All Articles For Contending for the Faith

But when the pope’s eyes were opened, he sent the bishop Marinus to Constantinople to declare invalid what the legates had done contrary to, his instructions. For this Marinus was shut up in prison for thirty days. After his return Pope John VIII solemnly pronounced the anathema on Photius, who had dared to deceive and degrade the holy see, and had added new frauds to the old. Marinus renewed the anathema after he was elected pope (852). Photius denied the validity of his election, and developed an extraordinary literary activity. 

We will now continue with our quotation from Philip Schaff as he writes on “The New Mysticism,” Vol. VI, pages 236-242.

VIEWS DURING THE THIRD PERIOD (750-1517 A.D.)  THE SUPREMACY OF THE POPE  GREGORY THE GREAT (590-604)  “Whatever may be thought of the popes of earlier times,” says a certain writer, “they always had great interests in view: the care of oppressed religion, the conflict with heathenism, the spread of Christianity among the northern nations, the founding of an independent hierarchy. It belongs to the dignity of human existence to aim at and to execute something great; this tendency the popes kept in upward motion.”

In our discussion of the early views of the sacrament of baptism as entertained by the Church during the first three centuries of the new dispensation, we have observed that this sacrament was held in high esteem. It was not merely considered a rite, but as a sacrament it was deemed efficacious.

CHAPTER IV  On Contrition 

We concluded our preceding article on this subject with the observation that we must always be on our guard against the danger of False Mysticism. Mysticism was particularly effective and grew into prominence at the time of the Reformation on French and Germane soil, and, especially on German soil. This Mysticism flourished, we repeat, particularly on German soil and sought by means of asceticism, meditation and contemplation a fellowship and communion with God which could be experienced without the Holy Scriptures.

Another attempt at reunion was made by John VII. Palaeologus in the Council of Ferrara, which was convened by Pope Eugenius IV in opposition to the reformatory Council of Basle. It was attended by the emperor, the patriarch of Constantinople, and twenty-one Eastern prelates, among them the learned Bessarion of Nicaea, Mark of Ephesus, Dionysius of Sardis, Isidor of Kieff. The chief points of controversy were discussed: the procession of the Spirit, purgatory; the use of unleavened bread, and the supremacy of the pope.

We will now continue our quotation on CONFIRMATION as recorded in the New Schaff-Herzog Religious Encyclopedia as follows :

We concluded our preceding article by calling the attention of our readers, briefly, to what awaits us in our discussion of the development of the doctrine of the Church and the Sacraments in the third period, 750-1517 A.D. One of the matters of our discussion will be the supremacy of the Pope of Rome which was strongly asserted. 

The idea of sacrifice (continued). Of interest, in connection with this idea of sacrifice in connection with the celebration of the Lord’s Supper as prevalent in the early period of the Christian Church, is what we read in the History of the Christian Church by Philip Schaff whom, writing on the Eucharist as a Sacrifice, we quote as follows (Vol. II, 245 ff.) The Eucharist as a Sacrifice