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Orthodox Confession
St Peter Mogila, tr. Lodvel, 1762
Part 1, 2. Questions 11–20
Question 11
What are the Attributes of God?
Answer.
As God himself is incomprehensible; so also are his Attributes. Yet so much as we can learn concerning them from the Scriptures, and the Doctors of the Church, we may think and declare of them. We may therefore consider the divine Attributes as Personal or Essential.
Question 12
What are the Personal Attributes of God?
Answer.
The Personal Attributes of the Godhead are those by which the Persons in the most holy Trinity are distinguished from each other. As, what appertaining to the One, cannot appertain to the other: Thus the Person of the Father is not the Person of the Son, for the Father is begotten of none, but the Son was essentially begotten of the Father before all Ages; as saith the Scriptures (Psal. cx. 3), The Dew of thy Birth is of the Womb of the Morning. Thus Father, Son, Holy Ghost, unbegotten, begotten, proceeding; as peculiar to each Person: This is what distinguisheth or divideth the divine Persons but not their Essence, which in itself is undividable, only separated from created Beings. Now as the Unbegotten and the Begotten cannot be the Person, so we are to consider the Holy Ghost, who proceeded from the Essence and Nature of the Father, without any beginning of Time, that is, from all Eternity, and is consubstantial with the Father and the Son; yet distinct from him in his personal Attribute, as proceeding from him. And in like manner from the Son, as being from the same Father, not by Generation, like the Son, but by Procession, and therein co-essential with the Son, as being from the same Nature of the Father, with whom they are both consubstantial, as being of the same Nature with him. On which thus discourseth Gregory the Divine (Orat. xxiii. εἰς Ἥρωνα, p. 442), “This is common to the Son and the Holy Ghost, that both Persons are from the Father. But this peculiar to the Father, that he is unbegotten, as it is to the Son, that he is begotten, and to the Holy Ghost, that he proceedeth.” And farther the whole Dispensation of the Incarnation, is a personal Attribute of the Son, forasmuch as neither the Father nor the Holy Ghost were incarnate. Thus doth the Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church teach us to believe and confess; God; One in Nature and Three in Person: concerning which, read the first Council of Nice, and the second general Council of Constantinople.
Question 13
What are the Essential Attributes of God?
Answer.
The Essential Attributes of God, are those which equally belong to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: Namely, to be God, to be Creator, to be Fore-knowing, to behold all Things, to be present with all Things, to fill all Things, to be infinite and boundless, to know all Things, whether hidden or manifest; and to sum up all in a few Words, besides the Personal Attributes before-mentioned, as of the Father to be unbegotten, and the Cause of the Persons, of the Son to be begotten and incarnate, and of the Holy Ghost to proceed; whatever else is said of God, is properly an Attribute of the Divine Nature, and equally appertaineth to the three Persons, without any Difference and Distinction.
Question 14
Why is only this Attribute, Almighty, expressed in the first Articles of the Creed?
Answer.
Because this Word, Almighty, most fully expresses the peculiar Essence of the divine Nature, since no created Being can be called Almighty; and that for two Reasons, namely first, for that it doth not derive its Nature from itself, but from its Creator; and, secondly, because no created Being can produce something out of nothing, which Almightiness alone can do. And God hath declared his Almightiness in the Revelation (i. 8), I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. The same saith the Arch-Angel Gabriel (Luke i. 37), With God nothing shall be impossible. Nevertheless, this universal Power and Almightiness of God, is distinct from his Will and Benevolence, inasmuch as that doth not all which it can, but all which this appointeth: According to the holy Psalmist (Psal. cxv. 3), As for our God, he is in Heaven; he hath done whatsoever pleased him. For it is certain had he pleased, he might have made six thousand Worlds as easily as he made this, but he willed not. We must, farthermore, consider the divine All-powerfulness as joined with the highest and utmost Perfections, most clearly void of all, even the least Weakness or Imperfection; as for instance, God cannot be evil; he cannot sin, he cannot lie nor deny himself (2 Tim. ii. 13; Heb. vi. 18), for these are mere Imperfections: And God cannot be Almighty if he could be wicked, or defiled with Sin, or deny himself; these being the Marks or Fruits of Imperfections. But God is Almighty by his Will and most perfect Goodness, as the Prophet celebrates him (Psal. lxxvii. 13, 14), Who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doth Wonders, and hast declared thy Power among the People. To conclude, God is styled Almighty, because all things are in his Power and Command, and because without any Labour or Difficulty he created the Universe by merely and only Willing that it should be so.
Question 15
Why is God said to be in such or such a Place, since he is boundless, and cannot be confined in any Place, being present at all Times in all?
Answer.
Although the immaterial and incorporeal Divinity cannot be circumscribed in Heaven, or Zion, or any other Place, God not being in Place, but being Place unto himself, yet we are wont to say, God dwelleth there wheresoever he hath been pleased more particularly: and the oftenest to manifest his Goodness, and show forth his marvellous Works. “As in Heaven,” sayeth St. Damascene (Orth. Fid., c. x. 16), “where be the Angels who perform his Commands, and with never-ceasing Praises glorify his Majesty; On Earth, for there incarnate he dwelleth amongst Men: In the holy Church, for there, after a peculiar Manner, is his Grace bestowed on the Faithful, and his Glory declared. And in like manner is every Place said to be his, where is Grace in any Manner revealed.”
Question 16
Whereas thou affirmest that it is the Property of God only to know all things, hidden and manifest: Whence cometh it that Angels, and among Men the Prophets, have also known those Things?
Answer.
God in himself knoweth the most hidden and secret Things, and the most concealed Thoughts of both Angels and Men; not only at the Time when they are thought, but even before the Worlds were made, according to the Scriptures (Eccles. xxiii. 19), The Eyes of the Lord are ten thousand Times brighter than the Sun, beholding all the Ways of Men, and considering the most secret Parts. And again (xlii. 18), The Lord knoweth all that may be known, and he beholdeth the Signs of the World. He declareth the Things that are past and to come, and revealeth the Steps of hidden Things. And St. John in the Revelation (ii. 23), I am he which searcheth the Reins and Hearts, and I will give unto every one of you according to your Works. But when at any Time Angels or Men have known what was to come, it hath always been from divine Revelation, according to the Scripture (Dan. xi. 22), He revealed the deep and secret Things. So Elisha knew what his Servant Gehazi had privily received on the Way from Naaman (2 Kings v. 26). And the Apostle Peter knew what has been done by Ananias and Sapphira (Acts v.). And so in like manner all the Prophets foreknew the future.
Question 17
Be there any more Attributes of God?
Answer.
The divine Attributes are, indeed, numberless: but those which, as necessary to Salvation, we have recited, are sufficient to teach us how we ought to think of God. Do thou, therefore, more particularly believe, with a firm and unmovable Faith, that God is One in three Persons, Almighty, All-present, All-knowing, Unchangeable, and Eternal.
Question 18
In this Article the Word Creator is used: Is, then, every Thing made or created by God?
Answer.
God is, doubtless, the Maker of all Things, visible and invisible: Who first from Nothing made the Hosts of Heaven only by a Thought; that they might be the chief Resounders of his Praise, and that intellectual World, who, according to the Grace bestowed on them, see the Glory of God, and in perfect Obedience for ever do his Will.
After which he created this visible and material World out of nothing; and, lastly, he made Man, compounded by an immaterial, reasonable Soul, and a material Body: That Man, thus made, might be a Manifestation that the same God was the Author and Maker of both Worlds, From whence Man is not unaptly called a Microcosm, or little World, as being in himself an Epitome, or Abridgment, of the Universe.
Question 19
As God created the Angels first, I would know what we are to think concerning them?
Answer.
The Angels are Spirits, whom God, out of nothing, hath produced into Being, that they might serve him, and sing praise unto him: And, in this World, might assist Men, and lead them into his Kingdom. To these is committed the Care and Guardianship of Cities, Kingdoms, and Countries, Monasteries, Churches, and both Ecclesiastical and Secular Men. As it is evident from the Acts of the Apostles, where there is an Example hereof (chap. v. 19), The Angel of the Lord by Night opened the Prison Doors, and brought them forth and said, Go, stand, and speak in the Temple to the People all the Words of this Life. And again (xii. 7), And behold the Angel of the Lord came upon him, (8) and said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy Sandals, cast thy Garment about thee, and follow me. And a little after (ver. 11), When Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a Surety that the Lord hath sent his Angel, and hath delivered me out of the Hand of Herod, and from all the Expectation of the People of the Jews. In like Manner our Saviour teacheth us, that Infants are in their Care, saying (Matth. xviii. 10), I say unto you, that, in Heaven, their Angels do always behold the Face of my Father which is in Heaven. Also, they present our Prayers and Alms, and other good Works, before the divine Majesty. Not that God himself doth not observe our Alms, or hear our Prayer, but because they intercede for us. And under the first Dispensation, before the Law of Moses was delivered, the Angels were the Teachers of the Law, and Will of God, unto our Fore-fathers, and led them in the Way of Salvation (see Dionysius’s Hierarch. Eccl. iv. p. 26). And, after the Delivery of the Law they instructed Men, and shewed them the Good, as appears at large in the holy Scriptures, which relates both the Appearance of Angels unto the Prophets, and their shewing them what was to come. Thus the Angel warned Joseph to escape the bloody Purpose of Herod (Matth. ii. 13), The Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, saying, Arise, and take the young Child, and his Mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee Word. For Herod will seek the young Child to destroy him. And again, when the same Joseph feared to take unto him the blessed Virgin (Matth. i. 20), the Angel of the Lord directed him. By the Ministration of Angels also the Works of God are declared, as (Luke ii.) when Christ was born at Bethlehem, they told it to the Shepherds. Angels also, by the Command of God, attend upon good Men, and deliver us from many Dangers, driving away the Enemy of our Souls, who doth always most cruelly persecute us, whenever the divine Permission suffers him. And it is sufficiently evident that this our celestial Genius watches over us, and guards us, from the Scripture which saith concerning him that trusted in God alone (Psal. xci. 11), He shall give his Angels Charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy Ways.
Question 20
Into how many Orders are the Angels distributed?
Answer.
According to the Opinion of St. Dionysius (Hier. Cœlest., cap. vi., vii.), they are distinguished into nine Choirs, which are again distributed into three Orders. The first Order is of those who are nearest to God, as the Thrones, Cherubim, and Seraphim. In the second the Powers, Dominions, and Virtues. In the third the Angels, Archangels, Principalities, and those all disposed in such Order, that all the lower Ranks are enlightened, and receive the divine Blessings from the higher. These Angels always continue in the Love of God, having received this Grace that they should be incapable of falling, because they listened not unto Lucifer, when he tempted them to rebel against God, through whose Grace only it is that they are thus established, and not through their own Strength. And thus far we think it sufficient to treat in the small Compass of this Confession, concerning the Knowledge of Angels: Wherefore, since it is well enough known that the Angels do help us with their Guardianship, and also assist us with their Intercession, let us therefore, as we ought, entreat them, that they may pray to God for us. More especially the Angel who is appointed our Guardian and Guide.