The Rite of Reception and Promise of One Coming from Heresy into the Orthodox Faith, and the Prayers Performed Therein, by Necessity, Without Priests.
From Antipin’s Potrebnik. Chapter 6.
Whoever wishes to withdraw from heresy and accept the holy faith, and thereby join the Church of Christ, must first of all declare his desire to the brethren or to the superior (nastoyatel) of that congregation.
Following the instruction of the superior, the one coming performs the usual seven-bow beginning and is given the following instruction:
At home, perform this rule for 40 days: 10 lestovki per day with the Jesus Prayer, and one of them to the God-bearer. Perform all of this with bows: 700 waist bows and 300 full prostrations to the ground. The prostrations may be distributed among all the lestovki. The entire rule may also be divided and performed in parts, and not all at once. And fast every day, eating only Lenten food, except on Saturdays and feast days. On feast days the rule is not performed.
If someone is unable to fulfill such a rule, let him perform it according to his strength. According to custom, almost no one performs this rule, but fulfills only 20 full prostrations to the ground on each lestovka.
Everyone is obliged to perform his rule with zeal and sighing to God, repenting of his delusion, asking the Lord for mercy that He might receive him upon His shoulder like the lost sheep, and cleanse and sanctify him by the grace of the Holy Ghost from all impurity. To the best of his ability, he should also perform works of mercy, and on all feast days attend the common prayer in the brotherhood with diligence and sighing, in contrition of heart toward God. In secret he should perform his own prayers.
During the entire time of his rule, he must not take part together with the faithful in the common prayers — that is, he may not yet pray together with them, perform prostrations, sing, or read; he may only stand at the back. This continues until he is fully received.
During this time, he also must not pray anywhere with anyone of a different faith or with worldly people — not even with them in his own home. Likewise, he must not mix with them in eating.
While performing the rule until his reception, the one coming should, to the best of his ability, learn the mysteries of the faith and the prayers — at least the azbuka, the Creed (‘I believe in one God…’), and so on, as much as he can.
After fulfilling the 40-day rule, the one coming is received into the brotherhood. Without the rule he cannot be received, because true repentance does not occur without a rule. The one coming must bring forth the fruits of repentance, that is, virtuous labors: fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, together with the right faith (Matthew, reading 5).
Without the fruits of repentance — that is, without the rule — the one coming will receive nothing from the Lord, that is, “neither forgiveness, nor cleansing, nor sanctification, and his conversion will be in vain!” Moreover, without the fruits of repentance — that is, without the rule — he cannot be received, according to Canon 5 of Basil the Great.
In case of illness or other circumstances, a person may be received even without the rule, but only on the condition that afterward, if it becomes possible, he will fulfill the rule — that is, if the one coming recovers from his illness, or if the circumstance for which he was received without the rule passes.
The superior (nastoyatel) must explain all of this thoroughly to the one coming, so that he knows how he is converting: “from where and to where, by what path, and for what purpose.”
All of this concerns the faith and piety, and without it one cannot be saved. The one coming cannot know this without being taught. Therefore, the superior must carefully explain everything to the one coming and instruct him in all things.
At the reception of the one coming, the following prayers are performed:
After completing the time of his rule, the one coming comes forward and makes the usual 7-bow beginning. At this time, the superior must tell the one coming that he should raise his whole mind to God, mentally standing as though before His throne, and ask that the Lord would receive him with repentance, cleanse him from heresy, sanctify him, and baptize him with the Holy Ghost in place of the graceless heretical baptism. For this reason, during this time the one coming must do nothing worldly, but only read to himself “Lord, have mercy” until he is told otherwise, while raising his whole mind to God and asking His mercy with faith and zeal.
The seven-bow beginning:
God, be merciful to me, a sinner. (Bow)
O Lord, who created me, have mercy on me. (Bow)
I have sinned immeasurably. Lord, forgive, and have mercy on me, a sinner. (Bow)
It is truly meet to bless thee, O God-bearer, ever-blessed and most unblemished, and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and truly more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gave birth to God the Word; who art the God-bearer, thee do we magnify. (Prostration)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. (Bow)
Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. (Bow)
Lord have mercy. (Thrice). Lord, bless. (Bow)
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, throught the prayers of thy Most-Pure Mother, by the power of the Honorable and Life-giving Cross, and of my holy guardian Angel, and through the prayers of all the saints, have mercy on me, and save me a sinner, for thou art Good, and the Lover of mankind. (Prostration without the sign of the cross).
Then the superior himself, after the usual beginning, performs the following prayers:
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. (Bow)
O Heavenly King, Comforter, True Spirit, which art everywhere and fillest all, Treasury of blessings and giver of life: come and dwell in us; and cleanse us from every defilement, and save our souls, O Good One.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice with bows)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us of our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for thy names sake.
Lord have mercy. (Thrice) Glory. Now and ever.
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our needful bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. (Bow)
Amen. Lord have mercy. (12 times) Glory. Now and ever.
Come, let us worship the King, our God. (Bow)
Come, let us worship Christ, the King and our God. (Bow)
Come, let us worship and fall down before the very Lord Jesus Christ, the King and our God. (Bow)
Psalm 50. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight: that thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation: and uphold me with a free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it: thou hast no pleasure in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt thou delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
After this, the one coming gives the following promise:
I, [name], on this day come from the Nikonian heresy into the Orthodox Christian faith, which the holy Apostles preached, the holy Fathers taught, and confirmed. I come of my own good will, by the desire of my heart, and from all my soul — not for the sake of any bodily comfort, but solely for the salvation of my soul from all the heretics, the Nikonians and others, and from schism and all schismatics. I renounce them and do not wish to have any communion with them in anything whatsoever, and in such conviction I desire to end all the days of my life.
I believe in the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And as confirmation of this my promise, I read the Confession of the Orthodox Faith:
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all the visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, who from the Father is begotten before all ages. Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, but not created, of one essence with the Father; by him all things came to be. For us men and for our salvation he came down from the heavens, and was made flesh of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary, becoming man. Who was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered, and was buried. And resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father. And is coming again with glory to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom has no end. And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, True and Life-giving, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son art worshipped and glorified, who spake the prophets. And in one holy, conciliar, and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism unto remission of sins. I await the resurrection for the dead. And of the life of the age to come. Amen.
All this promise and the Symbol of Faith are repeated three times. As soon as the one coming reads his promise for the first time, the superior must ask him whether he understands his promise. If he understands it, he should explain it; if he does not understand, the superior must explain it to him so that he comprehends it. That is: that he is converting from the heretical church into the Orthodox faith — the very faith which the holy Apostles preached; that he is converting of his own will, and not for the sake of any worldly advantages, but for the salvation of his soul; and that he renounces all heretics and schismatics so as to have no communion with them in anything — that is, not to drink, not to eat, and not to pray with them — and that he must keep all this until death. In confirmation of all this he has already read the Creed. This must be explained to the one coming so that he knows “from where, and to where, and for what purpose he is converting.”
After this the one coming again reads quietly: Lord, have mercy.
Then follows the invocation without bows, according to custom:
O Merciful Lord, look upon Thy servant [name], who has come to Thee; save him and have mercy on him. (once)
Lord, have mercy — 40 times. The first three with prostrations.
Psalm 31: Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture was changed as with the drought of summer. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid: I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. For this let every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely when the great waters overflow they shall not reach unto him. Thou art my hiding place; thou wilt preserve me from trouble; thou wilt compass me about with songs of deliverance. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will counsel thee with mine eye upon thee. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose trappings must be bit and bridle to hold them in, else they will not come near unto thee. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Tropar: Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us; for we, being sinners and thy servants, having no defense, offer this prayer to thee as to the Master: have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us. Glory.
Lord, have mercy on us, for we have hoped in thee. Be not exceedingly angry with us, nor remember our iniquities, but look upon us now as the Compassionate One, and deliver us from our enemies. For thou art our God, and we are thy people, and all the works of thy hands, and we call upon thy name. Now and ever.
Open unto us the doors of mercy, O blessed God-bearer; may we who hope in thee not perish, but through thee may we be delivered from all misfortunes. For thou art the salvation of the Christian race.
Now lettest thou thy servant depart, O Master, in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples; a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
From this moment the one coming begins to pray together with the brotherhood:
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice with bows)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us of our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for thy names sake.
Lord have mercy. (Thrice) Glory. Now and ever.
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our needful bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. (Bow)
Tropar: When being baptized in the Jordan, O Lord, worship of the Trinity was revealed, for the voice of the Father bore witness unto thee, naming thee the beloved Son. And the Spirit in the form of a dove, made known the certainty of the words. O Christ God, who hast appeared and enlightened the world, glory to thee.
O Lord, save thy people, and bless thine inheritance. Grant victories to the Russian/our realm over adversaries, and by the Cross, preserving thy people.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.
Thou didst appear today unto the world, and thy light, O Lord, hath been signed upon us, in the understanding of those praising thee: the Light unapproachable hath come and hath been revealed.
Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Thou who wast lifted up upon the Cross of thine own will, to thy namesake dwelling now, grant thy mercies, O Christ God. Gladden our realm by thy power, granting it victories over adversaries; having for aid thy weapon of peace, an invicible victory.
If desires, other troparia may also be added.
The one coming makes two full prostrations to the ground: “Glory to thee, O Lord, for thine honorable Cross,” and he venerates the Cross. Then he makes one more prostration.
After this, all pray with bows (as many as possible) to the Savior, the God-bearer, and the saints.
Then the petition: “Through the prayers of the Lord, look upon thy servant [name], who has come to thee; save him and have mercy on him.” (once, with a prostration)
Lord, have mercy — 40 times, with the first three prostrations.
O thou who at every time and every hour, in heaven and on earth, art worshipped and glorified, O gracious God; O Lord, do thou thyself receive our prayers at this hour, and in thy goodness make straight our life unto thy commandments. Sanctify our souls and purify our bodies; set straight our reason, and cleanse our thoughts. Make chaste and sober our minds, and deliver us from every sorrow, evil, pain, and the passions of the soul; and surround us with thy holy angels, so that guarded and guided by their host, we may attain unto the unity of faith, and unto the understanding of thine unapproachable glory. For thou art blessed unto the ages. Amen
Lord, have mercy — 3 times. Glory. Now and ever. More honorable than the Cherubim. Glory. Now and ever. (with bows)
And the Dismissal of the day.
After the departure bows (same as the 7-bow beginning), the superior must instruct the newly received one that he should remember his promise and keep it unchanging. For preserving the faith and piety — the Heavenly Kingdom! But for apostasy — eternal torment! The one coming gave his promise before God, the Angels, and men, and he can no longer renounce it. On the day of the Dread Judgment the Lord will reward him according to it.
And if any doubts should arise, he should not hide them when he comes home, but should quickly turn to those wiser than himself among the fellow believers for counsel. For “in the multitude of counselors there is salvation,” but without counsel they perish.
Note: The rite described above for those coming from heresy applies only to those who were baptized correctly with three full immersions in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Such heretical baptism, although it is graceless and confers no benefit, is nevertheless accepted by the holy Fathers, according to their rules, by way of economy (condescension) for the sake of easier conversion. They allow such persons to be received without re-baptism in water, but it is necessary that they be sanctified by the Holy Ghost — that is, baptized in the Spirit — either through chrismation, or by the laying on of hands, or through faith and repentance (Acts reading 27).
But those who were baptized not with three immersions, but with a single immersion, or by pouring, or by sprinkling — such persons coming from heresy must be re-baptized with water, according to the rules of the holy Fathers (Canon 50 of the 2nd Ecumenical Council). In such cases the entire rite must be performed as at a baptism. Before the Symbol of Faith, the one coming must give his promise of renunciation of Satan and of heresy, as written above.
Concerning fellow-believers who leave:
If someone from among the fellow believers turns to another faith, or turns to heretics for any sacraments — for himself, for his children, or for anyone else — and afterward wishes again to be with the faithful, such persons are not to be received simply. They must remain in penance, according to discernment: from 2 years up to 5 years or more. They must perform a daily rule — 100 full prostrations to the ground and 200 waist bows — and remain in fasting and abstinence throughout the entire time of their rule. They must not eat meat, cheese, or eggs. If anyone is unable to fulfill this, let him perform it according to his strength, with zeal, carrying out his repentance before God, as indicated above.
Upon completion of the appointed time, he again performs all the prayers described above, but in the promise the first words are changed as follows:
“I, [name], today return again from heretical delusion into the Orthodox Christian faith…” and so on.
But those who only temporarily turned to heretics, and themselves had no communion with them at all, for such persons the time of penance may be reduced according to the judgment of the superior. After fulfilling such a time of penance, they may be received simply through the usual forgiveness (proshchenie). That is: the guilty one makes the usual 7-bow beginning, then bows to the ground three times to each side before the brethren, asking for forgiveness, blessing, and prayers. With this it ends. Sometimes, even by the judgment of the superior, a person who is only slightly guilty may be received simply through such forgiveness and without any rule.
On the reception of various priestless Old Believer agreements (Pomortsy, etc.):
Various Old Believer priestless agreements (soglasiya) that are in division with us, but do not hold such heresies as the Nikonians, should not be treated with the same strictness in their reception. Since they do not have such heresies, but only possess certain particular delusions, if they wish to unite with us they must abandon their delusion (whatever it may be for each one). For this they perform repentance. Even if there were no delusion at all either in belief or in actions, but only the division itself, they must still perform repentance, because division is ecclesiastical schism and one of the greatest iniquities.
Therefore, they must perform repentance with zeal according to what was set forth earlier — that is, 10 lestovki, or half, or according to their strength. The time of penance must be reduced — only two weeks, or even only one week — according to the judgment of the superior or the brotherhood.
Upon completion of the time of penance, the entire rite is performed as described above, but in the promise the first words are changed as follows:
“I, [name], today come from my delusion and schism into the unity of the Orthodox Christian faith…” and so on.
Note: Those who deviate for a short time into some minor schism, and then return, are given a small rule for a certain period. After fulfilling the rule, they are received through the usual forgiveness alone. Sometimes they are even received without any rule — only through forgiveness. This is according to the judgment of the superior.
Children are received from all delusions according to the faith of their parents. The parents themselves must perform repentance on behalf of their children. For small children, half of the full rule is permitted. Children around ten years of age already perform the rule themselves, but the time and the rule are also reduced by half. This is according to the judgment of the superior.
On the reception of those coming from the Old Believers of the Belokrinitskaya (Austrian) Hierarchy:
Those from the Belokrinitskaya (Austrian) hierarchy must be received on the same terms as the Nikonian heretics, because their root is the same graceless heretical hierarchy. However, in the promise the first words should be changed as follows:
“I, [name], today come from the Ambrosian heresy…” and so on.
From the rules of the holy Fathers concerning apostasy from the faith:
For all who apostatize from the faith into heresy or ungodliness, the time of penance varies.
According to the Rudder (Kormchaya) of St. Gregory of Nyssa, Canon 1 — penance until death. First Ecumenical Council, Canon 11, and St. Basil the Great, Canon 81 — penance for 12 years (for taking a heretical bride or giving one in marriage to a heretic). According to Zonaras, Canon 77 — penance for 5 years.
For apostasy from the faith, the minimum penance is 2 years. During this time one must perform every day: 100 full prostrations to the ground and 200 usual bows, and remain throughout this entire period in fasting and abstinence, not eating meat, cheese, or eggs.
From the Great Trebnik (Book of Needs), Chapter 78. For deviation into schism or remaining in it — that is, being in division — even if one does not err in the faith itself, there is still no hope of salvation. All good deeds, even the greatest, are in vain. “And all will be condemned together with those who crucified the Lord” — that is, with the Jews. “Even martyr’s blood will not wash away this sin!” (Apostolic Homilies, p. 1692).
