The Seven Ecumenical Councils, following the Gospel of Christ, are the foundation and confirmation of our Orthodox Christian Faith, for our Faith is not only Apostolic, preached by the Holy Apostles, disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, but also Patristic, interpreted and clarified by the Holy Fathers as the legitimate, grace-filled successors of the Holy Apostles. The Holy Spirit, who rested upon the Holy Apostles on the day of Pentecost, enlightening and giving them wisdom, also rested upon the Holy God-bearing Fathers, enlightening and giving them wisdom.
In our Orthodox Church, however, there is no impious teaching about anyone’s personal infallibility – infallibility belongs only to the entire conciliar consciousness of the entire Church as a whole, which consciousness found its external expression at the Ecumenical Councils, which therefore boldly repeated the apostolic words spoken in the definition of the First Apostolic Council in Jerusalem in 51, which Council became the prototype of all subsequent Councils: “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us” ( Acts 15:28 ).
It is necessary to remember that not every council is infallible, but only the one that expresses and affirms the universal consciousness of the Church, which is accepted by the entire Church as ecumenical.
And although in controversial cases, councils sometimes resorted to voting to establish a "majority vote" that would prevail, the democratic principle of "majority votes" never had absolute significance in the Church. We know of numerous instances where the truth was not on the side of the majority, but rather on the side of the minority, and was even concentrated entirely in a single person. On the other hand, there have been councils in the history of the Church, some very large, which claimed to be called "ecumenical," but were rejected by the universal consciousness of the Church. One of these "councils" even received the colorful and expressive name of "Robber Council" (449).
What is the measure of undoubted, infallible truth for us?
The answer to this question of primary importance we find in the highly authoritative teaching of St. Vincent of Lirins , accepted by our Holy Church , abba of the Lirins monastery in southern Gaul, one of the most famous fathers of the Western Church of the 5th century (died c. 450).
Saint Vincent is particularly renowned in the history of theological scholarship for his "golden" dogmatic-apologetic work, known collectively as the "Commonitorium," or memoranda. One of the most important ancient church writings, it was written by Saint Vincent (c. 443, twelve years after the Third Ecumenical Council) in monastic solitude at the monastery of Saint Honoratus, Archbishop of Arelate, where he labored until his death together with his brother Luppus, Bishop of Troy.
This work has always been highly praised by both Western (Roman Catholic and even Protestant) and Orthodox theologians. It has been noted that there is hardly a patristic work in all of Christian antiquity that is more deserving of such praise.
The entire dogmatic-historical significance of this work lies in its beautiful summary and profoundly inspired interpretation of the entire Orthodox Christian teaching on the sources and foundations of Christian revelation and faith. This, however, is not an attempt at expounding the dogmas of faith, but rather a theory of the principles by which a dogmatic theologian should be guided in investigating, revealing, and demonstrating the truths of the Christian faith. This theory is quite remarkable for its author's strictly ecclesiastical, clear, and precise view of this subject and for his characteristically expressive formulation of it.
The main task that St. Vincent set for himself in his work was how to determine with the greatest possible accuracy a true, scientific, and generally accessible method by which it would be easy to distinguish with certainty the truth of the universal Orthodox Christian faith from the falsity of heretical deviations (See: Bishop Sylvester. “An Experience of Right Dogmatic Theology.” Vol. IC111).
To this end, St. Vincent first establishes the epistemological method, which constitutes a kind of touchstone for determining the genuine truth of Christ and the apostolic teaching. This is how this great, inspired Father of the Church reasons: "Often, with all diligence and the greatest attention, I have addressed very many men, adorned with holiness and the gift of teaching, with the question: how it would be more convenient for me, walking the faithful, as it were, royal path, to distinguish the truth of the universal faith from the falsity of heretical deviations, and always everyone has given me almost word for word the following answer: if anyone, whether I or anyone else, wants to avoid heretical lies and remain healthy and unharmed in the sound faith, then he must, with God's help, protect his faith in two ways: first, by the authority of Holy Scripture and, secondly, by the Tradition of the Universal Catholic Church. But perhaps someone will ask: if the written Word of God is holy, perfectly complete, and always fully intelligible when compared with one passage after another, then what need is there to add to it the authority of ecclesiastical understanding? The need is that Holy Scripture , by its very sublimity, is not understood by everyone in the same sense, but one interprets its utterances one way, another another; so that, apparently, almost as many meanings can be extracted from it as there are heads. Therefore, in the face of such a multitude of countless and varied twists and turns of error, it is absolutely necessary to direct the thread of interpretation of the prophetic and apostolic writings according to the norm of ecclesiastical and ecumenical understanding. In the universal Church itself, it is necessary by all means to adhere to that which has been believed everywhere, that which has always been believed, that which everyone has believed: for only that is truly and specifically ecumenical, as the very meaning of the word shows, which, as far as possible, embraces everything in general. And we will, finally, be faithful to this rule only if we follow universality (Universitas), antiquity (Antiquitas), and consensus (Consensio). To follow universality means to recognize as true only that faith which is professed by the entire Church throughout the globe; to follow antiquity means in no case to deviate from the teaching to which our Holy Fathers and ancestors undoubtedly adhered; to follow consensus, finally, means in antiquity itself to accept only those definitions and explanations of faith to which all, or at least almost all, pastors and teachers adhered.
“O Timothy ,” says the Apostle, “ keep the tradition,” etc. ( 1 Tim. 6:20–21 ).
What is tradition?
What has been entrusted to you, not what you have invented, what you have accepted, not what you have invented, is not a matter of the mind, but of teaching, not of private possession, but of public transmission, a matter that has reached you, not discovered by you, in relation to which you must be not an inventor, but a guardian, not a founder, but a follower, not a leader, but a follower.
"Keep the Tradition" —that is, the talent of universal faith, the amulet, intact and undamaged. What has been entrusted to you, let it remain with you, and pass it on. You received gold; give it back. I don't want you to substitute one thing for another; I don't want you to brazenly substitute lead or deceitfully copper for gold; I don't want gold in appearance; give it in kind.
"Oh, Timothy"O shepherd, writer, teacher! If God's gift has made you capable in intellect, education, and scholarship, then be the Bezalel of the spiritual tabernacle: polish the precious stones of divine dogma, fitting them faithfully, distributing them wisely, imparting to them brilliance, grace, and charm. Strive that, through your clearer exposition, those previously believed less clearly will be more clearly understood. Seek that posterity will consciously praise what antiquity once revered unconsciously. But teach what you have been taught, and, speaking anew, say nothing new! Perhaps someone will say, then, that in the Church of Christ there should be no advancement in religion? Of course there should be, and indeed, the greatest. Who is so envious of men and hateful of God that he would dare to reject this? Only this progress must be real progress, and not a change of faith. Progress consists when one or another object is perfected in itself; but change is when something ceases to be what it is and is transformed into something else. Therefore, let the understanding, the discernment, the wisdom of each individual Christian, as well as of all together—of one person as well as of the whole Church—grow and progress to the highest degree with the passage of years and centuries, but only in the same way, that is, in the same dogma, in the same sense, in the same object of understanding. Religion, a matter of the soul, let it be likened in this respect to bodies. With the increase of years, bodies open and develop their members; however, they remain the same as they were. The flourishing time of childhood and the mature age of old age are very different from each other: however, the same ones become old who were formerly children; so that the stature and appearance of the same person change; Nevertheless, its nature is immutable, its personality remains the same. The dogmatic teaching of the Christian faith must also follow this law of progress. Let it, that is, strengthen over the years, expand over time, rise with the centuries, but remain indestructible and undamaged, whole and perfect in all the subdivisions of its parts, in all, so to speak, its senses and members, therefore, without the slightest change, without any loss in its content, without any alteration of its definitions. Thus, the ancient dogmas of heavenly philosophy should be strengthened, polished, and purified over time; but they should not be altered, pruned, or mutilated. Let them acquire clarity, brilliance, and distinctness—this is possible; but their fullness, integrity, and quality must be maintained—this is essential. And the Church of Christ, the careful and cautious guardian of the dogmas entrusted to her custody, never changes, diminishes, or adds anything to them - does not cut off what is necessary, does not attach what is superfluous, does not lose what is hers, does not appropriate what is foreign; but with all diligence strives only to reason about the ancients correctly and wisely, and if something was predetermined and founded in antiquity, then to complete and refine it,"If something has already been explained and interpreted, then strengthen and confirm it; if something has already been confirmed and defined, then preserve it. It should be noted, however, that we are obligated to examine with the utmost diligence the concordant opinions of the ancient Holy Fathers and to follow them not with regard to all minor questions of Holy Scripture, but primarily only with regard to the rule of faith. On the other hand, not all heresies should always be exposed in this way, but only new and recent ones, those that have appeared for the first time, that is, those that have appeared. As for ancient and long-standing heresies, there is not the slightest need for us to approach them this way. No matter how ancient the obscenities of such heresies or schisms, we must either strike them down, if necessary, with no other authority than Holy Scripture, or else flee from them without hesitation, as from Orthodox pastors of the Church who have long been defeated and condemned by the Ecumenical Councils."
“These are the guiding principles which, according to the views of St. Vincent, are absolutely necessary for every Orthodox theologian in defining and proving the truths of the Christian faith” (Bishop Sylvester. “Experience of the Right Dogma of God.” Vol. I, p. 112).
These principles, so clearly and inspiredly expressed by St. Vincent, undoubtedly expressing the universal consciousness of the Church, also inspired the Holy God-bearing Fathers, participants in the Ecumenical Councils, and were used by them as the foundation of all the decisions and definitions of these Councils. Each subsequent Ecumenical Council, therefore, first and foremost affirmed as unshakable and unwavering truth what had been established at the previous Ecumenical Council.
As we see, there is no place here, nor can there be, for the so-called "democracy" so fashionable these days. The essence of the matter is not democracy, not a randomly selected "majority of votes," but truth, which ultimately always triumphs, even if at some very crowded councils this truth has been temporarily trampled and rejected.
From this, it is natural to conclude that no new council can introduce anything new, nothing contradicting the decrees of the seven Ecumenical Councils, and has no right to do so, no matter how much modernists might wish to do so, plotting to convene an Eighth Ecumenical Council for some kind of renovationist "reforms" in the Church. Any such council that dared to encroach on the decrees of the seven Ecumenical Councils, to abolish or modify them in accordance with the "spirit of the times," would not be "ecumenical," but a new "robber council," binding on no Orthodox Christian.
To some extent, this is true not only for the dogmatic definitions of the Ecumenical Councils, but also for the canonical rules developed at the Councils, at least for those of them that did not have a temporary, purely formal meaning, but concern the very foundations of the administrative structure and governance of the Church and the religious and moral life of the clergy and the faithful laity.
In addition to dogmatic definitions of faith, almost all Ecumenical Councils also left behind these so-called “canons,” or canonical rules, by which both the entire church hierarchy and individual believers are obliged to be guided in their personal and church lives.
The First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325 left us 20 rules:
The first rule prohibits the acceptance into the clergy of persons who have castrated themselves;
The second rule forbids the promotion of new converts to holy orders;
Rule three prohibits clergy from having a woman in their house who is not a close relative;
The fourth rule states that bishops must be elected by the bishops of the given region and confirmed by the metropolitan;
The fifth rule forbids a bishop to receive into communion persons excommunicated by another bishop and commands that councils of bishops be convened twice a year;
The sixth rule confirms the supreme authority of some bishops over other bishops and forbids the ordination of a bishop without the consent of the metropolitan and a general election;
The seventh rule elevates the Jerusalem bishop to the rank of metropolitan;
The eighth rule lays down the law on the accession of heretics to the Church and prohibits there being two bishops in one city;
Rule nine prohibits admitting wicked persons to the priesthood;
The tenth rule commands the expulsion of the fallen from the sacred order;
The eleventh rule speaks about the method of repentance of those who have fallen away from the faith;
The twelfth rule also speaks of the manner of repentance of another kind of fallen ones;
Rule thirteen commands that every dying person be given Holy Mysteries;
The fourteenth rule establishes the method of repentance for catechumens who have fallen away from the faith;
Rule fifteen prohibits bishops and clerics from moving from city to city without permission;
The sixteenth rule prescribes not to accept into communion clergy who voluntarily withdraw from their own church;
Rule seventeen prohibits clerics from engaging in usury;
The eighteenth rule forbids deacons from distributing the Holy Gifts to priests, from receiving communion before bishops, and from sitting among priests;
The nineteenth rule speaks of the "Paulians" that, in case of their conversion, they must be re-baptized, and the clergy must be re-ordained;
Rule Twenty prohibits kneeling on Sundays and on the days of Pentecost.
The Second Ecumenical Council in Constantinople in 381 left behind only seven rules:
The first rule confirms the Symbol of Faith, drawn up at the First Ecumenical Council, and anathematizes all heresy;
The second rule prohibits bishops from extending their authority “beyond their own region,” from interfering in the affairs of another diocese, and establishes 5 ecclesiastical districts in the East;
The third rule gives the Bishop of Constantinople "the advantage of honor over the Bishop of Rome";
The fourth rule condemns Maximus the Cynic and “the outrage he caused”;
The fifth rule accepts “those who confess the One Divinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”;
The sixth rule commands that accusations against the rulers of the Church be accepted “not without investigation”;
The seventh rule indicates the rules for the reception of repentant heretics.
The Third Ecumenical Council, held in Ephesus in 431, left eight rules:
Rules one, two, three, four, five and six all concern the excommunication of the heretic Nestorius and his followers from the Church;
The seventh rule forbids the composition of any new Creed;
The eighth rule prohibits bishops from “extending their authority to another diocese which was not previously and originally under his hand” and frees the Cypriot bishops from dependence on the Patriarch of Antioch.
The Fourth Ecumenical Council, convened in Chalcedon in 451, left behind 30 canons. Of these:
The first rule confirms the necessity of observing everything that was established at previous councils;
The second rule punishes simony, or the appointment to church degrees for money, with overthrow;
The third rule prohibits bishops, clergy and monks from engaging in “worldly affairs” “for the sake of vile profit”;
The fourth rule forbids monks from living disorderly;
The fifth rule confirms the prohibition for bishops or clerics to “go from city to city”;
The sixth rule prohibits the ordination of clergy without a specific appointment;
The seventh rule forbids clergy and monks, under penalty of anathema, “to enter into military service or into a secular rank”;
The eighth rule commands the clergy to remain “under the authority of the bishops of each city”;
The ninth rule prohibits clerics from litigating in secular courts;
Rule ten prohibits a cleric from being listed in two churches at the same time;
Rule eleven speaks of the charters issued to the poor;
The twelfth rule forbids bishops to appeal to civil authorities in ecclesiastical matters;
Rule thirteen prohibits clergy from serving in another diocese without a representative letter from their bishop;
Rule fourteen prohibits readers and singers from marrying non-Christian wives;
Rule fifteen speaks about the ordination of deaconesses;
Rule sixteen forbids monastics and virgins from entering into marriage;
Rule seventeen defines the exact boundaries of the dioceses;
Rule eighteen prohibits bishops and their associates from “forming crowds” and “building tents”;
The nineteenth rule repeats the rule about the two-time convocation of the Council of Bishops per year;
Rule Twenty repeats the prohibition for clergy to move to another church;
Rule twenty-one commands that denunciations of bishops not be accepted “simply and without investigation”;
Rule twenty-two forbids clergy to "plunder the things" of a bishop after his death; it forbids clergy and monastics from coming to Constantinople and living there without any commission from their bishop;
Rule twenty-four prohibits converting monasteries into secular dwellings;
Rule twenty-five prohibits leaving bishops' chairs unfilled for more than three months;
Rule twenty-six commands bishops to manage church property with the help of economia;
Rule twenty-seven prohibits the abduction of wives for marriage;
Rule twenty-eight defines the scope of judicial and administrative activities of the Patriarch of Constantinople and equates him with the Pope of Rome;
Rule twenty-nine prohibits the reduction of a bishop to the rank of presbyter;
Rule thirtieth speaks of the Egyptian bishops.
The Fifth Ecumenical Council in Constantinople in 553 and the Sixth Ecumenical Council in Constantinople in 680 left no canons, but instead, in 691, the so-called "Trullian Council," sometimes therefore called the "Fifth-Sixth," was convened to correct this omission and compose a full 102 canons. Among the canons of this council, the following are particularly important:
The 36th rule, which repeats the equality of the Constantinople and Roman patriarchal sees and indicates the general hierarchical order of the patriarchal sees;
The 8th rule, which commands the metropolitan to convene a council of bishops annually;
The 12th, 13th and 48th rules deal with issues of marriage of clergy;
The 33rd rule condemns the custom of the Armenian country to accept into the clergy only persons descended from priestly lineage;
The 64th and 70th rules prohibit a layman and his wife from publicly lecturing in the church during the service;
The 80th rule threatens excommunication for anyone who does not come to church for worship services within three Sundays;
Rule 54 prohibits marriage between close relatives;
The 53rd rule legitimizes the spiritual relationship of godparents with those being accepted and prohibits them from entering into marriage;
Canon 72 prohibits mixed marriages with heretics;
The 73rd rule commands us to give honor to the life-giving Cross of the Lord and forbids us to draw its image on the ground, so that it will not be trampled underfoot;
The 75th rule requires decorous singing in churches;
Rules 74 and 76 prohibit the organization of meals, taverns, or “making purchases” in churches and “within sacred enclosures”;
The 77th rule prohibits not only clergy and monks, but also “every Christian layman” from washing in a bathhouse together with women;
The 83rd rule prohibits administering the Eucharist to the bodies of the dead;
The 86th rule commands that those who keep prostitutes be excommunicated from the Church;
The 90th rule repeats the prohibition to kneel on Sundays, “for the honor of the Resurrection of Christ”;
The 91st rule commands that those who abort a fetus in the womb be excommunicated from the Church;
The 100th rule excommunicates those who distribute pornography;
Rule 102 speaks about the penances of the penitents.
The Seventh Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 787 issued twenty-two rules, of which the most important are:
The 3rd rule, which prohibits election to sacred degrees by lay leaders;
The 4th and 5th rules prohibiting simony;
The 6th rule repeats the requirement to convene annual councils of bishops and prohibits bribery;
The 10th rule repeats the prohibition for clergy to leave their parishes and take up secular positions;
The 11th rule repeats the requirement to have an econom in every church and in monasteries;
The 12th rule commands the bishop and abbot to take care of all church things and manage them, but not to appropriate anything for themselves, under penalty of expulsion;
The 15th, 16th, 18th and 22nd rules prohibit clergy and monastics from self-interest, luxury and close contact with women;
The 20th rule prohibits the establishment of “double monasteries” where women would live together with men, and close communication between monks and nuns;
The 21st rule prohibits a monk or nun from leaving their monastery and going to another without the will of the abbot.
Such is the immense work accomplished by the Ecumenical Councils for all of Christ's Church for all eternity. The dogmatic creeds of these councils, as well as the canonical decrees that define the entire administrative structure and the personal lives of clergy and laity, must remain immutable and inviolable within the Church. The "guardians" of the Church—the bishops—are obligated to uphold this, and they make a solemn vow to uphold this oath at their consecration: "I promise to preserve and observe the canons of the Holy Apostles, the Seven Ecumenical and Pious Local Councils, and the canons of the Holy Fathers. Whatever they have received, I also receive; and whatever they have rejected, I also reject."
It should go without saying that dogmatic definitions of faith cannot be subject to any changes, and of the canonical rules, only those issued in accordance with the specific external circumstances of the time and which have no absolute meaning in themselves can be amended. However, everything that follows from the demands of the religious and moral teaching of the Gospel and the ascetic way of life of Christians in the first centuries of Christianity cannot be subject to repeal. What the Ecumenical Councils established is the voice of the Holy Spirit Himself, dwelling in the Church, according to the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ, spoken to His disciples at the Last Supper: "I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may be with you forever" ( John 14:16 ).
This is the great significance of the Ecumenical Councils for us Christians, since we have not lost the feeling of belonging to the Church – this mysteriously grace-filled Body of Christ!
Source: https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Averkij_Taushev/sem-vselenskih-soborov/#0_8