Sunday, February 2, 2014

Law Changes Reflect Revolution/Rebelion

Book of the Consistory.

Church Law is to the Christian Autocracy what the 'Book of Consistory' is to a Protestant Monarchy. It was originally a defense against Papism but once the power of it was understood, it has been a device used by rulers and those who desire to do so ever since that time.

"Let us not consider ourselves wiser than those saints and hierarchs who established the canons of the Church; let us not imagine ourselves to be great sages...Then we will not follow the path taken by the ungodly thief, who remained ungodly to the end and descended into the nethermost depths, from which may the Lord deliver us all." [1]
   There must not be any conflict between the rule of the local Church and the Church universal.

"And the laws of local Churches are based on those same laws and canons of the [Universal] Church."
   The Apostles were gifted with administrations by the Holy Spirit. Their laws rounded out the establishment of the original traditions of the Faith (2 Thes 2:15).

"Those who revile the laws of the Church revile Christ Himself, Who is the Head of the Church, for the laws of the Church were given by the Holy Spirit through the Apostles."
   Those who revile, despise, and rebel against Church law follow the path of the lost thief.

"Beware of such a path! Beware of the path taken by the thief on the left, for by the weight of blasphemy, by the weight of reviling Christ he went to his eternal perdition."
   Anytime you see a body of laws, you will see attached closely to them a religion or rule that corresponds closely to that body of laws.  

"It may be, brethren, that soon you will again experience a time of turmoil, and some of you will be called to take the path of denying those sacred laws and to submit to laws established by mere human authority."
   When sacred laws are chosen, then they work in symphony with the authority of those who rule outside of the Church. The one for the salvation of citizens the other for law and order. Two such Empires existed for 2,000 years combined.  

"Those who desire unnecessary comforts and pleasures in this temporal world – which sooner or later will perish – these people prefer other laws, not the laws of the Church but those which allow them to live as they want, to think what they want, to place their own will above the Spirit of the Church, that Spirit given by the Lord God Himself; and they invite others to follow this same path."
   A society that always re-defines their rights and then demands them, gradually slide into judgment. They define freedom as the right to live as they want. They define tolerance as a right  to accept any behavior that defies a moral standard. They define freedom of speech and expression as the right to reveal openly the leaning of their wicked thoughts, in order to gain a following that they may once again re-define their rights.      

"Those faithful to Christ follow after Him along the path of those laws, those ordinances which the holy Church sacredly preserves." [2]
   Legislators often bring divisions by conflicting and innovative laws.  

"Even today various divisions can spring up among us. The laws of Christ’s Church are immutable; a Christian must submit to them irrespective of what others think, of how society regards these laws – whether favorably or unfavorably."
   The lust of the flesh, of the eyes, and pride work contrary to that which is best for each individual and society as a whole. Laws given for salvation are given in the sense that they create an environment in which God's salvation is possible. The breakdown of law and order greatly reduces the percent of the population that know God through Christ.

"Some desire salvation, others desire only enjoyment in this world, and when they do not succeed in obtaining it they blaspheme those laws which are given for our salvation."
   Disregard for law as arbitrary allows one to view blasphemy as a right, but that does not prevent an individual or society from being blind sided with judgment; and then crying out that God has unjustly judged them!  

"Here before you are two paths: the path of the wise thief, and the path of the one who was pulled down to hades by the weight of his blasphemy... Here, brethren, is the path of the two thieves."
   Now neither thief was without sin and neither are we, but it is the habit of unconfessed sin built upon an attitude taken with regard to the law that brings self-destruction to the surprised, who becomes his own victim.

"We all sin, we all transgress Christ’s commandments and the laws of the holy Church, but some acknowledge themselves to be sinners and repent of their transgressions, while others, instead, reject the very laws and do not want to submit to them; they say that these laws are out-dated, that they are no longer needed; as if we are smarter than those who gave us the Church laws, which the Lord Himself gave through His Apostles and hierarchs."
   The New Testament itself has 1,050 directives, rules, and laws from which most later expressions are built upon. Does this sound like an admonition from some corner of Christendom that does not apply to the whole?  

"We may close with the sacred admonition to the flock about the Canons from a spiritual authority of Orthodox, and especially no one claiming descent through the Russian Church, can deny or dispute with, St. Archbishop John (Maximovitch) the Wonderworker (+1966) from his Sermon on the Sunday of Orthodoxy:" [3]
   Prior to closing however, this author draws a distinction between two systems of law; that based on the 'Book of the Consistitory' and that based on the Law of the true-glory Church. When the one is substituted for the other then a subtle counterfeit church is set up through hidden false authority.

"If the other view be true, that the Consistorium system is Orthodox law, then, by such reasoning, if for several generations a small or even a significant portion of the episcopate became fornicators or declared it lawful, perhaps with common agreement, then fornication would henceforth become Orthodox and lawful and even obligatory canon law, and the law of the Gospel to the contrary null and void!"
   Therefore the subtle 'consistorium system' is dangerous to the true-glory Church and historically was used by Monarchs to manipulate or usurp her authority. But rather the decrees and traditions including and built upon the New Testament are from God.  

"These [specific decrees and traditions] are the authorities of Christianity laid down by our Lord in the New Testament."
   The Sovereignty, Headship, and Authority of the true-glory Church are simply understood and acknowledged by the Church resulting in her agreement and obedience.  

"We must also point out to those claiming it [consistorium system] as ‘Orthodox law for the Russian Church’; that 'Orthodox' is a term that applies not to whatsoever anybody who has a rank in the Church does at one time or another, but agreement with and obedience to the decrees and traditions handed down by the Lord, His Apostles, the Church Universal, and the doctrinal consensus of the Holy Fathers, who have been canonized (approved as measuring-sticks or standards of the Christian path) by the whole Church for the Church."
   Historically this 'consistorium system' was put into place by Monarchs of Protestant states in order to usurp the Papal authority within its own borders. This system was imported into the Autocracy of Russia in order to manipulate Church authority and law by her rulers at that time. This system only brings confusion and abuses when it is used or even referenced with regard to Church administration.      

"He [Metropolitan Valentine] sometimes asserts that his Church is run according to the Canons and Ukaz 362 and the Kniga Consistorium, which is innately impossible since the former two are in contradiction to the latter, and finally all are in contradiction to how he actually runs’ his synod’." [4]
   How he actually runs his council now is not consistent even with the 'Book of Consistitory' but rather is an adaptation of its pattern and form. This gives the appearance of a council, but in reality only one will and opinion prevails. Recently i heard of an administration of an independent protestant church in which the pastor's vote was worth 50% of the vote, requiring only one other vote on any decision! I asked, "how is that working out"? Not so well evidently because the pastor's parents were part of the council and never cross him.

"Whereas under the consistory system, the Metropolitan would sit on a council of other metropolitans and equals and an Orthodox lay ober-procurator to control and judge his actions, set his agenda, authorize his decisions and declarations, and which could punish him for infractions, he rather sits alone at the head of another mini-Synod which he alone controls and which can never judge him, or do anything but approve him and his activities, canonical or not, heretical or not, or else it will not meet at all or will be reconstituted according to his pleasure."
   Unfortunately, the justification for referencing the consortium system causes even a greater problem by indicating a belief that Church law differs between different nationalities.

"Moreover, it is patently false, distorted, and ridiculous for some, such as Metropolitan Valentine of Suzdal, to allege that they are operating based on the Kniga Consistorium, which gives Russian Metropolitans powers to do things not permitted by those Greek’ Canons, as he has said, styling the Canons of the One, Holy, Catholic-Universal, Orthodox Church as just Greek canons’."
   Historically the importing and applying of the 'Book of Consistatory' to the Autocracy of Russia did have its temporary effects but never succeeded in replacing legitimate Church law. The crises of Russia in 1917 is an interesting study concerning what to do or what happens when the leadership of the Church is wiped out through persecution. What can one do except find a cave?

"We also must recognize and reiterate that this system never had actual authority, never supplanted the Church’s canons as the sole lawful, valid basis of operation, and lastly that it perished irretrievably in 1917 with the election of St. Patriarch Tikhon, the disappearance of an Orthodox State, and the issuance of Ukaz 362, which explicitly states that individual bishops or semi-autonomous groups of bishops shall manage and judge the affairs of the Church 'within the authority allotted them in the Church’s Canons', not by the Kniga Consistorium."
   And so the Church of true-glory continues with her own decrees and traditions unmixed and uncompromized with various shades of counterfeit authorities. However, there is always the temptation for anyone to take a poor position and attitude toward legitimate Church law.

"We recognize that some of these transgressions were confined to only a single reign or were ignored by the clergy, or were diminished in their negative effect by the fact that most heretics within or surrounding the Russian Empire had received a proper, though graceless, ritual form of baptism before their chrismation and reception, yet nonetheless, much harm was done and more so in view of the general attitude and mental confusion among many present-day Russians about the Universal Church’s canons, which they openly disdain or replace with this unlawfully-originated, non-Church system." [5]
  If Russians are confused about the Universal Cannons [who respected and lived by them for 800 years] where does that leave the Western World? Who very early ussered in the 'Consistitory System' of law? From there they overthrew their Monarchies, then their Republics, and now even their Democracies. Here are five examples of the breaking of these Canons in specific cases, in reverse order:

5) the placing of known Freemasons (o-p. Platon, etc.) and dubiously-Orthodox lay persons in position of ecclesiastical authority as ober-procurator over the Orthodox episcopate, in some measure negating the canonical order of hierarchal-lay relations in the Church in Protestant-wise, etc."
   Once the order of the Church is tweaked and the true hierarchy muted, then oppression and counterfeit rule of a nation can begin to take hold.      

"4) the forced retirement or ‘deposition’ and confinement to monasteries of Metropolitan Arseny Mattveivitch (in 1762) and other worthy hierarchs and clergy who opposed this and other anticanonical acts by Tsaritsa Catherine II or other rulers;"
   The muzzling of Godly men who have enfluence with the people always has an element of greed although it is usually hidden on a deeper level; whereas some just want the power promised them when they sold their soul to the Devil.

"3) the turning over of Church and monastery property consecrated to God for plunder to the State and the negative State control over receipt of Church revenue or donations;"
   Next is the attempt to close the road and capture the nations greatest treasure of all - citizens of the highest character, who dedicate themselves to the art of arts and science of sciences; godliness.

"2) the forcible closing of many monasteries and prohibition of the monastic life to all but a small fixed number of the elderly, because allegedly monasticism is a ‘gangrene’ on the State’s healthful resources;"
   Next, would be to stop the flow of the Churches greatest resource - sinners with a religious disposition; converts. When labor only benefits those who live off the taxes, poverty vows make a lot more sense to the masses.

"1) Peter Moghila’s Trebnik, which asserted the impermissibility of baptizing most heterodox converts;" [1]
   And so from this type of transgressions and many others of less circumstance, great loss can be easily incurred upon the Church.

"... these transgressions [of Church Law developed throughout the Roman/Byzantine period], in addition to uncanonical assumption of such authority itself by the mini-Synod with Peter’s decree in 1721, ..." sent all of the Russias through a dark period of terror.
   God's judgment is a given when men usurp His authority given through the Church to rule fallen mankind.

"So, while not wishing to fail to recognize whatever was Orthodox and piously done by the [mini-]Synod of this sad period, we must also recognize that it facilitated a number of serious transgressions of Church law and a light-minded opportunistic or even contemptuous attitude on the part of clergy or especially Metropolitans toward the Divinely-inspired Universal Church’s laws, to which obedience is mandatory for all Christians [Mt. 18:17-18]."
   Now willingness to deviate from long standing standards of Universal Church law also reveals an insidious growing evil in the hearts of wicked men.

"Certainly it could make decisions that were correct in view of Orthodox dogma and canons and make authentically Orthodox, correct declarations about the true Faith and heresy, the way of salvation and the way of damnation, deeds of piety and sin, but judicially it lacked the authority to assume more than whatever authority is accorded to a small portion of the episcopate of a larger local church."
   And so to remove the rule of the righteous Church law by adjusting them ever so slightly and thereby usurping their power by placing them in the hands of a few wicked ego-maniacs is used very effectively by the Usurper himself - at least on a temporary bases.

"This system, because it was not based on the canons, had not the Church’s authority and what it enacted can only be said to be the decisions (perhaps under coercion) of a small part of the bishops of a much larger episcopate, rather than an act of the Russian Orthodox Church or its episcopate or lawful synod, which term alone truly applies to the full gathering of the plenitude of its episcopate."
   The system is very detrimental to the salvation of the common man because the oppression appears to be coming from the very church itself.

"As such while, the government lay official (oberprocurator) exercises the most influence, after him, these Metropolitans are all-powerful and unquestionable in or without appeal from their judgments and decrees (except by the quiet, private disobedience and disdain for church authority, this dictatorship engendered)." [2]
   The reason this method is so effective is because all of the changes appear to be coming from the legitimate authorities that are still in place, but they are really just puppets.

"The divinely-inspired, conciliar system of the Ecumenical Councils and Apostolic Canons which acted through the plentitude of the episcopate (at the local Church and universal Church levels) and according to the method established by the divinely-inspired Church Universal is set aside for a lay-directed, totalitarian mini-Synod dictating to the rest of the episcopate, whose tiny membership and agenda of topics discussable and final decisions, on the one hand, rests on current government approval, and whose possible ecclesiastical activity is therefore greatly hampered, with the possibility of the o.-p. dissolving meetings unfinished, dismissal from post, or forced retirement."
   This was true religions oppression by a hostile civil take-over by suppressing the primary good influences of the society by coercion followed by synchronized propaganda. I have observed this same pattern in the U.S. for the last 50 years.

"This is done by issuing suspensions and forcible retirements, which can be enforced by the state exiling or confining the cleric or bishop to a monastery, like a semi-prison to silence him."
   By creating a counterfeit legal system or introducing a different one into any society is also to transfer ownership.

"In particular, in its Russian incarnation, this sort of system gave princes pseudo-‘canonical’ means to gag or pseudo-legislate to their taste for the church through the lay ober-procurator (German for overseer [a lay bishop for the bishops, as it were]) and the permanent Synod of 3 appointed metropolitans and a tiny handful of other varying bishops, whose meetings he [the o.-p.] convokes, sets the agenda for, and chairs, to tightly control and remove if necessary without reference to the canons any cleric deemed troublesome to the State."
   As we can see in the history of Europe, it was well understood that to take religion in hand behind the scenes was to reign.

"The European prototype of this system was the fruit of Protestant wars of religion, and the law of cujus regio, cujus religio [Latin: ‘whose is the reign, his is the religion’] which subordinated the laws of the local religious institution to the laws/decrees of the civil ruler {this is contrary to previous Church tradition as epitomized in the law formulated by St. Emperor Justinian the Great for Byzantium, afterwards adopted by Orthodox Russia thitherto that civil laws made in contradiction to Church laws were automatically null and void}." [5]
   In the study of this history one can see how controlling the issuance of law can easily bring about the degradation of any society.

"The history [of usurpation by law] has been partly described in Georges Florovsky’s Ways of Russian Theology."
   Slowly the long standing Church state was changed to an inferior civil state.

"The system [Book of the Consistory] follows the model current in Protestant northern Europe in Tsar Peter’s time, designed to enhance the power of the civil state, headed by the monarch, over all."
   It actually was instituted by Tsar Peter I and a person very high in the Church Hierarchy.

"The Kniga Consistorium or Book of the Consistory, is like its name, a borrowed, western system based on what Tsar Peter I observed of the relations of church and state in Europe in his youth, worked out together with his Lutheran-sympathetic & servile court-sycophant Feofan Prokopovich, who became Archbishop of Novgorod and vice-president of the new Most-Holy Governing Synod."

"The Kniga Consistorium and why it should be Condemned"




No comments:

Post a Comment