But this pre-eminence, or rather the Roman idea of what was involved in it, was never acknowledged in the East ; to press it upon the Eastern patriarchs was to prepare the way for sepa ration, to insist upon it in times of irritation was to cause a schism. The theological genius of the East was different from that of the West. The Eastern theology had its roots in Greek philosophy, while a great deal of Western theology was based on Roman law. (See Stanley's Eastern Church, ch. i.) This gave rise to misunderstandings, and at last led to two widely separate ways of regarding and defining one important doctrine—the pro cession of the Holy Spirit from the Father or from the Father and the Son. Political jealousies and interests intensified the dis putes, and at last, after many premonitory symptoms, the final break came in 1054, when Pope Leo IX. smote Michael Cerularius and the whole of the Eastern Church with an excommunication. There had been mutual excommunications before, but they had not resulted in permanent schisms. Now, however, the separation was final, and the ostensible cause of its finality was the intro duction by the Latins of two words Filioque into the creed. (After the words "and in the Holy Ghost" of the Apostles' Creed the Constantinopolitan creed added "who proceedeth from the Father." The Roman Church, without the sanction of an oecu menical council and without consulting the Easterns, added "and the Son." The addition was first made at Toledo [589] in opposi tion to Arianism. The Easterns also resented the Roman en forcement of clerical celibacy, the limitation of the right of con firmation to the bishop and the use of unleavened bread in the Eucharist.) It is this addition which was and which still remains the permanent cause of separation.
Doctrines and Creeds.—The Eastern Church has no creeds in the modern Western use of the word, no normative summaries of what must be believed. It has preserved the older idea that a creed is an adoring confession of the church engaged in wor ship; and, when occasion called for more, the belief of the church was expressed more by way of public testimony than in symbolical books. Still the doctrines of the church can be gathered from these confessions of faith. The Eastern creeds may thus be roughly placed in two classes—the oecumenical creeds of the early undivided church, and later testimonies defining the position of the Orthodox Church of the East with regard to the belief of the Roman Catholic and of Protestant Churches. These testimonies were called forth mainly by the protest of Greek theologians against Jesuitism on the one hand, and against the reforming ten dencies of the patriarch Cyril Lucaris (q.v.) on the other. The Orthodox Greek Church adopts the doctrinal decisions of the seven oecumenical councils, together with the canons of the Concilium Quinisextum or second Trullan council (692) ; and they further hold that all these definitions and canons are simply explanations and enforcements of the Nicaeo-Constantinopolitan creed and the decrees of the first council of Nicaea. The first four councils settled the orthodox faith on the doctrines of the Trinity and of the Incarnation; the fifth supplemented the decisions of the first four. The sixth declared against Monothelitism; the seventh sanc tioned the worship (oovXda, not aX770Lv7) Xarpeta) of images; the council held in the Trullus ( a saloon in the palace at Constanti nople) supplemented by canons of discipline the doctrinal decrees of the fifth and sixth councils.
The most important doctrinal testimonies of the Eastern church are (I) the Orthodox confession of catechism of Peter Mogilas, confirmed by the Eastern patriarchs and by the synod of Jeru salem (1643), and (2) the decree of the synod of Jerusalem or the confession of Dositheus (1672). Besides these, the cate chisms of the Russian Church should be consulted, especially the catechism of Philaret, which since 1839 has been used in all the churches and schools in Russia.
The Church of Christ is the fellowship of ALL THOSE WHO ACCEPT AND PROFESS ALL THE ARTICLES TRANSMITTED BY THE APOSTLES AND APPROVED BY GENERAL SYNODS. Without this visible Church there is no salvation. It is under the abiding influence of the Holy Ghost, and therefore cannot err in matters of faith. Specially appointed persons are necessary in the service of the Church, and they form a threefold order, distinct jure divino from other Christians, of Bishops, Priests and Deacons. THE FOUR PATRIARCHS, OF EQUAL DIGNITY, HAVE THE HIGHEST RANK AMONG THE BISHOPS, AND THE BISHOPS united in a General Coun cil represent the Church and infallibly decide, under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, all matters of faith and ecclesiastical life. All ministers of Christ must be regularly called and appointed to their office, and are consecrated by the sacrament of orders. Bishops must be unmarried, and PRIESTS AND DEACONS MUST NOT CONTRACT A SECOND MARRIAGE. To all priests in common belongs, besides the preaching of the word, the administration of the SIX SACRAMENTS—BAPTISM, CONFIRMATION, PENANCE, EUCHARIST, MATRIMONY, UNCTION OF THE SICK. The bishops alone can ad minister the sacrament of orders.
Ecclesiastical ceremonies are part of the divine service; most of them have apostolic origin; and those connected with the sacra ment must not be omitted by priests under pain of mortal sin. (This summary has been taken with Corrections from G. B. Winer, Comparative Darstellung des Lehrbegriffs der verschiede nen Kirchenparteien, Eng. trans. 1873. Small capitals denote differences from Roman Catholic, italics differences from Prot estant doctrine.) Liturgy and Worship.—The ancient liturgies of the Eastern Church were very numerous but a strong desire for uniformity led to the almost exclusive use of the liturgy of Jerusalem or of St. James in the East. It is used in two forms, a shorter revised by Chrysostom, and a longer called the liturgy of St. Basil. This liturgy and the service generally are either in Old Greek or in Old Slavonic, and frequent disputes have arisen in particular districts about the language to be employed. Both sacred lan guages differ from the language of the people, but it cannot be said that in the Eastern Church worship is conducted in an un known tongue—"the actual difference," says Neale, "may be about that between Chaucer's English and our own." There are eleven chief service books, and no such compendium as the Roman breviary. Fasting is frequent and severe. Besides Wednesdays and Fridays, there are four fasting seasons, Lent, Pentecost to SS. Peter and Paul, August 1-15 preceding the Feast of the Sleep of the Theotokos, and the six weeks before Christmas. Indul gences are not recognized ; an intermediate and purificatory state of the dead is held but not systematized into a doctrine of purga tory. The Virgin receives homage, but the dogma of her Immacu late Conception is not admitted. While ikons are found in the churches, there is no "graven image" apart from the crucifix.