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Orthodox Confession
St Peter Mogila, tr. Lodvel, 1762
Part 3, 3. Questions 21–30
Question 21
What is voluntary mortal Sin?
Answer.
Voluntary mortal Sin is that which, after having received Baptism, and being arrived in Years of Discretion, laying aside the Love of God and of our Neighbour, and of our own free Will we commit against the manifest Command of God. By which Sin we are deprived of the divine Grace that we received in holy Baptism, and of the Kingdom of Heaven, and become Captives to eternal Death: As saith the Apostle (Rom. vi. 16), Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves Servants to obey, his Servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of Sin unto Death, or of Obedience unto Righteousness? This Sin is taken away by Repentance and the Mercy of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, when his Priest absolveth the Penitent at Confession from his Sins.
Question 22
How may this voluntary mortal Sin be divided?
Answer.
Into three Kinds. Of the First, whereof we reckon general mortal Sins, or those from whence others do arise; of the Second are those which are committed against the Holy GHOST; and the third Sort are they which do the most frequently draw down the divine Vengeance on this World.
Question 23
What are those you call general mortal Sins?
Answer.
These: Pride, Avarice, Whoredom, Envy, Gluttony, Desire of Revenge or bearing Malice, and Sloth.
Question 24
What is Pride?
Answer.
Pride is an inordinate and unjust Ambition of its own Glory and Exaltation, by Right or Wrong, over others. This Sin, first of all, sprang from Lucifer; and from this, as from an infected Fountain, flow all the Streams of Wickedness. The Scripture saith of it (Prov. viii. 13), The Fear of the Lord is to hate Evil: Pride and Arrogancy, and the evil Way, and the froward Mouth, do I hate. And another Scripture saith (Sirach x. 7), Pride is hateful before God and Man. Opposite unto this Vice is the Virtue of Humility, which our Lord Jesus Christ, commending and exhorting us to embrace, speaketh of thus (Matth. xi. 29), Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in Heart, and ye shall find Rest unto your Souls.
Question 25
What further Sins arise from this?
Answer.
Namely, these; to wit, Man’s thinking Evil of his Neighbour; Rashly Condemning of others, whether Clergy or Laymen; Disobedience to the Church and our Spiritual Rulers; also Boasting, Hypocrisy, Fondness for Contention, Frowardness, Strife, Unseasonable Curiosity, Arrogancy, Neglecting of God’s Commandments, Familiar and habitual Practice of Sin, and the like. Wherefore, whosoever desireth to be free from this Sin, let him always bear in Mind the Words which God spake unto Adam (Gen. iii. 19), Dust thou art, and unto Dust thou shalt return. Let him, likewise, be ever mindful of the Last Judgment, and of everlasting Torments; and also of these Words of the Apostle (James iv. 6 and 1 Pet. v. 5), God resisteth the Proud, but giveth Grace unto the Humble.
Question 26
What is Avarice?
Answer.
Avarice is the unbounded Coveting of Riches and Possessions. Of this Sin the Scripture speaketh thus (Prov. xxviii. 16), He that hateth Covetousness shall prolong his Days. And the Apostle (2 Pet. ii. 14), An Heart they have exercised with covetous Practices; accursed Children. The Virtue opposite to this Vice is Liberality; as the Psalmist saith (Psal. cxii. 9), He hath dispersed abroad and given to the Poor; his Righteousness remaineth for ever.
Question 27
What Sins arise from Avarice?
Answer.
From Avarice do arise Rapine, Slaughter, Fraud, Lying, Rebellion, Oppression and Cruelty, Unmercifulness, Inhumanity, Hard-heartedness, Envy, Treachery, Injuries done to the Poor and others, Niggardliness, Theft, and the like of these. Whoever, therefore, desireth to avoid this Vice, let him constantly reflect upon the voluntary Poverty of Christ our Lord, who saith of himself (Matth. viii. 20), The Foxes have Holes, and the Birds of the Air have Nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his Head. Let him also be mindful that he is the Steward only, and not the Lord of that which he possesseth; and that God will require an Account of his Stewardship when he cometh to Judgment.
Question 28
What is Whoredom or Intemperance?
Answer.
Whoredom is a foul and detestable Lust of the Flesh, repugnant to the Law of God, which a Man committeth against his own Body: As saith the Apostle (1 Cor. vi. 18), Every Sin that a Man doth is without the Body; but he that committeth Fornication sinneth against his own Body. Furthermore, whereas every Christian is a Member of Christ’s Body; whosoever, therefore, lasciviously walloweth with an Harlot defileth himself. Now, that every one of the Faithful is a Member of Christ’s Body the Apostle affirmeth (1 Cor. vi. 15), Know ye not that your Bodies are the Members of Christ? Shall I then take the Members of Christ and make them the Members of an Harlot? God forbid. And a little after (ver. 18), Flee Fornication. The opposite Virtue to this Vice is Temperance.
Question 29
What other Sins arise from this?
Answer.
Blindness of Heart, Hatred of divine Things, Impiety, Envy, Despair, Profuse Luxury, Laziness, Enmity to his Neighbour, and such like. Whosoever would, therefore, flee from this Sin, it behoveth him to set continually before his Mind that the holy God dwelleth not save in the chaste and pure Heart: For which Reason the sacred Prophet beseecheth God that he would bestow on him a clean Heart (Psal. li. 12), Make me a clean Heart, O God, and renew a right Spirit within me.
Question 30
What is Envy?
Answer.
Envy is a Grief and Discontent of Mind conceived at the Good arising to another, and a Joy and Satisfaction when Evil befalleth him. Or, perhaps, it ariseth from our Neighbour’s being something richer than ourselves, or for that he is as much esteemed and as wealthy. The same suppose of Honour, Glory, Learning, and other Qualifications. Of this Vice the Scripture saith thus (1 Pet. ii. 1), Wherefore, laying aside all Malice, and all Guile, and Hypocrisies, and Envies, and all evil Speaking, as new-born Babes, desire the sincere Milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby.