As the Gospel spread in the first ages both east and west,
the first Christian churches were so denominated. From the languages
respectively used in their devotions, they were also called the Greek
and Latin or Roman churches. For the first seven centuries these
churches preserved a friendly communion with each other, notwithstanding
they disagreed as to the time of keeping Easter, and some other points.
But about the middle of the eighth century, disputes arose, which
terminated in a schism, that continues to this day. It arose out of a
controversy respecting the use of images in the churches. It happened
that at this time both churches were under prelates equally dogmatical
and ambitious. The patriarch of Constantinople insisted on putting down
the use of all images and pictures, not only in his own church, but at
Rome also, which the pope resented with equal violence and asperity.
They mutually excommunicated each other; and the pope of Rome
excommunicated not only the patriarch of Constantinople, but the emperor
also. The controversy respecting images engendered another, no less
bitter, respecting the procession of the Holy Ghost both from the Father
and the Son, which the Greeks flatly denied, and charged the Romans with
interpolating the word _filioque_ into the ancient creeds. These
controversies occupied the eighth and ninth centuries, after which some
intervals of partial peace occurred; but in the eleventh century, the
flame broke out afresh, and a total separation took place. At that time,
the Patriarch Michael Cerularius, who was desirous to free himself from
the papal authority, published an invective against the Latin church,
and accused its members of maintaining various errors. Pope Leo retorted
the charge, and sent legates from Rome to Constantinople. The Greek
patriarch refused to see them; upon which they excommunicated him and
his adherents, publicly, in the church of St. Sophia, A. D. 1054. The
Greek patriarch excommunicated those legates, with all their adherents
and followers, in a public council; and procured an order of the emperor
for burning the act of excommunication which they had pronounced against
the Greeks. Thus the separation was completed, and at this day a very
considerable part of the world profess the religion of the Greek or
eastern church. The Nicene and Athanasian creeds, with the exception of
the words above-mentioned, are the symbols of their faith.
2. The principal points which distinguish the Greek church from the
Latin, are as follows: they maintain that the Holy Ghost proceeds from
the Father only, and not from the Father and Son. They disown the
authority of the pope, and deny that the church of Rome is the only true
catholic church. They do not affect the character of infallibility, and
utterly disallow works of supererogation, and indulgences. They admit of
prayers and services for the dead, as an ancient and pious custom; but
they will not admit the doctrine of purgatory, nor determine any thing
dogmatically concerning the state of departed souls. In baptism they
practise triune immersion, or dip three times; but some, as the
Georgians, defer the baptism of their children till they are three,
four, or more years of age. The chrism, or baptismal unction,
immediately follows baptism. This chrism, solemnly consecrated on
Maunday Thursday, is called the unction with ointment, and is a mystery
peculiar to the Greek communion, holding the place of confirmation in
that of the Roman: it is styled, “the seal of the gift of the Holy
Ghost.” They administer the Lord’s Supper in both kinds, dipping the
bread in the cup of wine, in which a small portion of warm water is also
inserted. They give it both to the clergy and laity, and to children
after baptism. They exclude confirmation and extreme unction out of the
number of sacraments; but they use the holy oil, which is not confined
to persons in the close of life, like extreme unction, but is
administered, if required, to all sick persons. Three priests, at least,
are required to administer this sacrament, each priest, in his turn,
anointing the sick person, and praying for his recovery. They deny
auricular confession to be a divine command; but practise confession
attended with absolution, and sometimes penance. Though they believe in
transubstantiation, or rather consubstantiation, they do not worship the
elements. They pay a secondary kind of adoration to the virgin and other
saints. They do not admit of images or figures in bas-relief, or
embossed work; but use paintings and silver shrines. They admit
matrimony to be a sacrament, and celebrate it with great formality.
Their secular clergy, under the rank of bishops, are allowed to marry
once, and laymen twice; but fourth marriages they hold in abomination.
They observe a great number of holy days, and keep four fasts in the
year more solemn than the rest, of which Good Friday is the chief.
3. The service of the Greek church is too long and complicated to be
particularly described in this work; the greater part consists in psalms
and hymns. Five orders of priesthood belong to the Greek church; namely,
bishops, priests, deacons, sub-deacons, and readers; which last includes
singers, &c. The episcopal order is distinguished by the titles of
metropolitan, archbishops, and bishops. The head of the Greek church,
the patriarch of Constantinople, is elected by twelve bishops, who
reside nearest that famous capital. This prelate calls councils by his
own authority to govern the church. The other patriarchs are those of
Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria, all nominated by the patriarch of
Constantinople, who enjoys a most extensive jurisdiction. For the
administration of ecclesiastical affairs, a synod, convened monthly, is
composed of the heads of the church resident in Constantinople. In this
assembly, the patriarch of Constantinople presides, with those of
Antioch and Jerusalem, and twelve archbishops. In regard to discipline
and worship, the Greek church has the same division of the clergy into
regular and secular, the same spiritual jurisdiction of bishops and
their officials, the same distinction of ranks and offices, with the
church of Rome.
4. The Greek church comprehends a considerable part of Greece, the
Grecian isles, Wallachia, Moldavia, Egypt, Abyssinia, Nubia, Lybia,
Arabia, Mesopotamia, Syria, Cilicia, and Palestine; Alexandria, Antioch,
and Jerusalem; the whole of the Russian empire in Europe; great part of
Siberia in Asia, Astrachan, Casan, and Georgia.
the first Christian churches were so denominated. From the languages
respectively used in their devotions, they were also called the Greek
and Latin or Roman churches. For the first seven centuries these
churches preserved a friendly communion with each other, notwithstanding
they disagreed as to the time of keeping Easter, and some other points.
But about the middle of the eighth century, disputes arose, which
terminated in a schism, that continues to this day. It arose out of a
controversy respecting the use of images in the churches. It happened
that at this time both churches were under prelates equally dogmatical
and ambitious. The patriarch of Constantinople insisted on putting down
the use of all images and pictures, not only in his own church, but at
Rome also, which the pope resented with equal violence and asperity.
They mutually excommunicated each other; and the pope of Rome
excommunicated not only the patriarch of Constantinople, but the emperor
also. The controversy respecting images engendered another, no less
bitter, respecting the procession of the Holy Ghost both from the Father
and the Son, which the Greeks flatly denied, and charged the Romans with
interpolating the word _filioque_ into the ancient creeds. These
controversies occupied the eighth and ninth centuries, after which some
intervals of partial peace occurred; but in the eleventh century, the
flame broke out afresh, and a total separation took place. At that time,
the Patriarch Michael Cerularius, who was desirous to free himself from
the papal authority, published an invective against the Latin church,
and accused its members of maintaining various errors. Pope Leo retorted
the charge, and sent legates from Rome to Constantinople. The Greek
patriarch refused to see them; upon which they excommunicated him and
his adherents, publicly, in the church of St. Sophia, A. D. 1054. The
Greek patriarch excommunicated those legates, with all their adherents
and followers, in a public council; and procured an order of the emperor
for burning the act of excommunication which they had pronounced against
the Greeks. Thus the separation was completed, and at this day a very
considerable part of the world profess the religion of the Greek or
eastern church. The Nicene and Athanasian creeds, with the exception of
the words above-mentioned, are the symbols of their faith.
2. The principal points which distinguish the Greek church from the
Latin, are as follows: they maintain that the Holy Ghost proceeds from
the Father only, and not from the Father and Son. They disown the
authority of the pope, and deny that the church of Rome is the only true
catholic church. They do not affect the character of infallibility, and
utterly disallow works of supererogation, and indulgences. They admit of
prayers and services for the dead, as an ancient and pious custom; but
they will not admit the doctrine of purgatory, nor determine any thing
dogmatically concerning the state of departed souls. In baptism they
practise triune immersion, or dip three times; but some, as the
Georgians, defer the baptism of their children till they are three,
four, or more years of age. The chrism, or baptismal unction,
immediately follows baptism. This chrism, solemnly consecrated on
Maunday Thursday, is called the unction with ointment, and is a mystery
peculiar to the Greek communion, holding the place of confirmation in
that of the Roman: it is styled, “the seal of the gift of the Holy
Ghost.” They administer the Lord’s Supper in both kinds, dipping the
bread in the cup of wine, in which a small portion of warm water is also
inserted. They give it both to the clergy and laity, and to children
after baptism. They exclude confirmation and extreme unction out of the
number of sacraments; but they use the holy oil, which is not confined
to persons in the close of life, like extreme unction, but is
administered, if required, to all sick persons. Three priests, at least,
are required to administer this sacrament, each priest, in his turn,
anointing the sick person, and praying for his recovery. They deny
auricular confession to be a divine command; but practise confession
attended with absolution, and sometimes penance. Though they believe in
transubstantiation, or rather consubstantiation, they do not worship the
elements. They pay a secondary kind of adoration to the virgin and other
saints. They do not admit of images or figures in bas-relief, or
embossed work; but use paintings and silver shrines. They admit
matrimony to be a sacrament, and celebrate it with great formality.
Their secular clergy, under the rank of bishops, are allowed to marry
once, and laymen twice; but fourth marriages they hold in abomination.
They observe a great number of holy days, and keep four fasts in the
year more solemn than the rest, of which Good Friday is the chief.
3. The service of the Greek church is too long and complicated to be
particularly described in this work; the greater part consists in psalms
and hymns. Five orders of priesthood belong to the Greek church; namely,
bishops, priests, deacons, sub-deacons, and readers; which last includes
singers, &c. The episcopal order is distinguished by the titles of
metropolitan, archbishops, and bishops. The head of the Greek church,
the patriarch of Constantinople, is elected by twelve bishops, who
reside nearest that famous capital. This prelate calls councils by his
own authority to govern the church. The other patriarchs are those of
Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria, all nominated by the patriarch of
Constantinople, who enjoys a most extensive jurisdiction. For the
administration of ecclesiastical affairs, a synod, convened monthly, is
composed of the heads of the church resident in Constantinople. In this
assembly, the patriarch of Constantinople presides, with those of
Antioch and Jerusalem, and twelve archbishops. In regard to discipline
and worship, the Greek church has the same division of the clergy into
regular and secular, the same spiritual jurisdiction of bishops and
their officials, the same distinction of ranks and offices, with the
church of Rome.
4. The Greek church comprehends a considerable part of Greece, the
Grecian isles, Wallachia, Moldavia, Egypt, Abyssinia, Nubia, Lybia,
Arabia, Mesopotamia, Syria, Cilicia, and Palestine; Alexandria, Antioch,
and Jerusalem; the whole of the Russian empire in Europe; great part of
Siberia in Asia, Astrachan, Casan, and Georgia.