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274 the faith against the unbeliever, and called for apologetic literature of a more general character.

Faint echoes of old controversies agitated the Church from time to time. In the reign of Manuel Comnenus there was a scholastic discussion as to whether Christ presented His sacrifice for the sins of the world only to the First and Third Persons of the Trinity, or also to the Second, the Logos. A synod at Constantinople in the year 1156 decided for the latter contention, and therefore decreed that Christ offered His sacrifice in part to Himself. Ten years later a question of the two natures was revived on the words of Christ, "My Father is greater than I." To which nature did they refer—the Divine or the human? Heated discussions followed, and much excitement was roused among all classes of society. The Emperor Manuel favoured the view that the phrase applied to the God-man, to the whole incarnate personality, and this view was confirmed by a synod held in the year 1166. It is mournful to note that even with regard to so obscure a question as this no freedom of thought was permitted. Those who refused to accept the decree of the synod were banished and their goods confiscated. But these discussions, though very exciting at the time, left no permanent effects on the established orthodoxy, and therefore they cannot be regarded as landmarks of any importance in the history of doctrine.

Since the Greek Church has not changed materially in its doctrine or ritual through all the intervening centuries down to our own day, it may be as well to state here once for all the principal points of interest concerning the latter subject—namely, the ritual. The doctrine has been illustrated in the previous pages.

The seven sacraments are accepted by the Eastern as well as by the Western Church. Baptism continues to be observed in the form of immersion. It is administered to infants, and at the same time they are anointed on the eyes, mouth, nose, ears, and breast. Confirmation, which follows immediately, can be administered by presbyters—