Lectures on the history of the Eastern Church : with an introduction on the study of ecclesiastical history

Front matter

LIBRARY ST. MARY'S COLLEGE

ST MARYS CATHEDRAL

• ED! N BURGH •

Preface

TO

THE SECOND EDITION.

THE present edition has been carefully revised; and a few corrections or confirmations have been supplied by a visit to Constantinople and Mount Athos, in the summer of the past year.

Christ Church, Oxford : January 29, 1862.

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PREFACE

TO

THE FIKST EDITION.

THE Introduction to this volume consists of three Lectures delivered in the spring of 1857, when I entered upon my duties as Professor of Ecclesiastical History. They are reprinted, partly for the sake of presenting them in a more correct form than that in which they first appeared, partly for the sake of exhibiting the general plan under which will be comprised any special Lectures like those which form the bulk of the present volume.

It is my hope, if I may look so far forward into the future, to fill up two of the departments indicated in the sketch of the first Introductory Lecture. I have already devoted a large share of each Academical year to Lectures on the History of the Jewish Church, which I trust at no very distant period to publish ; and it is my intention to appropriate at least a portion of my remaining time to the History of the Church of England.

Meanwhile, it seemed to me that a course of instruction in the History of the Eastern Church would

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PEEFACE.

not be unfitting. The general reasons for this selection are given in the Lectures themselves. The subject is one in which I had long felt an interest, and which may, perhaps, gain from being approached through a point of view more general than that usually taken in the learned works that have been devoted to its consideration.

In the choice and the treatment of the epochs of Eastern History which appear in the following pages, I have been guided by the necessities of the case, as well as by the wish to exemplify some of the principles laid down in my Introductory Lectures. The form of Lectures l lent itself to this mode of handling the subject ; and, if the result should bear the appearance of a didactic rather than of a historical work, I have endeavoured to rectify this defect by the references to authorities which begin, and by the chronological tables which end, the volume.

It so happens that one of these epochs (the Council of Nicsea), though receiving much attention from French and German writers, has never been thoroughly described by any English historian. In this instance, therefore, I have gone into every detail. I take this opportunity of mentioning some of the subordinate topics to which allusions have been made throughout the Lectures, and which might well be followed up, in a supplemental volume on the Church of Constantinople and Greece, properly so called. The Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon have never, as far as I know,

1 Most of the Lectures are printed The First and Eighth are condensed (with necessary corrections and ab- from two courses of Lectures, breviations) as they were delivered..-

PREFACE. IX

been described with all the details which could be given. The life of Chrysostom has never been fully told. The Iconoclastic controversy is full of interest for the history both of art and religion. A full account has yet to be given of the rupture between the Greek and Latin Churches, and of the attempted reconciliation in the Council of Florence. The rise of the monastic community of Athos, and of the dispute on the Light of Tabor, forms a separate episode. The revival of the national Church of Greece contains many germs of hope for the future. A continuous history of Greek theology, from its peculiarities in the Eastern Fathers of the third and fourth centuries, through the schools of Constantinople, down to its last great effort in the revival of letters in the West, and its influence on the Cambridge Platonic divines of the Church of England, and, through them, on John Wesley, in the eighteenth century, is still, I believe, a desideratum.

In regard to the relation of Christianity to the other religions of the East, which must be considered as one of the most important branches of the subject in connection with the fortunes of Eastern Christendom, I have been restrained, by my personal ignorance of the languages and customs of most of those countries, from offering more than a few general remarks on the one most directly connected with the Christian Church and the Eastern branch of it, namely, Mahometanism. But, if I may be permitted to refer to the labours of the eminent scholar who has already done so much for elucidating in this country the nature of Oriental religions, it is to be hoped that Professor Max Muller

X PREFACE.

may be induced to give us the benefit of his genius and learning in drawing forth the mutual relations of the religions of Asia and the Christian faith to each other, in their past history and in their future prospects.

The Lectures on the Eussian Church are intended as an introduction to a sphere of history which probably will, in each succeeding generation, grow in importance. If this volume should fall into the hands of any of those Eussians whose hospitality I enjoyed during my stay at Moscow in 1857, 1 trust that they will pardon, not only the inaccuracies in detail which a stranger can hardly escape, but the divergence of the general point of view from which a western European must regard the Church and State of Eussia. There is an expressive proverb written over the house of Archbishop Plato in the forests of the Troitzda Convent, "Let not him who comes in here carry out the dirt that he finds within." If this precept is not altogether practicable for an impartial traveller, I can yet truly say that my chief impressions are those of gratitude for the intelligence and courtesy with which I was received, both among laymen and ecclesiastics. It is a pleasure to me to hope that those kind friends at Moscow, to whom I would especially commend this part of my volume, may receive it as a token of sincere hope and good will for their country in this great crisis of its social existence, and its entrance on the thousandth anniversary of the foundation of their Empire.

Christ Church, Oxford : March 6, 1861.

I. The Peoyince Op Ecclesiastical Histoey

PAGE

Description of Ecclesiastical History .... xxv

I. Its first beginning ..... xxvi

The History of Israel, the first period of the History of the

Church ....... xxvii

Its peculiar interest ..... xxvii

Its religious importance .... xxviii

EC. The History of Christendom, the second period of the

History of the Church ..... xxx

Relations of Civil and Ecclesiastical History . . xxxii

Points of contact between them . . . xxxiv

Points of divergence .... xxxvi

Stages of the History of the Christian Church . . xxxvii

1. The Transition from the Church of the Apostles to

the Church of the Fathers . . . xxxvii

2. The Conversion of the Empire. The Eastern

Church ...... xxxviii

3. The Invasion of the Barbarians. The Latin Church xxxix

4. The Reformation ..... xl The French, German, and English Churches . xli, xlii

Conclusion. The late Professor Hussey . . . xliii, xliv

General Chronological Table of the Periods of Church History xliv, xlv

II. The Study Op Ecclesiastical Histoet

Dryness of Ecclesiastical History .... xlvi

Remedy to be found in a Historical View of the Church . xlvi xii TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PAGE

I. History of Doctrines II. History of Creeds and Articles III. History of Events and Persons General Study Detailed Study of great Events .

The Councils

Detailed Study of great Men Neander and his History Distinction of Characters Uses of this Method :

I. Gradation of Importance in Ecclesiastical

Matters . . . liii

II. Combination of Civil and Ecclesiastical

History .... liv

HI. Caution against partiality . lv

IV. Reference to Original Authorities . Ivi

Graves of the Covenanters . . Ivii

The Catacombs .... Iviii

Special Opportunities for this Study :

I. In the Church of England . . . lix

II. In the University of Oxford . lx

HI. In active Clerical life Ixi

Conclusion . . . . . . . Ixii

III. The Advantages Of Ecclesiastical History

I. Importance of Historical Facts in Theological Study . Ixiv

II. Importance of a General View of Ecclesiastical History . Ixvi

III. Use of the Biography of good Men . . . Ixviii

IV. Use of the general Authority of the Church . . Ixx V. Better understanding of Differences and of Unity . • . Ixxi

VI. Evidence rendered to the Truth of Christianity . . Ixxii

VII. Lessons from the Failings of the Church . . Ixxiii

VIH. Comparison of Ecclesiastical History with the Scriptures . Ixxiv

IX. Future Prospect of the History of the Church . . Ixxvi

Indications in History ..... Ixxviii

Indications in Scripture ..... Ixxix

Conclusion . Ixxx

LECTURE I.

THE -EASTERN CHURCH.

Authorities for its History .... . Ixiii

I. Its General Divisions . . 2 20

TABLE OF CONTENTS. Xlll

PAGE

1. The National Churches of the remote East . . 4—13

a) Chaldsean or Nestorian Churches . . 5

Christians of S. Thomas ... 6

J) The Armenians ..... 6

c) The Syrians . ... 7

Jacobites — Maronites ... 8

The Abyssinian Church . . 10—12

e) The Georgians . . . . .12

2. The Greek Church . . . 13—16

[Representative of Ancient Greece . . ,13

Of early Greek Christianity ... 14

Of the Byzantine Empire . . .15

Constantinople . . . • .16

Church of Greece ..... 16

3. Northern Tribes . . , . 16, 17

a) Danubian Provinces. — * Bulgaria. — Servia. —

Wallachia and Moldavia.— The Kaitzen . 16, ] 7

6) The Church of Kussia . . . .17

II. Historical Epochs 18—20

1. Period of the Councils ..... 18

2. Rise of Mahometanism . . . .19

3. Rise of the Russian Empire . . . .20 HI. General Characteristics .... 20—42

1. Speculative tendency of Eastern Theology . . 21 Rhetorical as opposed to logical . . .23 Philosophical as opposed to legal . . .23

2. Speculative tendency of Eastern Monachism . . 25

3. The Eastern Church stationary . . 27—30

In the Doctrine of the Sacraments . . .29

Baptism . . . . .29

Confirmation . . . . .29 Extreme Unction .... 30

Infant Communion . . . .30

4. Absence of Religious Art in the East . . .31

5. The Eastern Church not Missionary . . .34

But not persecuting . . .34

6. Eastern Theology not systematised . 35

7. Eastern Hierarchy not organised . . .36

Independence of Laity .... 38

Study of Scripture . . . .39

Absence of a Papacy .... 40

Married Clergy . . . .41

IV. Advantages of a Study of the Eastern Church . . 42

1. Its Isolation from Western Controversy . . 43

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

2. Its Competition with the Latin Church . . 44

3. Its Illustrations of the Unity of Western Christendom 47

4. Its advantages over the Western Church . .48

5. Its use to the Church of England . . .51 Note on the Doctrine of the Single and Double Procession . . 53

LECTURE H.

THE COUNCIL OF NIC^A, A.D. 325.

Authorities for the History ..... 55

I. The Oriental Character of the Council ... 57

II. Its general Interest . . . . .60

1. Historical Importance of Arianism . . .62

2. Importance of the Period . . . .65 The Nicene Council the first example of a General

Council . . . . 66

a) In its deliberative Character . . .67

6) In its Imperial Character . . .69

c) In its mixed Character . . .73

III. Peculiarities of the History .... 78—81

1. Contemporary Sources ..... 78

2. Sources on both Sides ..... 79

3. The Legends ...... 79

4. The Characters . . 80

LECTUKE HE.

THE MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.

The present appearance of Nicsea ..... 82

I. The Occasion of the Council . . . . .83

1. The Arian Controversy, . . . .83

Its abstract dogmatism . . , .84

Its Polytheistic Tendencies . . .84 Its Vehemence . ... 85

2. Intervention of the Emperor . . 86 II. The Selection of the Place

Its Situation . . go

Its Name ... 90

III. The Time of the Council . 91

IV. Its Assemblage

Mode of travelling . 93

Numbers ..... 94

TABLE OF CONTENTS. XV

PAGE

V. Diversity of Characters ..... 95

First Place of Meeting ..... 97

1. Alexandrian Deputies . . . . .97

Alexander . . . . .98

Athanasius . . . . .99

Coptic Hermits ... . . . 101

2. Syrian and Assyrian Deputies .... 101

Eustathius of Antioch .... 102 Eusebius of Csesarea .... 102 Macarius of Jerusalem . . , .103

Deputies from Mesopotamia and Armenia . 103

3. Deputies from Asia Minor and Greece . . . 104

Leontius of Csesarea .... 105

Eusebius of Nicomedia .... 105

Alexander of Byzantium . . . . 106

Acesius the Novatian .... 106

Marcellus of Ancyra .... 107

Spyridion ..... 107

Nicolas : . 110

4. Deputies from the West .... 110

Theophilus the Goth . . . .110

The Roman Presbyters . . . .111

Hosius of Cordova . . . . , 111

VI. Preliminary Discussions . . . . .112

The Theologians and the Layman . . . 113

The Philosopher and the Peasant . . . .114

Principle of Free Discussion . . . .116

LECTURE IV.

THE OPENING OF THE COUNCIL.

Arrival of the Emperor . . . . . .119

Complaints of the Bishops . . . . . .119

Hall of Assembly ...... 120

Entrance of Constantino .... . 121

The President ..... 122

The formal Opening . . . 126

The Rebuke to the Bishops ... ]29

Theological Divisions .... 130

The Thalia and Creed of Arius . . . 131

Legend of S. Nicolas . 132

Creed of Eusebius of Csesarea . . . 134

Xvi TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PAGE

The Homoousion ... •

The Controversy on ousia and hypostasis . Creed of Nicsea .....

The Subscription of Eusebius of Csesarea

of Eusebius of Nicomedia . . . 144

Banishment of Arius ...••• 147

Finality of Nicene Creed .....

Broken at Chalcedon . .... 150

LECTUKE V.

THE CONCLUSION OF THE COUNCIL.

I. The Paschal Controversy . . . . .153

1. Decree of Settlement . . . . .154

2. Paschal Table ...... 156

3. Festal Letters of Alexandria .... 157 II. The Melitian Controversy ..... 159

in. The Canons 162

Apocryphal Canons ..... 162

Reception of the Book of Judith .... 163

Twenty Genuine Canons ..... 163

1. On Clerical Discipline .... 163—167

On Provincial Councils .... 163 On Episcopal Ordination . . . . 164

On Metropolitan Privileges .... 165 On Jerusalem and Csesarea .... 165 On Translation ..... 166 ' On the Power of Deacons ' . . . . 167

2. On Public Worship . . . . .167

3. On Clerical Manners .... 168,169

Intercourse with religious Women . . .168

Protest of Paphnutius . . , .169

4. On cases of Conscience .... 170

Official Letters and final Subscription . . . .171

Imperial Banquet ....... 173

Rebuke to Acesius . . . . . .174

Farewell of the Emperor . . . 175

Honours paid to Nicsea . . . 176

Departure of the Bishops .... 177

Reception of the Decrees .... . 177

Legends of Rome and Constantinople . . . 178, 179

General Conclusion :

1. Diversity of incidents . . 179

TABLE OF CONTENTS. xvii

PAGE

2. Effect of Individual Characters .... 180

3. Contrast of Legendary and Historical Accounts . . 180

4. Settlement of Theological Controversies . . 181

LECTURE VI.

THE EMPEROR COtfSTANTINE. A.D. 312 — 338.

Historical Position of Constantino ..... 185

His Appearance ....... 186

His Character ....... 188

I. The First Christian Emperor . . . . .189

His Conversion ...... 189

The Battle of the Milvian Bridge .... 192

His ambiguous Religion ..... 192

His Christian Legislation ..... 195

II. Founder of the Established Church . . . .195

His Devotion and Preaching . . . 197, 198

IH. His last Visit to Rome . . . . .199

Crimes of the Imperial Family . . . 200

1. Foundation of the Papal Power at Rome . . 202

Absolution of Hosius .... 203

of Sylvester .... 204

Donation . . . . . 204

2. Foundation of Constantinople .... 206

Its Situation . . . . 207

Its Importance in Ecclesiastical History . .210

3. Foundation of the Holy Places in Palestine . . 211

Pilgrimage of Helena . . . .211

4. Restoration of Arms ..... 212 Baptism and Death of Constantino . . . 214—217

LECTURE VH.

ATHANASITTS. A.D. 312 — 372.

I. Athanasius, as representing the Church of Egypt . . 222

His Appearance ...... 223

His Childhood ...... 224

Archdeacon of Alexandria ..... 225

Consecration as Bishop ..... 225

Importance of the See of Alexandria . . . 227

1. Conversion of Abyssinia .... 228

2. Egyptian Hermits ..... 229

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PAGE

3. National feeling of Egypt

Scene of Athanasius's return to Alexandria . II. Contests of Athanasius with the Emperor . His Isolation, " contra mundum "

1. Independence against the Imperial Power

2. Personal, not Ecclesiastical, Opposition

. 9oa

3. Arian Persecution ....

Scene in the Church of S. Theonas .

His General Character His Versatility His Humour .

Magical Reputation .

III. Athanasius as a Theologian .

1. Common to East and West .

Athanasian Creed

2. Founder of Orthodoxy .

Polemical Vehemence

Defence of the Doctrine of the Incarnation

3. Discrimination of essential and unessential . 250

In the Monastic Disputes. . 250

In Clerical Discipline . '. .

In the Use and Disuse of the Homoousion . 251

In the Controversy respecting " Person " and

" Substance" . .''"'.

Council of Alexandria ...... 253

Relations with S. Basil . . . 254

LECTURE VIII.

MAHOMETANISM IN ITS EELATIONS TO THE EASTEKNT CHURCH.

Prefatory Remarks on our Knowledge of Mahometanism . . 257

I. Its Connection with Western Churches . . . 259

II. Its Connection with Eastern Churches . . . 260

with their Rise . . . .260

and their Ruin . . . .260

III. Point of Contact in History . . . . .262

1. Christians at Mecca ..... 262

2. Sergius, Monk of Bostra .... 262

3. Apocryphal Gospels ..... 263

4. Christian Doctrines and Legends . . . 264

IV. Comparison with Sacred History .... 264

with Ecclesiastical History . . . 265

V. The Koran compared with the Bible . . . 266

1. Resemblances of Form . 266

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

2. Contrasts between them, as regards

a) Uniformity — Variety .... 268

b) Narrowness — Diffusion .... 269

c) Purity of Text— Variations . . . 270

d) Monotony — Multiplicity . . .271

e) Exclusiveness — Expansiveness . . . 272 VI. Comparison of the Ecclesiastical System of Mahometanism

with that of the Christian Church . . . 273

1. Its Relations to Protestantism . . . 273

2. Its Relations to Catholicism . . . 276

3. Its Oriental Character .... 279

In its worse and better Qualities . . 279—282

LECTURE IX.

THE RUSSIAN CHURCH.

Authorities ....... 283

I. Importance of the Church of Russia as an Eastern Church . 284 II. Its Parallel with Western Christendom . . . 286

III. Its National Character ..... 287

Periods of its History . . . . . .290

Missions of Constantinople ..... 290

Conversion of Russia ..... 292

1. Legendary Account — S. Andrew, S. Antony . 292, 293

2. Historical Account ..... 294 Vladimir ...... 294

Missions to convert him . . . 296 — 299

Mission from him to Constantinople . . 299

The Church of S. Sophia ..... 300

Baptism of Vladimir at Kherson . . . 302

of the Russians at Kieff . . . .302

1. Influence of Constantinople .... 303

2. Veneration of Sacred Pictures .... 304

3. Effects of Authority . . . . .307

4. Translation of the Bible into Sclavonic . . . 308 Early Christian Princes of Russia . . . . . 311 Will of Vladimir Monomachus .... 313

LECTURE X.

THE RUSSIAN CHURCH IN THE MIDDLE AGES.

The Middle Ages of Russia, A.D. 1250—1613 . . .316 a 2

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TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PAGE

Cathedral of the Archangel at Moscow . . . 321

Ivan the Terrible ...... 321

His Position in Ecclesiastical History . . . 322

II. THE METROPOLITANS ..... 327

Their general Character . . . . .328

Martyrdom of S. Philip . . . . .329

IH. THE MONASTIC ORDERS . . . . 330

Basil— Nicholas of Plescow . . . 332, 333

2. The Monasteries . . . . . .335

IV. The Invasion of the Tartars, A.D. 1205— 1472. . . 336

The Troitzka Monastery . . . . .337

Battle of the Don ...... 339

V. The Invasion of the Poles, A.D. 1606 — 1613 . . . 340

Siege of the Troitzka ..... 342

Election of the Komanoff Dynasty .... 344

LECTURE XI.

THE PATRIARCH NICON.

The Eastern Eeformation ...... 346

I. His Appearance and Character .... 348

II. His Reforms ..... 350 358

Opposition to them ..... 358 361

in. His Personal History ...... 361

Friendship with the Czar Alexis .... 362

Retirement ....... 366

Convent of the New Jerusalem .... 367

Resignation . . . . . . 371

Trial 372

Return . . . 375

Death and Funeral ..... 377 378

LECTURE XII.

PETER THE GREAT AND THE MODERN CHURCH OF RUSSIA.

His Historical Importance, A.D. 1672 1725 380 381

His Appearance and Character . 381—386

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

xxi

PAGE

His Connection with the Eastern Church . . . 386

His Death-bed ....... 390

His Reforms ....... 392

Abolition of the Patriarchate ..... 393

The Rascolniks (Dissenters) . . . . .395

The Starovers (Old Believers) . . . . .396

Their Grievances ..... 397—400

Representatives of Old Russia ..... 400

Settlement at Moscow ...... 402

Modern State of Russian Church, A.D. 1725 — 1860 . . 402

Demetrius of Rostoff ...... 408

Ambrose of Moscow ...... 408

Plato of Moscow ...... 409

Innocent of Kamtschatka . . . ; .411

Philaret of Moscow ...... 411

Professor at the Troitza Convent .... 411

AT END OF VOLUME.

Plan of the Patriarchal Cathedral of Moscow. Map of the Eastern Churches.

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