PART

I.

proper jurisdictions. The synod "also settled the rule for keeping Easter as it is still observed.1

1 HAMMOND'S General Councils. LANDON's Manual of Councils.

Q. xv. What was done at the second General Council?

A. The creed commonly called the Nicene creed, was finally adopted, in the form in which we now have it in our Prayer Books, except the words, "and the Son," in the clause relative to the procession of the Holy Ghost. These words are a modern addition, and have never been received by the Greek Church. Seven canons of discipline were enacted, most of which were inconsistent with the modern pretensions of Rome.1

1 HAMMOND'S General Councils. LANDON's Manual of Councils.

Q. xvi. What was done in the third General Council?

A. The Nestorian heresy was condemned. The creed of Constantinople, commonly called the Nicene Creed, was confirmed, and a prohibition against making any other enacted. Eight canons of discipline were made, the eighth of which, established what is called the Cyprian privilege, declaring the island of Cyprus to have been always free from all patriarchal jurisdiction, and restraining the patriarchs within the proper bounds of their jurisdictions. The claim of the Pope to any jurisdiction beyond the limits of his own patriarchate is in violation of this canon. The Roman patriarchate properly contains the south of Italy and the Island of Sicily.1

1 HAMMOND'S General Councils. LANDON'S Manual of Councils.

Q. xvii. What was done in the fourth General CHAP. Council?

A. The Eutychian heresy was condemned, the Nicene Creed confirmed, and thirty-seven canons of discipline enacted.1

1 HAMMOND's General Councils. LANDON'S Manual of Councils.

Q. xviii. If the Church representative may err, does it not follow that national and provincial councils and individuals may also err ?

A. Yes.

Q. 19. In what respects may individuals in the
Church err as well as entire national Churches?
A. Principally by Heresies or by Schisms.

Q. 20. What is the meaning of the word
Heresy?

V.

2 Thess. iii 6.

A. It comes from the Greek, aipeois, a choice,1 and it means an arbitrary adoption, in matters of Rom. xiv. 17. faith, of opinions at variance with the doctrines 14. delivered by Christ and His Apostles, and received 2 John 10., from them by the Catholic Church.

1 TERTULLIAN. Præscript. Hæret. 5. Sed et in omni pæne epistolâ Paulus Apostolus de adulterinis doctrinis fugiendis inculcans, hæreses taxat, quarum opera sunt adulteræ doctrinæ; Hæreses dictæ Græca voce ex interpretatione electionis, qua quis sive ad instituendas sive ad suscipiendas eas utitur. Ideo et sibi damnatum dixit hæreticum, quia et in quo damnatur, sibi elegit. Nobis vero nihil ex nostro arbitrio inducere licet, sed nec eligere quod aliquis de arbitrio suo induxerit. Apostolos Domini habemus auctores, qui nec ipsi quicquam ex suo arbitrio, quod inducerent, elegerunt, sed acceptam a Christo disciplinam fideliter nationibus adsigItaque etiamsi Angelus de cœlis aliter evangelizaret, anathema diceretur a nobis.

naverunt.

S. HIERON. in Epist. ad Titum, c. 3. Hæresis Græce ab electione venit, quod scilicet unusquisque id sibi eligat quod ei melius videatur.

PART

I.

Luke xii. 47.

Q. 21. Is every one who holds an error in religion to be called a Heretic?

A. No. Error neither voluntarily adopted, nor James iv. 17. pertinaciously defended, does not, but error1 willingly adopted, publicly avowed, and obstinately maintained, does,—make a man a Heretic.

Jude 22.

1 Cor. iv. 6.

2 Cor. xi. 2.

2 Pet. ii. i. 2 Tim. iii.

Gal. i. 8.

1 S. AUG. Ep. 43. tom. ii. p. 131. Qui sententiam suam quamvis falsam atque perversam nullâ pertinaci animositate defendunt, præsertim quam non audacia præsumptionis suæ peperunt, sed a seductis atque in errorem lapsis parentibus acceperunt, quærunt autem cautâ solicitudine veritatem, corrigi parati cum invenerint, nequaquam sunt inter hæreticos reputandi.

S. AUG. de Civ. D. xvii. 51. Qui in Ecclesià morbidum aliquid pravumque sapiunt, resistunt contumaciter, suaque pestifera et mortifera dogmata emendare nolunt, sed defensare persistunt, hæretici fiunt.

Archbishop BRAMHALL, i. p. 110. ed. Oxf.

Q. 22. In what consists the sin of Heretics? A. In that they proudly presume to be wise concerning the things of God above what is written, and to obtain salvation from Him on terms invented by themselves.1

1 TERTULLIAN. Præscrip. Hæret. c. 6. Nobis nihil ex nostro arbitrio inducere licet..-c. 11. Regula a Christo instituta nullas habet apud nos quæstiones nisi quæ Hæreses inferunt.-c. 8. Nobis curiositate non opus est post Christum Jesum, nec inquisitione post Evangelium.

Q. 23.What is the language of Scripture concerning Heresy?

A. Heresy is corruption of that purity which is the characteristic of Christ's Church, who is described in Scripture as a chaste Virgin.1 St. Peter speaks of "false teachers bringing in privily 8. damnable heresies." St. Paul compares them to the magicians of Egypt who resisted Moses, and "Though we, or an Angel from heaven, says, preach any other Gospel unto you than that which

V.

Titus iii. 10,

we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." CHAP. "A man that is a Heretic after the first and second admonition, reject; knowing that he that is such, is subverted and sinneth, being condemned of him- 11. self," i. e., by his own choice, viz., by what he himself has chosen (elegit,3) instead of framing his will to maintain that which Reason and Religion teach.

1 S. AMBROSE ad Ev. S. Luc. xv. 18. Vir Christus est, Uxor Ecclesia; caritate Uxor, integritate Virgo. S. PROSPER AQUITAN. Epigr. lxxvi. Virginitas animæ est intemerata fides. S. AUG. Serm. i. de Verb. Dom. Ecclesiæ concessit Christus in Spiritu quod Mater Ejus habuit in corpore, ut et Mater et Virgo sit.-Serm. 16, de Temp. Ecclesia mater est visceribus charitatis, Virgo integritate fidei.

2 HOOKER III. VIII. 8.

Q. 24. What is Schism?

1

A. It is the act by which any entire or national Church, or any individual member thereof, voluntarily divides, or separates itself or himself from the unity of the visible Church, or makes divisions in it.

1 Archp. BRAMHALL. vol. i. p. 112. Schismatics are,whosoever doth uncharitably make rupture, or "sets up altar against altar" in Christ's Church, or withdraws his obedience from the Catholic Church, or its representative a general Council, or from any lawful superiors, without just grounds; whosoever doth wilfully break the line of Apostolical succession, which is the very nerves and sinews of ecclesiastical unity and communion, both with the present Church, and with the Catholic symbolical Church of all successive ages; he is a schismatic (quâ talis,) whether he be guilty of heretical pravity or not.

Q. 25. What is the difference between Heresy and Schism?

A. In the words of St. Jerome," "Heresy maintains perverse doctrine. Schism is a separation (oxile, scindit) from the Church, in the nature of an Episcopalis disssensio," or dissent from Eccle

2 John 10.

PART

I.

1 Kings xii. 27-32.

Num. iii. 4.

Jude 11. 19.

27-32.

1 Cor. i. 10.

siastical governors when a man wholly or occasionally withdraws himself from communion with his lawful Bishop and Pastor, and takes any part in setting up or maintaining Bishop against Bishop, Pastor against Pastor, or altar against altar. "But, adds St. Jerome, "there is no schism which does not tend to generate for itself some Heresy; whence St. Augustine calls Heresy a Schisma inveteratum. Heresy is contra dogmata, contra Fidem, et contra veritatem; Schism, contra personas, contra disciplinam, et contra caritatem.

1 S. HIERON, in Tit. c. 3. He calls it dissensio episcopalis; there being in that age no Christian congregation apart from, or independent of a Bishop. See below, Pt. i. ch. x.

2 S. AUG. c. Crescon. ii. 7.

3 S. CYPRIAN, Ep. lxvi. p. 167. Inde schismata et hæreses, dum Episcopus, qui unus est et Ecclesiæ præest, superbâ præsumptione contemnitur.

S. AUG. De Fide et Symb. c. 10. Hæretici de Deo falsa sentiendo ipsam fidem violant; schismatici autem dissensionibus iniquis a fraternâ caritate dissiliunt, quamvis ea credant quæ credimus.

Q. 26. What do we learn from Scripture concerning Schism?

A. As the punishment and fearful judgment of God on Nadab and Abihu1 is a warning against Num. xvi. Heresy, so is that on Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, 1 Kings xii. against Schism. Jeroboam, who is characterized in Scripture more than twenty times as he that "made Israel to sin," is an example of both Heresy and Schism. St. Paul says to the Corinthians, "I beseech you, brethren, by the name of Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions (oxiouara) among you." And he declares that nothing, not even martyrdom, profiteth without charity. Schism is a carnal work, and as such excludes from heaven; it tends to the subversion of a Church, for a kingdom or house

1 Cor. xiii 3. 1 Cor. iii. 3.

Gal. v. 20, 21.

3

2