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The Confession of Cyril Lucaris
(Eastern Orthodox, 1629)
Dennis Bratcher, ed.
Cyril Lucar or Lucaris was born in what is now Greece in
1572. Although rising to the position of the Greek Orthodox
Patriarch of Constantinople, Cyril was heavily influenced by 16th
century Calvinism. As a result, in the spirit of the Protestant
Reformation and in strong opposition to Roman Catholicism, he attempted to
reform Orthodoxy in the direction of Calvinism.
This confession, an eighteen point summary of Cyril's beliefs
originally written in Latin, was published in Geneva in 1629. It
immediately aroused fierce opposition among other Orthodox leaders since
it challenged some of the basic tenets of Eastern religious practice.
A Synod of Eastern Orthodox Churches was called in Jerusalem in 1672 to
refute the position of Cyril. Orthodox leaders contended that
the Confession of Cyril was a forgery perpetrated by Calvinists to
spread their influence among Eastern churches. They presented quotations
from known writings of Cyril to show that he had not held the
positions expressed in the Confession. In addition, they argued
that the Confession was not an official pronouncement by an Orthodox
Patriarch.
The Synod of Jerusalem of 1672 soundly rejected any further attempts
at reformulation of Orthodox teachings and strengthened Orthodox beliefs
against both the Protestant Reformation and Catholicism. The Synod
produced its own confession, the Confession of Dositheus (Patriarch of
Jerusalem), in which it refuted Cyril's eighteen points, as well as
adding four catechetical style questions. Cyril was
eventually accused of political intrigue and murdered in 1638 while in
Ottoman custody. -Dennis Bratcher, ed.
The
Confession
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Cyril,
Patriarch of Constantinople, publishes this brief Confession for the
benefit of those who inquire about the faith and the religion of the
Greeks, that is of the Eastern Church, in witness to God and to men and
with a sincere conscience without any dissimulation.
Chapter 1.
We believe in one God,
true, Almighty, and in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the
Father unbegotten, the Son begotten of the Father before the world,
consubstantial with the Father; the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father
by the Son, having the same essence with the Father and the son. We call
these three persons in one essence the Holy Trinity, ever to be blessed,
glorified, and worshipped by every creature.
Chapter 2.
We believe the Holy
Scripture to be given by God, to have no other author but the Holy Spirit.
This we ought undoubtedly to believe, for it is written. We have a more
sure word of prophecy, to which you do well to take heed, as to light
shining in a dark place. We believe the authority of the Holy Scripture to
be above the authority of the Church. To be taught by the Holy Spirit is a
far different thing from being taught by a man; for man may through
ignorance err, deceive and be deceived, but the word of God neither
deceives nor is deceived, nor can err, and is infallible and has eternal
authority.
Chapter 3.
We believe that the most
merciful God has predestined His elect unto glory before the beginning of
the world, without any respect of their works and that there was no other
impulsive cause to this election, but only the good will and mercy of God.
In like manner before the world was made, He rejected whom He would, of
which act of reprobation, if you consider the absolute dealing of God, His
will is the cause; but if you look upon the laws and principles of good
order, which God’s providence is making use of in the government of the
world, His justice is the cause, for God is merciful and just.
Chapter 4.
We believe that
one God in Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to be the Creator of
all things visible and invisible. Invisible things we call the angels,
visible things we call the heavens and all things under them. And because
the Creator is good by nature, He has created all things good, and He
cannot do any evil; and if there is any evil, it proceeds either from the
Devil or from man. For it ought to be a certain rule to us, that God is
not the Author of evil, neither can sin by any just reason be imputed to
Him.
Chapter 5.
We believe that
all things are governed by God’s providence, which we ought rather to
adore than to search into. Since it is beyond our capacity, neither can we
truly understand the reason of it from the things themselves, in which
matter we suppose it better to embrace silence in humility than to speak
many things which do not edify.
Chapter 6.
We believe that
the first man created by God fell in Paradise, because he neglected the
commandment of God and yielded to the deceitful counsel of the serpent.
From thence sprung up original sin to his posterity, so that no man is
born according to the flesh who does not bear this burden and feel the
fruits of it in his life.
Chapter 7.
We believe that
Jesus Christ our Lord emptied Himself, that is He assumed man’s nature
into His own substance. That He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the
womb of the ever virgin Mary, was born, suffered death, was buried, and
risen in glory, that He might bring salvation and glory to all believers,
Whom we look for to come to judge both quick and dead.
Chapter 8.
We believe that
our Lord Jesus Christ sits on the right hand of His Father and there He
makes intercession for us, executing alone the office of a true and lawful
high priest and mediator, and from there He cares for His people and
governs His Church adorning and enriching her with many blessings.
Chapter 9.
We believe that
without faith no man can be saved. And we call faith that which justifies
in Christ Jesus, which the life and death of our Lord Jesus Christ
procured, the Gospel published, and without which no man can please God.
Chapter 10.
We believe that
the Church, which is called catholic, contains all true believers in
Christ, those who having departed their country are in heaven and those
who live on earth are yet on the way. The Head of that Church (because a
mortal man by no means can be) is Jesus Christ alone, and He holds the
rudder of the government of the Church in His own hand. Because, however,
there are on earth particular visible Churches, every one of them has one
chief, who is not properly to be called [head] of that particular Church, but
improperly, because he is the principal member of it.
Chapter 11.
We believe that
the members of the Catholic Church are saints, chosen unto eternal life,
from the number and fellowship of which hypocrites are excluded, though in
particular visible churches tares may be found among the wheat.
Chapter 12.
We believe that the
Church on earth is sanctified and instructed by the Holy Spirit, for He is
the true comforter, whom Christ sends from the Father to teach the truth
and to expel darkness form the understanding of the faithful. For it is
true and certain that the Church on earth may err, choosing falsehood
instead of truth, from which error the light and doctrine of the Holy
Spirit alone frees us, not of mortal man, although by mediation of the
labors of the faithful ministers of the Church this may be done.
Chapter 13.
We believe that
man is justified by faith and not by works. But when we say by faith, we
understand the correlative or object of faith, which is the righteousness
of Christ, which, as if by hand, faith apprehends and applies unto us for
our salvation. This we say without any prejudice to good works, for truth
itself teaches us that works must not be neglected, that they are
necessary means to testify to our faith and confirm our calling. But that
works are sufficient for our salvation, that they can enable one to appear
before the tribunal of Christ and that of their own merit they can confer
salvation, human frailty witnesses to be false; but the righteousness of
Christ being applied to the penitent, alone justifies and saves the
faithful.
Chapter 14.
We believe that
free will is dead in the unregenerate, because they can do no good thing,
and whatsoever they do is sin; but in the regenerate by the grace of the
Holy Spirit the will is excited and in deed works but not without the
assistance of grace. In order, therefore, that man should be born again
and do good, it is necessary that grace should go before; otherwise man is
wounded having received as many wounds as that man received who going from
Jerusalem down to Jericho fell into the hands of thieves, so that of
himself he cannot do anything.
Chapter 15.
We believe that
the Evangelical Sacraments in the Church are those that the Lord
instituted in the Gospel, and they are two; these only have been delivered
unto us and He who instituted them delivered unto us no more. Furthermore,
we believe that they consist of the Word and the Element, that they are
the seals of the promises of God, and they do confer grace. But that the
Sacrament be entire and whole, it is requisite that an earthly substance
and an external action concur with the use of that element ordained by
Christ our Lord and joined with a true faith, because the defect of faith
prejudices the integrity of the Sacrament.
Chapter 16.
We believe that
Baptism is a Sacrament instituted by the Lord, and unless a man has
received it, he has no communion with Christ, from whose death, burial,
and glorious resurrection the whole virtue and efficacy of Baptism
proceeds; therefore, we are certain that to those who are baptized in the
same form which our Lord commanded in the Gospel, both original and actual
sins are pardoned, so that whosoever has been washed in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit are regenerate, cleansed, and
justified. But concerning the repetition of it, we have no command to be
rebaptized, therefore we must abstain from this indecent thing.
Chapter 17.
We believe that
the other Sacrament which was ordained by the Lord is that which we call
Eucharist. For in the night in which the Lord offered up Himself, He took
bread and blessed it and He said to the Apostles, "Take ye, eat, this is
my body," and when He had taken the cup, He gave thanks and said, "Drink
all of this, this is my blood which was shed for many; this do in
remembrance of me." And Paul adds, "For as often as ye shall eat of this
bread and drink of this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death." This is the
pure and lawful institution of this wonderful Sacrament, in the
administration of which we profess the true and certain presence of our
Lord Jesus Christ; that presence, however, which faith offers to us, not
that which the devised doctrine of transubstantiation teaches. For we
believe that the faithful eat the body of Christ in the Supper of the
Lord, not by breaking it with the teeth of the body, but by perceiving it
with the sense and feeling of the soul, since the body of Christ is not
that which is visible in the Sacrament, but that which faith spiritually
apprehends and offers to us; from whence it is true that, if we believe,
we do eat and partake, if we do not believe, we are destitute of all the
fruit of it. We believe, consequently, that to drink the cup in the
Sacrament is to be partaker of the true blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, in
the same manner as we affirmed of the body; for as the Author of it
commanded concerning His body, so He did concerning His blood; which
commandment ought neither to be disremembered nor maimed, according to the
fancy of man’s arbitrament; yea rather the institution ought to be kept as
it was delivered to us. When therefore we have been partakers of the body
and blood of Christ worthily and have communicated entirely, we
acknowledge ourselves to be reconciled, united to our Head of the same
body, with certain hope to be co-heirs in the Kingdom to come.
Chapter 18.
We believe that
the souls of the dead are either in blessedness or in damnation, according
as every one has done, for as soon as they move out of the body they pass
either to Christ or into hell; for as a man is found at his death, so he
is judged, and after this life there is neither power nor opportunity to
repent; in this life there is a time of grace, they therefore who be
justified here shall suffer no punishment hereafter; but they who die,
being not justified, are appointed for everlasting punishment. By which it
is evident that the fiction of Purgatory is not to be admitted but in the
truth it is determined that every one ought to repent in this life and to
obtain remission of his sins by our Lord Jesus Christ, if he will be
saved. And, let this be the end.
This brief Confession of ours we conjecture will be a sign spoken
against them who are pleased to slander and persecute us. But we trust in
the Lord Jesus Christ and hope that He will not relinquish the cause of
His faithful ones, nor let the rod of wickedness lie upon the lost of the
righteous.
Dated in Constantinople in the month of March, 1629. Cyril,
Patriarch of Constantinople
-Dennis Bratcher,
Copyright ©
2018, Dennis
Bratcher, All Rights Reserved
(No copyright claims are made for the text of the original document.)
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