GREEK CHURCH. 



375 



but will come up for discussion at the next Confer- 

 ence. 



The second part of this question, " The Universal 

 Church only, lawfully represented by her Bishops. 

 is the Infallible Keeper of the Faith," was received 

 by the Old Catholics without any hesitation. 



It is very evident that this last is the more im- 

 portant of the two. The clear and distinct way in 

 which the Old Catholics expressed themselves con- 

 cerning it places an impassable gulf between their 

 teaching and that of the Ultramontanes. But, in- 

 deed, they could not do otherwise, for the very start- 

 ing-point of the Old Catholic movement was the de- 

 creeing of the Pope's infallibility. The reason where- 

 by some of the Old Catholics show an indisposition 

 to accept simply and clearly the Orthodox theory is, 

 that some of them (e. g., the revered Michaelis) think 

 that to have on earth a Visible Centre of Unity for 

 the Church is a desirable and useful thing. 



2. The question concerning the Procession of the 

 Holy Ghost was likewise deferred to the approach- 

 ing Conference. This question is, evidently, the 

 most difficult of all that divide us from the Old 

 Catholics. In regard to this question, as well as to 

 others, the Old Catholics made most important con- 

 cessions to the true doctrine. As with the last ques- 

 tion, so is.it with this, that it has two sides, namely, 

 the material question concerning the Procession or 

 the Holy Ghost (the doctrine of the Filioq ue), and 

 the other touching the insertion of the Filioque in 

 the Creed. To this latter we shall come presently 

 in studying the canonical questions. The former 

 question was deferred to the next Conference. A 

 dogmatic definition as to this will not be easy, but, 

 in regard to this point, the Old Catholics made a 

 most important declaration, namely, that they did 

 not consider the doctrine of the Filioque as of essen- 

 tial importance, or hold that it was necessary to sal- 

 vation for one to believe it. 



It is very evident that the teaching of the Filioque, 

 even as a pious opinion, has no raison d'etre. It is 

 indisputable, however, that this way of presenting 

 the doctrine is a great help toward coming to an un- 

 derstanding, when we consider this, also, that the 

 Old Catholics do not mean, in any way, to interfere, 

 through the Filioque, with the teaching of the one- 

 ness of the source of Deity (Fans Deitatis}, which is 

 God the Father. This was asserted in the most dis- 

 tinct manner. In private conversation with the Old 

 Catholics, they brought forward the pious opinions 

 of the Fathers of the Church (St. Epiphanius, St. 

 Cyril, St. Augustine) of the ages before the Great 

 Schism. We shall come to the question as to the 

 Creed further on. 



3. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception is 

 rejected by the Old Catholics. 



4 5. The doctrine concerning Good "Works was 

 satisfactorily expressed by the Old Catholics, who 

 excluded from it everything which could displease 

 the Orthodox, viz., whatever had any relation to the 

 Ultramontane theory of indulgences, to the thesaurus 

 meritorum. and to works of supererogation. 



6. The doctrine concerning the temporary condi- 

 tion of souls after death was not formulated in our 

 statement with sufficient precision to form the basis 

 for discussion, but the Old Catholics declared that 

 since they rejected the doctrine of forgiveness ob- 

 tained after death, etc., they considered that the 

 doctrine concerning the condition of souls after 

 death could give no ground for dissension between 

 the two Churches. 



CANONICAL AND DISCIPLINARY DIFFERENCES. 1. 

 Concerning the Creed. The insertion of the Filioque 

 was declared to be uncanonical, and the Old Catho- 

 lics even spoke of removing the words from the 

 Creed. It is noticeable, however, that their reason 

 for so doing was, not the incorrectness of the doc- 

 trine, all question as to this being adjourned to a 

 future discussion, but because it was uncanonical to 

 insert these words in the Creed. " We have," said 



Dollinger, "no objection, in principle, to the re- 

 moval of the Filiopue." But the Anglicans did not 

 see fit to agree with this proposition. The agree- 

 ment attained was not as to the main point, for the 

 doctrine was kept out of discussion, but an acknowl- 

 edgment of the uncanonicity of the insertion of the 

 Filioque was a most important step toward recon- 

 ciliation and the unity of the Church. 



2. Baptism. The Old Catholics declared that the 

 manner of administering this Sacrament in the East- 

 ern^ Church was more ancient than the mode of 

 sprinkling, which the Western Church employs, 

 agreeing better with the signification of the Greek 

 word laptisein. They thought, however, that such 

 difference of rite ought to be no longer a cause of 

 division between the Churches, or an occasion of 

 strife. 



3. Confirmation. The Old Catholics declared that 

 this Sacrament could be administered, not only by 

 a bishop, but also by a priest, according to the East- 

 ern usage. They also said that, while the Eastern 

 custom of administering Confirmation to children at 

 the same time with Baptism was more ancient than 

 the Western usage, there were important reasons in 

 favor of the latter, and that, in any event, a change 

 in this matter would be difficult to bring about. 



4. The Eucharist. The question concerning the 

 Sacrament of the Eucharist was divided in our state- 

 ment into four heads : 



(a.) The Western custom of usinq unleavened bread. 

 The Old Catholics said that theWestern Church did 

 not think this custom indispensable. 



(b.) The Invocation of the Holy Spirit. The Old 

 Catholics stated that they thought that opinion most 

 correct according to which, in order to the Act of 

 Consecration being performed in its full integrity, 

 there should be a prayer of invocation ; that, more- 

 over, in the Western liturgy there was such a prayer ; 

 that the difference between the two Churches sprang 

 up while they were yet united. 



(c.) The Communion in both Tcinds. The Old Cath- 

 olics showed themselves well disposed toward hav- 

 ing the Communion in both kinds, considering it 

 only a question of time. 



(d.) infant Communion. -The Old Catholics stated 

 that, in regard to this question, they must repeat 

 what was said as to Confirmation, that the Western 

 custom began at a very early period, that in neither 

 case did it give ground for division; but that it 

 should be allowed. 



5. Penance. The Old Catholics consider this ques- 

 tion fully explained by what they say_ concerning 

 the state of the soul after death, concerning sin, con- 

 cerning good works (the Ultramontane theory of in- 

 dulgences, of works of supererogation, and of the 



6. Concerning Clerical Celibacy. The Old Catholics 

 showed the greatest reserve in discussing this point. 

 The absurdity of enforced celibacy was evident, and 

 fully confessed ; consequently, the partial difference 

 of opinion here cannot be explained, except from the 

 fear lest their enemies might make of this question 

 a weapon of attack, and explain away the whole 

 movement of the Old Catholics by saying that the 

 leaders had gone into this movement simply to get 

 rid of compulsory celibacy. It is known that the 

 Ultramontanes often resort to such measures. 



T. Unction. The Old Catholics declared that they 

 held that Unction could be performed not only for a 

 dying person, but for others who were ill. They 

 suppose that the consecration of the anointing oil by 

 a bishop, according to the Western custom, gave no 

 ground for a separation between the Churches. 



All the above-mentioned differences were men- 

 tioned at the sixth session of the Bonn Conference, 

 and discussed between the Orthodox and the Old 

 Catholics ; but besides these, in the earlier sessions 

 of the Conference, in the discussions between the 

 Orthodox and the Anglicans, many questions were 

 settled according to the Orthodox opinion, on which 



