praise thee." "The great Angel was sent from heaven to bring his message to the Mother of God, and he, wondering that the Lord of all things should take a human body, greeted her with angelic words. Hail, cause of our joy; hail, end of the curse of Adam; hail, throne of the King; hail, bearer of him who bears all things. Spouse and Virgin, Hail."[1] The other famous hymn of the Byzantine office is the Phos hilaron (Φῶς ἱλαρόν). It is certainly as old as the 3rd century, and is attributed to Athenogernes (a martyr of the 2nd century, whose feast they keep on July 16).[2] It is sung every day at the end of Vespers, as the last rays of the sun disappear: "Kindly light of the Father's glory, blessed and holy Jesus Christ, now that we see the setting sun and light the evening lamps, again we worship God, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. At all times it is right to praise thee, Son of God and Life-giver, and so the whole world shall always tell thy glory."[3]
There are certain differences in the administration of the seven great Mysteries.[4] The Orthodox always baptize by immersion. The priest first anoints the limbs and then dips the child three times, having turned its face to the East. Meanwhile he says the form: "The servant of God, N., is baptized in the name of the Father, Amen, and of the Son, Amen, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen."[5] They think baptism by immersion so necessary that they doubt the validity of any other kind, and so they very much doubt our baptism. All the Greek-speaking Orthodox rebaptize any convert who comes to them from the Latins or Protestants. But the Church of Russia has officially declared that she has no such doubt and that she will not do so.[6] Of
1 De Meester, pp. 36-37.
2 Nilles, i, p. 213.
3 Nilles, i., pp. lv-lvi. F. Cabrol: Le livre de la prière antique (Paris, 1900), pp. 142, 560, &c.
4 In the Euchologion they follow the three liturgies (Venetian ed. 1898, pp. 136-288).
5 The whole rite in the Euch. (ed. cit.), pp. 136-144.
6 E. d'Or. vii. p. 93, &c. A synod of Constantinople, in 1756, commanded all Latins who should join the Orthodox Church to be rebaptized (E. d'Or. ii. p. 131). In 1718, however, a Patriarchal constitution had declared baptism by infusion to be valid (ibid. p. 132). The whole question is in the usual Orthodox muddle. They have contradicted themselves on this point backwards and forwards again in 1860, 1875, 1878, and 1888 (ibid. pp. 134-135).
