The Confession of Dositheus declares in no uncertain terms faith is not trust in Jesus Christ but a right notion of God and divine things.
We believe no one to be saved without faith. And by faith we mean the right notion that is in us concerning God and divine things, which, working by love, that is to say, by [observing] the Divine commandments, justifieth us with Christ; and without this [faith] it is impossible to please God.
The Longer Catechism of The Eastern Orthodox Church written by Metropolitan Philaret teaches a wholly different doctrine.
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| http://www.pravoslavieto.com/docs/eng/Orthodox_Catechism_of_Philaret.htm |
Examined and Approved by the Most Holy Governing Synod, and Published for the Use of Schools, and of all Orthodox Christians, by Order of His Imperial Majesty (Moscow, at the Synodical Press, 1830.)
[The large Russian Catechism of Philaret, approved by the holy Synod (although omitted by Kimmel in his Collection, and barely mentioned by Gass in his Greek Symbolics), is now the most authoritative doctrinal standard of the orthodox Græco-Russian Church, and has practically superseded the older Catechism, or Orthodox Confession of Mogila.
This catechism has the full authority of the Orthodox Church. It was "examined and approved by the Most Holy Governing Synod." Here is the definition of faith given in this catechism.
6. What is faith?
According to the definition of St. Paul, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb. xi. 1); that is, a trust in the unseen as though it were seen, in that which is hoped and waited for as if it were present.
7. What is the difference between knowledge and faith?
Knowledge has for its object things visible and comprehensible; faith, things which are invisible, and even incomprehensible. Knowledge is founded on experience, on examination of its object; but faith on belief of testimony to truth. Knowledge belongs properly to the intellect, although it may also act on the heart; faith belongs principally to the heart, although it is imparted through the intellect.
8. Why is faith, and not knowledge only, necessary in religious instruction?
Because the chief object of this instruction is God invisible and incomprehensible, and the wisdom of God hidden in a mystery; consequently, many parts of this learning can not be embraced by knowledge, but may be received by faith.
Philaret contrasts faith and knowledge rather than conflate them. That is in stark opposition to the Confession of Dositheus which equates faith with knowledge.
Moreover the Confession of Dositheus rejects the notion that we are to lay hold on the righteousness of Christ and apply it to ourselves for salvation.
But [the notion] that faith fulfilling the function of a hand layeth hold on the righteousness which is in Christ, and applieth it unto us for salvation, we know to be far from all Orthodoxy
The catechism contradicts this point.
208. How does the death of Jesus Christ upon the cross deliver us from sin, the curse, and death?
That we may the more readily believe this mystery, the Word of God teaches us of it, so much as we may be able to receive, by the comparison of Jesus Christ with Adam. Adam is by nature the head of all mankind, which is one with him by natural descent from him. Jesus Christ, in whom the Godhead is united with manhood, graciously made himself the new almighty Head of men, whom he unites to himself through faith. Therefore as in Adam we had fallen under sin, the curse, and death, so we are delivered from sin, the curse, and death in Jesus Christ. His voluntary suffering and death on the cross for us, being of infinite value and merit, as the death of one sinless, God and man in one person, is both a perfect satisfaction to the justice of God, which had condemned us for sin to death, and a fund of infinite merit, which has obtained him the right, without prejudice to justice, to give us sinners pardon of our sins, and grace to have victory over sin and death.
This article does not say in the exact words that we are to lay hold of the righteousness of Christ and apply to ourselves for salvation. But that is the meaning of the words. We are untied to Christ by faith, which has been defined as trust. The catechism says the suffering and death of one sinless is "a perfect satisfaction to the justice of God" "to give us sinners pardon of our sins." What else is that other than applying the righteousness of Christ by faith to ourselves for salvation?
That is a completely different doctrine than what is taught in the Confession of Dositheus. The question is why does this authoritative catechism "Examined and Approved by the Most Holy Governing Synod" have a different definition of salvation and a different response to trusting in the righteousness of Jesus Christ?
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