἰδίας αὐτῶν αἱρέσεως, ὡς εἴρηται—ὡσαύτως πιστεύουσι τῇ καθολικῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, ὡς αὐτοῖς ὄμμασιν ὅσαι ὥραι βλέπομεν καὶ αἰσθήσαι καὶ λόγῳ μανθάνομεν, ἐνταῦθα ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ πόλει Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἐν ᾧ ἀπὸ πάντων καὶ οἰκοῦσι καὶ πάντοτε ἐπιδημοῦσι πλεῖστοι ὅσοι παρ' αὐτῶν, σοφοί τε, ὅσον τὸ κατ αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἰδιῶται. Σιωπάτωσαν τοίνυν οἱ κενόφωνοι καὶ νεωπερισταὶ αἱρετικοὶ καὶ μὴ ἐπιχειρείτωσαν ἔκ τε τῆς γραφῆς καὶ τῶν πατέρων καθ' ἡμῶν κλέπτοντες ῥησίδιά τινα σεσοφισμένως εἰς σύστασιν τοῦ ψεύδους, ὡς πεποιήκασι πάντες οἱ ἀπ ̓ αἰῶνος ἀποστάται καὶ αἱρετικοὶ, καὶ λεγέτωσαν ἕν καὶ μόνον, ὅτι προφασιζόμενοι προφάσεις ἐν ἁμαρτίαις προήρηνται λαλεῖν ἄδικα κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ βλάσφημα κατὰ τῶν ἁγίων. Επίλογος. Validissimum porro habemus prædictorum vel ex ipsis hæreticis argumentum. Etenim Nestoriani post annum salutis CCCCXXVIII., item Armenii et Cophtæ et Syri, item Æthiopes, qui sub quinoctiali habitant, et trans illum versus tropicum Capricorni, quos hujusmodi locorum incolæ vulgo Campesios vocant, post annos ab incarnatione Domini . . . ab Catholica Ecclesia recessere, singuli singularem hæresim amplexi, ut ex æcumenicis conciliorum actis nemo non intelligit. Veruntamen circa scopum numerumque sacramentorum nec non et circa omnia, quæ supra diximus-præter singularem suam hæresim, ut dictum est-cum Ecclesia Catholica prorsus consentiunt, uti per singulas horas ipsis oculis conspicimus, et sermone atque usu discimus in hac sancta civitate Hierusalem, in qua ex omnibus enumeratis homines tum sapientes apud illos quum illiterati aut habitant aut peregrinationis ergo commorantur. Taceant igitur inepti nugatores et novitatum artifices hæretici, et mutilas tum e Scriptura tum ex patribus adversum nos sententiolas, quibus mendacium exstruant, callide furari ne moliantur, quemadmodum apostatarum et hæreticorum ab initio exstitit consuetudo: atque hoc loquuntur unum, sese nimirum, excusationes excusantes in peccatis, injurias in Deum et in sanctos evomere blasphemias instituisse. EPILOGUS. Ταῦτα ἐκ τῶν πολλῶν ὀλίγα εἰς καθαίρεσιν Hæc ex multis pauca sufficiant ad everτοῦ ψεύδους τῶν ἀντικειμένων, ὅπερ ἐπενόησαν sionem mendacii, quod adversus Orientalem κατὰ τῆς ἀνατολικῆς ἐκκλησίας, προβαλλόμε- Ecclesiam excogitaverunt adversarii nostri, ναι μέσον τῆς ἐπιφορᾶς τοῦ ψεύδους τὰ ἀσύ- in medium illationis mendacii sui nutantia ac στατα καὶ ἄθεα κεφάλαια τοῦ λεγομένου Κυ- impia proferentes, dicti Cyrilli capita. Sint ρίλλου. Εἴησαν δὲ οὐκ εἰς σημεῖον ἀντιλεγό- vero hæreticis nos injuste quidem traducentiμενον τοῖς ὡς ἀληθῶς ἀδίκως ἡμᾶς διασύρουσιν bus in signum non contradictionis sed in αἱρετικοῖς, ἀλλ ̓ εἰς σημεῖον πιστευόμενον ἤτοι | signum rerum, quas credimus et in emendaεἰς διόρθωσιν τῶν καινοτομηθέντων αὐτοῖς καὶ tionem novitatum, quas invexere: nec non ἐπιστροφὴν αὐτῶν πρὸς τὴν καθολικὴν καὶ et in conversionem ipsorum ad Catholicam ἀποστολικὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ἐν ᾧ παλαίποτε καὶ οἱ et Apostolicam Ecclesiam, in qua majores πρόγονοι αὐτῶν ἦσαν, καὶ ἐν ταῖς κατὰ τῶν eorum olim meruerunt, et ecclesiasticis conαἱρετικῶν συνόδοις, αἷς νῦν αὐτοὶ ἀθετοῦντες tra eos synodis, quas nunc respuentes ludiκαθυβρίζουσι, καὶ ἀγῶσι παρῆσαν. "Ατοπον brio habent isti, ac certaminibus interfueγὰρ πεπεῖσθαι αὐτοὺς, καὶ μάλιστα αὐχοῦντας εἶναι σοφοὺς, ἀνδράσι φιλαύτοις τε καὶ βεβήλοις καὶ λαλήσασιν οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, ἀλλ ̓ ἐκ τοῦ ἄρχοντος τοῦ ψεύδους, τὴν δ ̓ ἁγίαν καθολικὴν καὶ ἀποστολικὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ἣν περιεποιήσατο ὁ Θεὸς τῷ αἵματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐγκαταλιπεῖν καὶ ταύτης ἀποσκιρτῆσαι. ̓́Αλλως γὰρ ἂν αὐτοὺς μὲν τοὺς ἀποῤῥαγέντας τῆς ἐκκλησίας τὰ ἐκεῖσε δικαιωτήρια μετὰ τῶν ἐθνικῶν καὶ τελωνῶν δέξονται· τὴν δὲ καθολικὴν ἐκκλησίαν οὐ παρόψεται ὁ ταύτην ἕως ἄρτι ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐναντίων διατηρῶν κύριος, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ̓Αμήν. runt. Ab omni quippe ratione longe alienum est, eos, maxime quum se jactent sapientes, hominibus suimet amantibus et execrandis ac nequaquam ex Spifitu Sancto sed ex mendacii principe loquentibus attendisse; sanctam autem Catholicam et Apostolicam Ecclesiam, quam filii sui sanguine Deus acquisivit, deseruisse ab eaque resiliisse. Ceteroquin hos quidem ab Ecclesia separatos inferni suppli cia una cum ethnicis et publicanis excipient; Catholicam vero Ecclesiam, qui cunctis ab contrariis eam hucusque protexit, Deus non derelinquet, cui gloria et imperium in sæcula sæculorum. Amen. Εν ἔτει τῷ σωτηρίῳ αχοβ'· μηνὶ Μαρτίφ ις'. Anno salutis clolocLxxit. die XVI. Martii. Ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ πόλει ̔Ιερουσαλήμ. Δοσίθεος ἐλέῳ Θεοῦ πατριάρχης τῆς ἁγίας Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ πάσης Παλαιστίνης ἀποφαίνομαι καὶ ὁμολογῶ, ταύτην εἶναι τὴν πίστιν τῆς ἀνατολικῆς ἐκκλησίας. Apud sanctam civitatem Hierosolymam. Dositheus miseratione divina Patriarcha sanctæ Hierusalem et totius Palæstina assero et confiteor, hanc esse fidem Ecclesia Orientalis. Sequuntur in editt. post aliorum et quidem LXVIII. nomina; deinde Dosithei testimonium, quo affirmat, ipsum autographum cum legitimis illis subscriptionibus rerumque serie in magnum Apostolici sui throni codicem relatum esse die XX. Mart. MDCLXXII. Deinceps est Nectarii, Hierosolymorum ante Patriarchæ, nomen, et, post locum sigilli, tum Patriarchæ, XII. Hieroglyphicis notis constantis, tum Imperatoris Orientis cum insignibus Aquila bicipitis, ut legere est in tabulis Amst. edit. intersertis, quibus signaturæ ad similitudinem autographi depictæ sunt, Nectarii Monachi de se testimonium; ita ut, si summam facimus, LXXI. viri nomina dederint, inter quos VIII. archiepiscopi, episcopi et metropolitæ. Azarias, Archidiaconus Hierosolymit. non solum suo sed etiam diaconorum nomine subscripsit, item Agapius, Sacerdos et Economus Gazæorum. Aderat ex majore Russia Timotheus monachus, confitens, hanc esse fidem et Russica et Orientalis Ecclesiæ; assensum etiam nomine subscripto præbuit Apocrisiarius serenissimi Moscoviæ imperatoris Alexii Josaphat, Hieromonachus, Archimandrita, sancti sepulchri. Arabicis literis signaverunt in Paris. edit. novem, in Amst. et Bibl. decimus est Chaleles, magnus Protonotarius Patriarchæ, qui ei ab epistolis fuit. III. THE LONGER CATECHISM OF THE ORTHODOX, CATHOLIC, EASTERN CHURCH. EXAMINED AND APPROVED BY THE MOST HOLY GOVERNING SYNOD, AND PUBLISHED FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS, AND OF ALL ORTHODOX CHRISTIANS, BY ORDER OF HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY. (Moscow, at the Synodical Press, 1839.) [The large Russian Catechism of Philaret, approved by the holy Synod (although omitted by Kimmel in his Collection, and barely mentioned by Gass in his Greek Symbolics), is now the most authoritative doctrinal standard of the orthodox Græco-Russian Church, and has practically superseded the older Catechism, or Orthodox Confession of Mogila. Originally composed in Slavono-Russian, it was by authority translated into several languages. We have before us a Russian edition (Moscow, 1869), a Greek edition (Χριστιανική κατ ̓ ἔκτασιν κατήχησις τῆς ὀρθοδόξου, καθολικῆς καὶ ἀνατολικῆς ἐκκλησίας, Odessa, 1848), and a German edition (Ausführlicher christlicher Katechismus der orthodox-katholischen orientalischen Kirche, St. Petersburg, 1850). The English translation here given was prepared by the Rev. R.W. BLACKMORE, B.A., formerly chaplain to the Russia Company in Kronstadt, and published at Aberdeen, 1845, in the work The Doctrine of the Russian Church. On comparing it with the authorized Greek and German translations, we found it faithful and idiomatic. The numbering of Questions, and the difference in type of Questions and Answers, are ours. In all other editions we have seen, the Questions are not numbered. As this Catechism has never before appeared in America, we thought it best to give it in full, although the Introduction and the First Part would be sufficient for this collection of doctrinal symbols. Comp. Vol. I. 19, pp. 68-73.] INTRODUCTION TO THE ORTHODOX CATECHISM. PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTION. 1. What is an Orthodox Catechism? An Orthodox Catechism is an instruction in the orthodox Christian faith, to be taught to every Christian, to enable him to please God and save his own soul. 2. What is the meaning of the word Catechism? It is a Greek word, signifying instruction, or oral teaching, and has been used ever since the Apostles' times to denote that primary instruction in the orthodox faith which is needful for every Christian. Luke i. 4; Acts xviii. 25. 3. What is necessary in order to please God and to save one's own soul? In the first place, a knowledge of the true God, and a right faith in him; in the second place, a life according to faith, and good works. 4. Why is faith necessary in the first place? Because, as the Word of God testifies, Without faith it is impossible to please God. Heb. xi. 6. 5. Why must a life according to faith, and good works, be inseparable from this faith? Because, as the Word of God testifies, Faith without works is dead. James ii. 20. |