The Church

On the nature of the Church, comprehending each local church as “The Church” as well – compositely – as each in unity as a singular Church inclusive of but not under the Bishop of Rome,  I offer some early liturgies and other witnesses taken from The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Roberts and Donaldson, T.T & Clark, Vol. 7, reprinted by Eerdmans, 1994)

The Divine Liturgy ofJames, the Holy Apostle and Brother of the Lord contains the following:

Priest/pastor: “For  the peace of the whole world, and the unityof all the holy churches of God”

To which the people reply:“Let us beseech the Lord.”

In The Divine Liturgyof the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, the Disciple of the Holy Peter,the Priest/pastor opens with a prayer which contains the following: 

All the influence of Satan, all thesnares of wicked men, do Thou, O Lord, drive away from us, and from Your HolyCatholic and Apostolic Church

The priest/pastor prays for the leaders of the [orthodoxchurch]:

We pray and beseech Thee to defendin Thy good mercy our most holy and blessed high priest our Father in God______, and our most reverend Bishop __________.  Preserve them for us through many years inpeace . . . with all the orthodox bishops, elders, deacons, sub-deacons,readers, singers, and laity, with the entire body of the Holy and only CatholicChurch. . . But all the enemies of Thy Holy Church put Thou speedily undertheir feet through the grace, mercy, and love of Thine only-begotten Son.

Later in liturgy, the priest/pastor says:

O Sovereign and Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus . . . Preserve for us through many years our most holy and blessed Papas _______, and our most pious Bishop ___________ . . . with all the orthodox bishops, elders, deacons, sub-deacons, readers, singers, with the entire body of the holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. . . .

And further, in his Anaphoral prayer, the pastor says:

O King of kings and Lord of lords,defend the kingdom of Thy servant, our orthodox and Christ-loving sovereign [Constantine, apparently]whom Thou hast deemed worthy to reign over this land in peace, courage, andjustice. . .

Be kind to him, O Lord, for thesake of Thy Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, and all ThyChrist-loving people, that we too in his peaceful reign may live a calm andtranquil life, in all reverence and godliness.

Oh Lord our God, give peace to thesouls of our fathers and brothers who have fallen asleep in Jesus, rememberingour forefathers of old, our fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs,confessors, bishops, and the souls of all the holy and just men whohave died inthe Lord. 

Especially remember those whosememory we this day celebrate, and our holy father Mark, the apostle andevangelist, who has shown us the way of salvation.

Later the priest/pastor offers incense and says:

Defend, O Lord, our most holy andblessed Papas _______ [i.e. Patriarch: the Bishop of Constantinople, the NewRome], whom Thou hast fore-ordained to rule over our most pious Bishop________, that they through many years of peace may, according to Thy holy andblessed will, fulfill the sacred priesthood committed to their care, anddispense aright the word of truth.

Remember the orthodox bishopseverywhere, the elders, deacons, sub-deacons, readers, singers, monks, virgins,widows, and laity.

Remember, O Lord, the holy city[Jerusalem] of our God, Jesus Christ; and all cities and all lands, and thepeace and safety of those who dwell therein in the orthodox faith of Christ; andthe imperial city [Rome]; and this city of ours, and all cities and all lands,and the peace and safety of those who dwell therein in the orthodox faith ofChrist.

Be mindful, O Lord, of the returnof the backsliding, and of every Christian soul that is afflicted andoppressed, and in need of Thy divine mercy and help. 

Be mindful also of us, O Lord, Thysinful and unworthy servants, and blot out our sins in Thy goodness andmercy. 

Be mindful of me, Thy lowly,sinful, and unworthy servant, and in Thy mercy blot out my sins.

Be with us, O Lord, who ministerunto Thy holy name.

Bless our meetings, O Lord.

Utterly uproot idolatry from theworld.

Crush under our feet Satan, and allhis wicked influence.

Humble now, as at all times, theenemies of Thy Church. . .

Do Thou bless a thousand times tenthousand Thy faithful and orthodox people while they do Thy holy will.

The service continues with the Deacon directing the peoplewho are seated to stand, another prayer, and then the Deacon directed thecongregation to turn to the east.  Moreprayer from the Priest and response from the people is followed by theconsecration of the sacrament which concludes with:

“Fill, O God, this sacrificewith Thy blessing, through the inspiration of Thy all-holy Spirit.  or the Lord Himself, our God and universalKing, Christ Jesus, reclining at meat the same night on which He deliveredhimself up for our sins and died  in theflesh for all, took bread in His holy, pure, and immaculate hands, and liftingHis eyes to His Father, our God, and the God of all, gave thanks; and when Hehad blessed, hallowed, and broken the bread, gave it to His holy and blesseddisciples and apostles, saying: (Aloud) Take, eat.

And as the deacon prays earnestly, the priest says aloud:

For this is my body, which isbroken for you, and divided for the remission of sins.

To conclude: each church, then (and all as a singular body),is defined not by association with the Roman Bishop, but by its affirmation ofthe Creeds: Apostolic, Nicene, Athanasian. No mention in those of the supremacy or domination of the Roman bishop.