Page:Destruction of the Greek Empire.djvu/160

 126 DESTEUCTION OF THE GREEK EMPIRE to add to the Nicene Creed the words Filioque, which pro- claimed the disputed dogma, before the decision of a General Council had been pronounced. After many meetings among the Greeks alone, it was decided that as the Latin Church held that the Procession was not from two ' principles ' but from one, and this by one operation, its teaching was in accord with that of the Orthodox Church, which acknow- ledged that the Procession is from the Father but through the Son. The scholars who brought about this agreement were Bessarion and George Scholarius, the latter of whom was destined afterwards to play an important part during the siege of Constantinople. The declaration of the Greeks was approved at a meeting of the Council. Greater difficulty arose on the second point, of the conduct of the Latin Church in adding the clause to the Creed. The emperor was at length convinced, or professed to be, that the clause had formerly existed in the Creed at the time of the Seventh Council, 1 but it required all his influence to persuade some of the Greek ecclesiastics who were not con- vinced of this fact to avoid an open rupture. The debates were obstinate and angry. But emperor and pope were determined on Union, and each used all his influence and authority to convince or compel the more refractory to obedience. Finally, it was decided that the words Filioque had been lawfully and with good reason inserted in the Creed. The question of purgatory and the condition of souls in the intermediate state occasioned little or no difficulty. On the use of unleavened bread, however, the controversy became so violent that on five different occasions the Greek bishops were with difficulty prevented from leaving the Council. It was at length decided that each Church might maintain its usage in regard thereto. The most dangerous question, after that of the Double Procession, regarded the pope's supremacy, and was appa- rently not made the subject of a public discussion. In July 1439, after twenty-six sittings of the Council, the 1 Second Council of Nicaea, in 787.