Library › St Peter Mogila › Orthodox Confession
Orthodox Confession
St Peter Mogila, tr. Lodvel, 1762
Part 1, 3. Questions 21–30
Question 21
What are we to think concerning evil Angels?
Answer.
They are all created good by God; for whatsoever God made, it was good; but, through their own Will, they became evil, as our Lord testifies of the Chief of the Devils (John viii. 44), He was a Murderer from the Beginning, and abode not in the Truth, because there is no Truth in him. When he speaketh a Lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a Liar, and the Father of it. These are the Authors and Chiefs of all Impiety, and continual Blasphemers of the Divine Majesty. These are the Deceivers of Mankind, both they and their Instruments, according to the Scripture (1 Pet. v. 8), Be sober, be vigilant, because your Adversary, the Devil, as a roaring Lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. Nevertheless, be it known that the Devil cannot exercise any Power, or offer any Violence unto any Man, or any Thing, unless they are so permitted of God, as the Scripture witnesseth (Matth. viii. 31), The Devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the Herd of Swine; and he said unto them, Go. And let every one be assured, that it is least of all in their Power to compel Man to sin; they can only tempt, and persuade us, by their Instigation and Deceit, to do evil and go astray: For Man is endowed with a free Will, which God himself will not constrain, or lay not under any Necessity. But forasmuch as the Devils are condemned unto everlasting Punishment and Torments, they can never become Partakers of the divine Mercy or Grace; as it is said (Matth. xxv. 41), Depart from me, ye cursed, unto everlasting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.
Question 22
What are we to believe concerning other created Things?
Answer.
As follows: That God, by his Word and Command, hath made all Things out of nothing; and, lastly, created Man, and appointed him the Heir and Lord of all things under Heaven, saying (Gen. i. 26), Let us make Man in our Image, and after our Likeness; and let them have Dominion over the Fish of the Sea, and over the Fowl of the Air, and over the Cattle, and over all the Earth. And the sacred Poet (Psal. viii. 7), Thou makest him to have Dominion of the Works of thy Hands; and thou hast put all things in Subjection under his Feet; all Sheep and Oxen, yea, and the Beasts of the Field, the Fowls of the Air, and the Fishes of the Sea, and whatsoever walketh through the Paths of the Seas. And a little before, Thou madest him a little lower than the Angels, thou hast crowned him with Glory and Honour. But because he disobeyed the Command of God in Paradise, and took and ate of the forbidden Fruit, therefore being at once deprived of all the Honours and Favours with which he had been adorned, whilst he held his Integrity, he was driven out of the Mansion, and became such as the Prophet hath described him (Psal. xlix. 20), Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the Beasts that perish, and is become like unto them. And to the same purpose (Gen. iii. 19), Dust thou art, and into Dust shalt thou return.
Question 23
What was the State of Innocence of Man, or Purity and Freedom from Sin?
Answer.
The State of Innocence and Integrity was twofold, according to St. Basil (Homily on the first of Proverbs, p. 184, Bas). The first is a voluntary Departure from Sin: as when a Man, of his own deliberate Purpose, forsakes what he knows to be Sin. The other is simply not knowing Sin: as when a Person, either by Reason of tender Age, or any other Cause, is without knowing or committing Evil. Of this last Kind was the Innocence of Adam before the Fall, joined with a most complete and perfect Rectitude, and innate Justice both of Will and Understanding. So that in his Understanding all Knowledge was included; and, in his Will, all Probity and Honesty. For inasmuch as Adam had a perfect Knowledge of God, therefore in knowing of God, he knew all other things through God, as appeared in that, when all the Creatures came to Adam to be named: For he gave them all Names expressive of the several Natures and Dispositions, which he knew not from any Experience, but from that Knowledge of things which, by the Blessing of God, he had. And as for his Will, that was, in all things, governed by his Reason; yet so as to retain a perfect Freedom, and that it is manifestly in the Power of Man to sin, or not to sin, is evident from holy Scripture (Ecclesiast. xv. 11), Say not thou, It is through the Lord that I fell away; for thou oughtest not to do the things which he hateth. Say not thou, He hath caused me to err; for he hath no need of the sinful Man. The Lord hateth all Abomination; and they that fear God love it not. He himself made Man from the Beginning, and left him in the Hand of his Counsel. If thou wilt, thou shalt keep the Commandments and Faith by doing what pleases him. He hath set Fire and Water before thee; stretch forth thine Hand unto whither thou wilt. Before Man is Life and Death, and whether him liketh, shall be given him. And a little after (ver. 21), He hath commanded no Man to do wickedly; neither hath he given any Man Licence to sin. In such a state of Innocence and Impeccability, like the Angels, was Man: But when, by transgressing the Commandments, he had sinned, he then came in a State of Sin; and, being expelled from Paradise, he became subject to Death, according to that Scripture (Rom. vi. 23), The Wages of Sin is Death; and presently losing the Perfection of his Reason and Understanding, his Will became prone to evil rather than good. Thus the State of Innocence and Integrity, by Man tasting of evil, became a State of Sin; and Man, who before was perfect, debased so low that now he may well cry out with David (Psal. xxii. 6), I am a Worm, and no Man.
Question 24
Whether all Men are liable for the Sin of Adam?
Answer.
As all Mankind, during the state of Innocence, was in Adam; so in him all Men, falling from what he fell, remained in a State of Sin. Wherefore Mankind is become, not only subject unto Sin, but also, on Account of Sin, unto Punishment; which, according to the Sentence pronounced of God, was (Gen. ii. 17), In the Day that thou eatest of the Tree, thou shalt surely die. And to this the Apostle alludes (Rom. v. 12), Wherefore as by one Man Sin entered into the World, and Death by Sin, and so Death passed upon all Men, for that all have sinned. So that we are conceived in our Mother’s Womb, and born in this Sin, according to the holy Psalmist (Psal. li. 7), Behold, I was shapen in Wickedness, and in Sin hath my Mother conceived me. This is called parental, or original Sin, first, because that, before this, Man was free from all Sin; although the Devil was then corrupt, and fallen, by whose Temptation this parental Sin sprang up in Man; and Adam becoming guilty, we all likewise, who descend from him, become also guilty. Secondly, this is called original Sin, because no Mortal is conceived without this Depravity of Nature.
Question 25
But since God foreknew that Adam would fall, wherefore, I pray, did he create him liable to it?
Answer.
God fully foreknew both the Fall of Adam, and the Malice of Lucifer, before he created either, and the most minute Thoughts and Actions that either of them would think or act; nevertheless the divine Goodness would not suffer itself to be overcome by the Wickedness of Man, or the Devil (see St. Damascene, ii. 27, and in his Dialogue concerning the Manichees, pp. 542, 556), but, that it might be the more manifest, God created the Devil a good Angel, who, of his own free Will and Choice, became Evil: as afterwards Man did by his Temptation. Now, God so dealt with Mankind, that, in his Disobedience, God’s Goodness might shine with more glorious Brightness, by sending his only Son into this World, who might take Flesh of a most unspotted Virgin, by the Operation of the Holy Ghost and redeem lost Man; and receive him into his Kingdom, adorned with greater Glory than he had before in Paradise, to the eternal Confusion of the Devil. Therefore neither ought the Sin of Man hinder, that God should not create him.
Question 26
Since, then, God knew all things before they were, did not he predestinate them to be good or evil, in such wise that they could not be otherwise than they are?
Answer.
God certainly foreknew all things before they were in Being; but he only predestinated Good (St. Damascene, Book ii. chap. xxx.), for it were contrary to the divine Goodness to predestine Evil. For Evil is no other than Sin; for, except Sin, which is the transgressing of the divine Will and Law, properly speaking, there is no such thing as Evil in the World: For those which God is pleased to inflict on us for our Sins, as Pestilence, War, Sickness, and such like, they are said to be evil with regard to us (Basil, Homily ix., that God is not the Cause of Evil), because they afflict us with Pain and Sorrow, to which we are averse: But, with regard to God, they are not evil, but rather good, as being the Instruments of his Correction, whereby he converts us to Righteousness. Therefore when the Scripture saith (Amos iii. 6), Shall there be evil in a City, and the Lord hath not done it? there by the Word evil is to be understood the just Judgment of God. In fine, God, in his Wisdom and Justice, predetermines only those things which are entirely out of our Power, with regard to their being or not being; and in those good things which are in our Power to be done, he foreknows, but so that his Will hindereth not ours, which no way controls the Nature of Free-will.
Question 27
What is Free-will?
Answer.
Man’s Free-will is an absolute, free, and voluntary Choice to do Good or Evil, arising from Reason or the reasonable Soul. For it is necessary that a Being endued with Reason, should have a Nature joined with a Power over his own Will, which, as Reason prompted, he should exercise freely. Now Reason, whilst Man remained in the state of Innocence (that is, before his Fall) was perfect and uncorrupt; and by his Fall, became corrupt; but his Will (although with regard to the Desire of Good and Evil, it remained unaltered), yet, in some things, it became more inclined to the Evil, and in others to the Good: As saith St. Basil (on Isai. xiv.), Every Man may by his Will and Choice become either a good Seed or a bad; according to the Apostle (1 Cor. iv. 15), In Jesus Christ I have begotten you through the Gospel. Also St. John (John i. 12), As many as received him, to them gave he Power to become the sons of God. Wherein the holy Doctor teacheth us, that notwithstanding the Will of Man is miserably depraved by original Sin; yet it is the Choice of every one whether he will become righteous, and the Child of God; or wicked, and the Child of the Devil. This, I say, is in every one’s Power, but with the divine Grace assisting him to do Good, and withdrawing him from Evil; yet, nevertheless, so as not to interfere with his free Will.
Question 28
Seeing that Man is born in Sin, is the Soul, as well as the Body, from the Seed of Adam?
Answer.
The human Body descends from Adam, but the Soul comes from God: According to the Scripture (Zach. xii. 1), The Lord which stretcheth forth the Heavens, and layeth the Foundations of the Earth, and formeth the Spirit of Man within him. And again (Eccl. xii. 7), Then shall the Dust return to the Earth as it was, and the Spirit shall return to God who gave it. For if the Soul were of human Seed, doubtless it would die with the Body, and, with that, return to Dust; but we are taught otherwise in the holy Scriptures, where Christ says to the Thief on the Cross (Luke xxiii. 43), Verily I say unto thee, This Day shalt thou be with me in Paradise. The Body of the Thief remained on the Cross, but the Soul, as being an immortal Spirit, entered with Christ into Paradise: Whereas, if it had been of human Extract, it must have died with the Body on the Cross. And, indeed, how can we otherwise understand these Words of our Lord? (Matth. xxii. 31), Have ye not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the Dead, but of the Living. Which Words cannot be applied but to the Soul, for the Bodies of those Fathers had been long ago consumed to Dust; they must, therefore, be meant of the Soul, which, as it liveth for ever, so it for ever standeth in the Presence of God. Now, if the Soul were of the same Stock with the Body, without doubt it must run the same Fate with it, and together with it also perish. But the Soul is immitted into the Body by God, when he hath fitted and prepared it for its Reception, and is diffused throughout all its Parts, as Fire pervades all Parts of the glowing Iron. But chiefly it resides (according to St. Damascene, i. xvii.) in the Head and Heart.
Question 29
Since God is the Creator of all Things, should he not also provide for all Things?
Answer.
He doth provide entirely for all Things: For from the smallest to the greatest, he knoweth them all, and every Individual which he hath made he particularly taketh Care of. For so sayeth our blessed Saviour (Matth. x. 29), Are not two Sparrows sold for a Farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the Ground without your Father. But the very Hairs of your Head are all numbered. The same Providence David celebrates in the Old Testament (Psal. cxlv. 15), The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord, and thou givest them their Meat in due Season. Thou openest thy Hand, and fillest all Things living with Plenteousness.
Question 30
Are the Words Foreknowledge, Predestination, Providence, of the same Signification in Divinity?
Answer.
Foreknowledge, Predestination, and Providence have different Signification in Divinity. Providence respects Things which are already created, but Foreknowledge and Predestination were in God before any Thing was created, but in a manner distinct from each other; Foreknowledge being the bare, simple knowing of a future Thing, without any determinate Specification of it: that is, not necessarily determining that this or that should be. But Predestination, joined with Foreknowledge, is a determining the Species, or what a Thing must be absolutely; only, always determining Good, and not Evil. For if Predestination were to appoint Evil, it would be contrary to the essential Goodness of God: Therefore, in like manner, as we first conceive a Thing, and then appoint concerning it, so may we speak with Regard to God: First in order is his Foreknowledge; then his Predestination; and lastly (things being brought into actual Being) his Providence. As the Apostle plainly teaches (Rom. viii. 29), For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate; whom he did predestinate, them he also called; whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified. But this is only to be understood of Man, for other created Beings (except the Angels, who are settled in a State of Certainty and Safety) are not the objects of the Divine Predestination; For, as they had no free Will, so they are without Imputation whatever they do, being done by the Impulse of natural Instinct; wherefore they are neither chastised with Punishment of any kind, nor crowned with the Rewards of Glory and Praise.