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Chapter 21FeofanPisma.1.21

Письмо 21

The Illusion of Similarity

The author reflects on the superficial similarities between the Orthodox Church and Roman Catholicism.

My sorrow over the West's attacks had quieted down for a while. Now it has been renewed, and with even greater force. I'll share with you, briefly, two or three thoughts. On the surface, we have much in common with Roman Catholics: our dogmas are the same, except for the new ones they invented regarding the procession of the Holy Spirit,1 and—a more recent one—about the Mother of God's freedom from original sin.2 They also hold the primacy of the pope as a dogma. The Sacraments are the same, but among them, almost all have been changed in form; because of that form, they differ not only from the Eastern Church but also from their own ancient rites. They have Vespers, Matins, the Liturgy, and other church prayer services, just as we do.

Unmasking Sophistry

The author exposes the deceptive arguments used by Western propagandists to minimize doctrinal differences.

But if you look more closely, how lifeless it all is—even senseless! When you follow the details, it's clear to anyone how far they are from the truth. Crafty propagandists unsettle people with a general overview, while hiding the differences. And those differences that stand out too sharply they soften with twisted interpretations.3 For example, in Gagarin.4 . . "Among you," he says, "it hasn't been defined by a council how one is to believe concerning the procession of the Holy Spirit."5 Spirit; therefore, for you, the belief about the procession of the Holy Spirit also from the Son is a private opinion, and anyone who accepts it isn't in any way subject to the judgment of his own Church." Do you see the sophistry? And isn't the Church's constant belief that He does not proceed from the Son the voice of the Church? When their dogma wasn't accepted, didn't the whole Church thereby declare that it must not be believed? And the council held under Patriarch Photius and Pope John VIII—didn't it anathematize those who accept the procession of the Holy Spirit also from the Son? And then all the theological writings in the East, all the catechisms—what do they mean if not an expression of the Orthodox Church's teaching? It follows from all this that believing the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father is a required dogma, while believing in the Latin way that He also proceeds from the Son is a departure from the Church—it is heresy.6 Stand firm against this sophistry. They also say: “What prevents believing in the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Son as well? This does not destroy your dogma; it only adds a new truth to it—and surely, knowing five truths is better than knowing four." What tricks! It's good to add truth to truth—but if they add a lie, they distort it. Bitterness poured into honey ruins the honey. A strict judgment is written for those who add. With sophistries like these and others like them, they smooth over differences that are far too sharp. I think plain common sense is enough to see through the trickery. They wouldn't even say this to someone who knows better; they just toss soap bubbles into the air at random, hoping someone will stop and stare.

The Earthly vs. The Spiritual Church

The author contrasts the political, earthly nature of the Roman Catholic structure with the spiritual union of the Orthodox Church.

They pulled me away for a long time. . . I forgot what I still meant to say. Yes—here it is! The spirit of Catholicism is earthly.7 For them the Church is, on their view, a political corporation, upheld by human powers and means—such as the Inquisition and indulgences—with a visible head.8 The Orthodox Church is a spiritual union of everyone in Jesus Christ and, through Him, with one another. The Lord invisibly guides the Church and directs her toward her final purpose. With them, the pope leads her—and where to?9 ! ! That's enough for now.

A Call to Vigilance

The author urges the reader to be wary of deceitful spirits and provides resources for further study.

For the Lord's sake, be on your guard against these deceitful spirits, and protect others as well.✦10 Please take the time to read: The Truth of the Universal Church, A Word on Orthodox Catholicism by A.11 N. Muravyov.12 And in French: Question religieuse d'Orient et d'Occident.13 Moscow, 1857. Everything is explained well there. . . May the Lord keep you and bless you all with every blessing.

Read the original Russian

Скорбь от нападков Запада утихла было у меня. Теперь возобновлена, и еще с большею силою. Скажу вам на скоро две, три мысли. По виду у нас с Римскими католиками много сходства: догматы те же, кроме новых, изобретенных ими о происхождении Св. Духа и – недавний – о непричастии Божией Матери первородному греху. У них также догмат – и главенство папы. Таинства одни; но они у них почти все изменены в форме и разнятся ею не только от Восточной Церкви, но и от своих древних чиноположений. У них и Вечерня и Утреня и Литургия и другия молитвенные службы церковные, как и у нас.

Но если рассмотреть; как все бездушно и даже бессмысленно! Когда проследить подробности, то явно всякому, как далеки они от истины. Лукавые пропагандеры смущают общим обзором, скрывая разности. Те же разности, кои слишком выдаются, они смягчают кривотолкованием. Например, у Гагарина. . . «У вас, говорит он, неопределено соборно, как веровать о происхождении Св.

Духа; потому для вас верование об исхождении Св. Духа и от Сына есть частное мнение, которое принимая кто-нибудь, никак не подлежит суду своей Церкви.» Видите ли софизм? А разве постоянное верование Церкви, что Он не исходит от Сына, не есть голос Церкви? Когда не принят их догмат, разве этим не сказала вся Церковь, что не должно верить ему? А собор бывший при Патриархе Фотие и Папе Иоанне VIII, разве не анафемствовал принимающих исхождение Св. Духа и от Сына? Потом все писания Богословския на востоке, все катихизисы, что значат, как не выражение учения Православной Церкви?

По всему сему верить, что Дух Святый исходит от Бога Отца есть догмат обязательной, а верить по-латински, что Он исходит и от Сына, есть уклонение от Церкви, ересь. Утвердитесь против сего софизма.

Говорят еще: «что мешает верить происхождению Св. Духа и от Сына? Это не уничтожает вашего догмата, а прибавляет к нему новую истину; знать же пять истин конечно лучше, нежели знать четыре». Каковы уловки! Хорошо к истине прибавить истину, а если ложь прибавляют, то искажают ее. Горечь, подлитая к меду, губит мед. Суд написан строгий тем, кои прибавят.

Такими и подобными софизмами, они сглаживают слишком резкия разности. Я думаю простаго смысла достаточно к тому, чтоб разобрать хитрость. Они сего и говорить не станут знающему, а так наудачу бросают мыльные пузыри на воздух, авось кто-нибудь заглядится.

Оторвали меня и надолго. . . Забыл, что хотел еще сказать. Да, – вот что! Дух католичества земной. Церковь у них, и по-ихнему есть политическая корпорация, человеческими силами и средствами поддерживаемая, каковы: инквизиция, индульгенции, – с видимою главою. Православная Церковь есть духовный союз всех во Иисусе Христе и чрез Него взаимно между собою.

Церковь невидимо правится Господом и направляется к своему концу. У них ведет ее папа, и куда? ! ! Довольно пока.

Господа ради, берегитесь духов сих лестчих, и других охраняйте. Потрудитесь прочитать: Правда вселенской Церкви, Слово Православнаго католичества А. Н. Муравьева. И на французском: Questиon relиgиeuse dʹOrиent et dʹOccиdent. Москва, 1857. Там все разъяснено хорошо. .

.

Господь да сохранит вас и благословит всех всяким благословением.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩1Tim.4.1;1John.4.1 — Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will abandon the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons. 1John.4.1 — Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Sentence is syntactically incomplete in the source and continues in the next sentence with «Духа» (Spirit); the whole refers to the Filioque and related Latin additions.
  2. 2 ↩«непричастии Божией Матери первородному греху» names the Latin dogma of the Immaculate Conception (Mary's non-participation in original sin), which Feofan marks as recent.
  3. 3 ↩кривотолкованием: deliberate misreading/spin; rendered as 'twisted interpretation'.
  4. 4 ↩Гагарин: almost certainly Ivan Gagarin (Ivan Sergeyevich Gagarin), Russian Jesuit convert and Catholic polemicist; identity assumed from context, not glossed in source.
  5. 5 ↩происхождении Св. continues into the next section as Духа; rendered as 'procession of the Holy' to match Orthodox/Catholic Filioque vocabulary while remaining open-ended at the section break. соборно = by conciliar definition / in a council.
  6. 6 ↩Source has «догмат обязательной» (ungrammatical agreement with masculine «догмат»). Rendered as the intended «обязательный догмат» — “an obligatory dogma.”
  7. 7 ↩католичества = Catholicism (Roman Catholic system/mentality); земной = earthly/of this world, not merely 'worldly' in a loose moral sense.
  8. 8 ↩по-ихнему = 'according to them / in their way of thinking'; visible head (видимая глава) targets the papacy, set against the Orthodox claim that follows.
  9. 9 ↩«У них» continues the preceding contrast with Roman Catholicism; «ее» refers to the Church.
  10. 10 ↩лестчих is an older/Church-Slavonic form of льстивых: flattering, seductive, deceitful. Rendered here as 'deceitful' in the sense of spirits that lead astray.
  11. 11 ↩Православнаго католичества here is 19th-century Russian usage for Orthodox catholicity/universality of the Church, not Roman Catholicism. Titles kept as bibliographic proper names; author initial continues in the following sentences.
  12. 12 ↩Муравьева is the genitive of Муравьев (A. N. Muravyov / Muraviev), completing the author attribution begun in s2–s3.
  13. 13 ↩Source shows corrupted mixed script (Cyrillic и for Latin i, and dʹ for d'): Questиon relиgиeuse dʹOrиent et dʹOccиdent. Restored to the intended French title Question religieuse d'Orient et d'Occident.

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