was defined at Chalcedon, and insist on the first three Councils only.[1] They have adopted as their official dogma the classical Monophysite phrase that our Lord has one nature out of two. He is "one hypostasis, one person, one united nature (after the union)."[2] But there is, or was, some difference between their Monophysism and that of the Copts and Jacobites. The Copts and Jacobites are Severians, accepting the view of Severus of Antioch that our Lord's body is corruptible ((
Greek characters)). The Armenians adopted the extremer view of Julian of Halicarnassus that it is incorruptible ((Greek characters), see p. 207). It is then usual to call them Julianist Monophysites. May be that this difference had something to do with the fact that they could never unite with the others. But there seems very little trace of Julianism in their formulas now. On the contrary, except for the expression "one nature" and their rejection of Chalcedon, there is nothing, on this point, to which we could object.[3] Their creeds insist on the fact that Christ is really man, born truly of his mother, having a real body and soul.[4] Their fault (or misfortune) is at bottom only their denial of Chalcedon and the schism thereby produced. As creeds they use that of Nicæa-Constantinople in a slightly variant form, but correct;[5] another attributed to Saint
- ↑ Lord Malachy Ormanian is very proud of this. He thinks that in these days of little faith the less you ask people to believe the better. Now the Orthodox insist on seven Councils, Catholics on twenty, but Armenians on only three. This is a heavy score for them. And he thinks that their three are admitted universally (op. cit. 78-80). He is mistaken. A child could tell him that Nestorians reject Ephesus just as firmly as Monophysites reject Chalcedon. On his principle Nestorians are still better off, since they insist on two Councils only; a Pneumatomachian is still happier, for he has only one. And an Arian is most to be envied of all, for he admits none. To claim an advantage in easiness of faith by the mechanical process of inverse proportion to the Councils you acknowledge is a child's way of proceeding, only to be found in an Oriental.
- ↑ In the creed they profess at ordination, quoted by Tournebize: op. cit. 568. Cf. Ormanian, p. 83.
- ↑ The case for Armenian "orthodoxy" has often been made by their Anglican friends. Dowling (op. cit. 60-64) does what he can to exonerate them. He quotes several correct sayings by Armenians; but nothing can get over the fact that their Church formally rejects the definition of Chalcedon.
- ↑ See Tournebize, p. 557.
- ↑ In Tournebize, Armenian and French, 553-555.
