Volume 2: 1771 Edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica!
Immaculate
Immaculate, something without stain, chiefly applied to the conception of
the holy virgin.
The following material is not in the First Edition of the Encyclopedia
Britannica, but added for clarification:Note: The Holy Orthodox Church does not
believe in the Immaculate conception of the Holy Virgin (since she was cleansed of original sin by the Holy Spirit before the Holy Conception of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ), since such a concept is nowhere to be
found in the Holy Tradition, Holy Scripture, or the Holy Canons, resulting from
the Ecumenical Councils.The Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant Churches
accept that only
Christ was conceived and born without Original sin. The Papal Church,
since
1854, has dogmatically declared that the Mother of God also was conceived
and born spotless; this is called the Immaculate Conception.Q. Which Church
is correct as to the Dogma of the Incarnation of Christ?
A. The Orthodox and Protestant, because the Holy Scripture declares that:
"all have sinned," (Book of Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 23), except Jesus
Christ (Book of Hebrews, Chapter 4, Verse 14), while Holy Tradition knows
nothing of any such teaching as that of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother
of God.
See the
Catechism of the Holy Eastern Orthodox Church. It is interesting to
note that this heresy was alive in the year 1771, a period of 83 years before
the Papal Church officially declared it as its new dogma.