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The dispute over Canon 28, although not pushed at the time, can be taken as a marker for the slow shift of the tectonic plates between East and West, but more immediately, there was resistance to the whole Chalcedonian definition of the two natures of Christ back in Alexandria. Although Dioscorus had been deposed because of his conduct at Ephesus rather than for heresy, those of the Alexandrian school who distrusted the language of Leo’s Tome, conflated the two things and on his death in 457 elected their own Patriarch, Timothy, to oppose Proterius who had been chosen by the Emperor. Thenceforth there was hostility between Alexandria and Constantinople.
The results of Chalcedon were, then, long-lasting and far from positive. Alexandria and Syria were alienated politically, and were deeply suspicious of the language of Leo’s Tome, whilst Constantinople sought to coerce them into line. The violence used simply begat violence and deepened the split, and by the time Justinian tried to find a formula for reunion in the late 530s, it was too late. The long and bitter disputes weakened the authority of the Empire in the region, and helped pave the way of the Islamic invasions in the 630s. The See of St Mark fell under Islamic rule in 639 – and remains under it to this day. The Copts have shown huge bravery in confessing to the Faith once received from that time to this, though the numbers have fallen cruelly. Constantinople and Rome fell out firnally in 1054, with the Imperial capital falling to the Muslims in 1453; Of the 5 great patriarchies, that left only Rome free of Muslim rule.
The descendants of the non-Chalcedonians, like those who rejected Ephesus, the Nestorians, are still with us, but in their ancestral lands they are a persecuted minority. The Chalcedonians who later rejected Rome make up a good number of the world’s Christians, but they have never called another Council. Those who adhere still to the Bishop of Rome make up a majority of the world’s Christians.
In our age we have a chance to repair the ravages of time and circumstance. The Schism which began at Chalcedon led to the ruin of the idea of Christendom, and countless men and women have paid a price for the pride of their ancestors. The post-Reformation Churches are, none of them, what they were, and who can tell how many generations they have left? The Evangelical churches wax and wane. Between them they all do good work, and no Catholic should ever ignore that, even though he or she might lament that they have not the fullness of the Faith; God and God alone decides who will be saved (despite the very large number of people who, like Bosco, make that claim for themselves). The Orthodox Churches command respect for their martyrs and their faithful witness in the direst of circumstances; who can withhold admiration for their fidelity? Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic Church, the largest in the world, has its own problems as it always has. But our Popes have all, since Paul VI, looked to reunify Christendom should that be possible.
Jesus willed that His followers should be one; our fallen nature has warred against that command. In this short series we have traced the paths by which the first of the great Schisms opened up, and seen how the seeds for further schism were planted. In our time we can pray for and work for unity.
Patrick E. Devens said:
The Nestorian mindset is definitely still among us in certain Protestant circles of today.
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Bosco the Heretic said:
he or she might lament that they have not the fullness of the Faith;
I keep seeing this “fullness of the faith” that protestants don’t seem have. Im scared toask what this is.
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chalcedon451 said:
We don’t think God is lonely, and we know that salvation can be lost through sin. Little things like that.
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Bosco the Heretic said:
What you catholics call protestants all don’t believe the exact same things. Im sure most believe salvation can be lost. And about God being lonely, ill bet most never gave it a thought. This cant be the fullness that the prots don’t have. The prots don’t have the imagery and the pageantry the CC does. Maybe that’s part of the missing fullness.
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chalcedon451 said:
You also have a rather dreadful arrogance. You have this strange view that everything is in the Bible, so, if it does not mention Mary very often she can’t be important. You ignore the evidence of the early Church which shows that long before there was an agreed text for the Bible, Mary was recognised as an important figure – by the very people who told you what Scripture was; effectively you pick and choose. Your man-made tradition says ‘Bible alone’, ignore what history tells us that Christians did back then. So, through ignorance, you reject the fulness of Fairh.
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Bosco the Heretic said:
Oh, Ok. the fullness is all those add ons the CC has come up with. Well, yes of course, we(born again) and prots, don’t have time for all that. If you asked most prots about CC add ons, they wouldn’t care or think much about it. Just another religion. Live and let live. All of us have catholic friends and family. Its people like me who see the danger in the add ons.
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chalcedon451 said:
You seem not to get it. The only ‘add ons’ are the man-made traditions of recent invention you follow. Not a single person in the NT talks the way you do of salvation; not a single person says ‘it is all in the Bible’; not a single person in the early Church doubted what they received from the Apostles, that the bread and wine became Christ’s body and blood. You Have exchanged these riches for fools’ gold of your own devising.
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Bosco the Heretic said:
Its all in the bible? The bile is sufficient for the edification of the saints. The bible doesn’t talk about PA systems and computers, but it has warnings against certain things. If these addons are anti what the bible says, then the saints dont use them. The lord leads the saints. And I can assure you, he doesn’t lead any of us to these add ons.
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chalcedon451 said:
How arrogant to believe that those who gave you the Bible did not know how to read it, but you do.
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Bosco the Heretic said:
I read one word after another. Do you have a better way?
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chalcedon451 said:
Yes, reading it in the continuity of the Church. Either you believe the other Christians here who are not Catholics can’t read, or you believe you alone are right, because they don’t agree with you. Yes, great method, Bosco, every man his own pope, infallible on everything.
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Bosco the Heretic said:
I don’t worry about wrong and right. Either one is saved or one isn’t. everybody is wrong. But only a few are saved.
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chalcedon451 said:
Do you really think that whatever you do you will be saved? So, if you killed someone, it wouldn’t matter?
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Bosco the Heretic said:
All sins are forgiven. But the CC doesn’t see it that way. the CC wants you to pay and pay money to get to heaven. my grandpa used to say……..anything to keep from working. This is the credo for the catholic religion. It has its devotees giving money for salvation. The priests of this religion now have a steady income. Keep the lie alive and collect the money. That’s all its about baby cakes…..money.
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chalcedon451 said:
Another direct lie – apart from my tithing, I give nothing and certainly do not think I am buying salvation- the father of lies is strong in you
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Bosco the Heretic said:
Scripture is enough, but think you have eternal life in them. The scriptures speak of Jesus. Turning to anyone else is idolatry. Turning to anything else is idolatry. But you see, the saints are aware of this. The religious and the non religious alike have to feel the need for Christ. These things I talk about are for the saints…..that why a lot of my comments are rejected out of hand. The message to those without Christ should be that Jesus loves them and is waiting for you to open the door for him to come in and reveal himself to you.
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chalcedon451 said:
You, as ever, miss the point. No one, except you, is turning to anything else. You do not believe Jesus when he said he founded a church on Peter, you do not believe the Apostles passed on their office – the early Christians did – you have added your own man made beliefs.
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Bosco the Heretic said:
that’s rite, I don’t believe either of those two things. But Jesus isn’t interested in what I think. When He gives us our new spirit, the holy ghost takes over. You see, He takes us as we are. He leadeth us to green pastures.
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chalcedon451 said:
Let us see, you do not believe what Jesus said, you don’t believe what his earliest followers believed, but you do believe you are a zombie, taken over personally by the Holy Ghost. Not a single Apostle said such a thing, not a single follower of Jesus. All the add ons, Bosco, come from you. The sad thing is that what Jesus founded is still here, but you reject it in favour of what your imagination tells you.
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Bosco the Heretic said:
Well, to put it that way, yes.
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