The New York herald., 1870-04-15
RUSSIA.

The Religious Question One Of tho Great
Questions of the Day-Inluence Of the
PnpaI Council in tho West and East-Union
Of the Tcn,poral and Spiritual Power Op.
posed to Christ,s Tcachings-What the
Patriarch of COnstantinople Says-Infali.
bility of the POpcs or Univcrsaiism of
christianity 2
ST. PETERSBURG, March 90, 1870.
The character and views OF the Eastern Church are
attracting increased attention In the West This is
especially the case since the idea arose OF Assem-.
bling the present Council at Rome. Until recent
times very little was known Of Eastern Christianity
among even the best informed people OF the West,
for whom there existed but the Roman Catholic
Church and Professionalism. These two divisions were
for them oil Christianity worthy Of the name.
For Rome tho Easterns were a collection
Of schsmatcs who had 10 their blindness
refused to accept the supremacy of the Pope. For
the Protestant world they were species OF Roman
lists in lower degree of development ana more
deeply buried in superstition The Patriarch of Con.
sta ntinople was considered to be the Pope OF the
East. and the Greek language was supposed to oc.
cupy the same position In the Eastern ritual as the
Latin In that OF Rome. Before proceeding to an ex-
animation of the nature OF the Eastern Church and
some of the popular errors that have existed with
regard to 1t would call attention TO an article pub
lised in the Got0ss* OF this city several months ago
portion OF which give here In translation, thus:-
THE CHURCHES.
During the present year ten centuries will have
elapsed since the one Church OF Christ was divided
into two parts-tne Eastern and The Western. Ten
centuries have these Churches existed indepen-
dently, holding scarcely any Intercourse. The
results OF this division are such as must
have inevitably followed. difference In out
ward form, at first insignificant, increased
with time, that after having been present at an
orthodox church service and Latin mass one could
with difficulty believe that these services the ex-
preston OF one and the same religion bequeathed
By the Manhood. In the spirit Of these two divisions
OF one ana the same religion the difference Is still
greater than In the form. The Eastern Church re-
cOgnlzes as Its head our Lord Jesus Christ, who
s0emnly declared TO mankind that His kingdom
was not OF this world. The western Churcn recog-
nlzes a. Its head the Bishop OF Rome attrbutng TO
him o quality which belongs to God alone--namely,
nallibility. Besides IN contraventiOn to the words
OF Our Saviour 1t has given to this Bishop king
dom OF this world, and placed upon his head,
together with the nitre, two earthly crowns. This
union OF temporal and spiritual power, which Is
so opposed to the teachings OF Christ took place
against the will OF the universal or Catholic Church
The Eastern half OF this Church sOemnly protested
against such an open violation OF Christianity Pho
tius the Patriarch or COnstantin0ple, who defended
with such energy the traditions Of the Fathers In
accordance with the laws Of the Church. refused to
acknowledge the despOtic usurpauion by the Roman
Bishop Of supreme authority over the Universal
Church. For this Rome declared him schismatic,
but the Eastern church justly regards him man.
1ul defender of the purity Of Christian laith. Such