Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1843-12-05


Neva, and from the roof Is suspended a bod
lily emblem of the Holy Spirit. Beneath this
building the ice of the river Is broken, and
the officiating Priest dips his crucitix into the
water and sprinklcs all who line the banks of
the river, with most liberal hand. Al re-
cciyc the blessing, with humility and faith.
from the Emperor TO his most degraded seris.
and here 1 may remark as one thing that
strikes the stranger most lavorably. the alb
senCc of all distinctions of rank In the Greek
church. The doors are thrown open to all,
from the highest TO the lowcst-all in com
mon may freely come and worship at the
same shrine. Worship here in the true sense
of the word. is n service. There arc no
seats and pews, as with US, in the temples Of
devotion. 4 s. lendid edGcc, far the most
gorgco Is have yet seen, both without and
within, incloses the cold stone floor. upon
which all vows are made. Here YOU may
see perhaps more visible signs of devotion
than any where else in the world. Hundreds
upon their knees, or lying PROSTATE upon the
floor, their bands upon their mouths IN
the dust, and, as if in the spirit OF the most
lowly of the christian disciples, crying . un-
clean, unclean-God be mcrcilul to me a sim
ncr." Before entering the church you see
hundreds OF the people, bowling almost to the
ground, before their sacred affairs. crossing
themselves many times, and giving every out
ward sign of heart imbucd with strong
religious faith. Few even pass the thresh-
hold of any one of the innumerablc church
es and affairs of the towns and cities, or upon
the road sidc-ior here you may see
Greek temples, grand or poor, every where
without uncovcring their heads and bowling.
from one to dozen times, all, too, crossing
themselves every time they bend their body
their eyes at the same time being intensely
fixed upon the church they seem to adore.
TO stranger there seems to be an excess OF
these sign, of devotion. You see them by
the same person performed an hundred times
a day. and 80 common are they, that IN the
twinkling of an eye the man OF the most de-
voticn is changed to the most worldly minded
and insinccrc. lie will not deceive you With
his eyes upon the church, he fears and vcne-
rates, but with his back upon it, from the lit
tie experience | have had-thc smallcit in the
world grant, but nevertheless mine, think.
is a general opinion have seen but few
Russians that would trust. Devotion. how
ever. is not confined TO the visible church,
every house and almost every apartment has
its altar, adorned with the head of the Virgin.
enclosed in costly gilded frame, with the
head of the virgin, surmounted by silver, and
the BODY encascd in silver also. Images are
prohibited, but innumcrablc heads of saints
may be seen every where, in church and
dwelling, sometimes the picture in full. Be
fore the virgin light is suspended and often
trimmed, and burning all the days and nights
4 Al ~ /,
an apartment without bowling before this lit
tie household god and crossing himself before
it, as if it were the only great living Deity,
rather than the picture of the mother OF the
Saviour of men. Upon leaving. as upon en-
tcring, usually the same formal reverence l.
paid. and by all alike. But if there i good
influence in such presence "a tins. must
think oIt OF sight out OF mind. TOR all evidence
OF religious faith often vanishcs with the sIgn
of godIinc>s. have seen household dcyo-
ton, it l. true. beyond this. and all other kinds
of devotion, too. within Il few days past. |
rode about eighty hours with a Russian. whose
devotional services were more than one Tor
each of the hours we were together. Not
only were the shrincs and temples rcmcm-
bcrcd a we pass, d from town TO town. but
every incident OF travel was the subject of de-
votlon. Ii bridge was crossed. the sign OF
the cross was made upon the head and breast
of my companion. In eating OF bread or
drinking OF water. the same ceremonial, were
repeated. A rough road or a smooth one. a
tops, furry ride. or one 80 smooth that YOU
could dream away yourhours. alike command
cd the same devotional signs. Indeed
could see no omissions, and when my oomPan-
ION crosscdhimsclt as he snccz 81. and n often
as he sncczcd. and by the way nc was most
invctcratc snccZcr. gave up III utter despair
any hope of lc. rning the Greek scrvlcc.-
The blessing OF the waters of the Ncya seem
ed TO me to be an odd freak enough IN the
prescribed services of the church, but here
learn that even all the horses of the empire
are formally blessed once in the year at one
of the converts, while at another period, III
August. all the apples otthe country, as one oil
the best fruits OF the land, receive the same
bencdiction. The priesthood, indeed, is vis
bic. and Their blessing is invoked. in every
thing. from the dedication oithc house of God
to the rudest and humblest piece of work that
engages the attention OF the poorcs
of the people. The highest and low
est seek and receive their bencdiction. and II
no country. probably. have the clergy moro
power, or arc contided in with more faith
The sight of priest Is a signal Tor uncover
ing the head, and rs one passes. all heads arc
bowed toreccivc his bcnedlction. NO people
could be more heartily devoted to their 70 II
of worship than the Russians. In the churcl
alone. more than in any really good works o
its members. there seems TO be saving ialth
The temples and the shrines are the holes
places on earth. and the mcancst and the
worst men seem 10 hold them in high rever
ence. The decoration OF an altar woulC
be regarded as the sin objectionable in TIN
world. if not in the world to come; and ever
anunsanctihcd look orwalk within the church