The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-23

ate was abolished, and the Gear, like Henry
the Eighth of England, became head of the
Church as well as head of the State. Ter
ritorially the Orthodox Russian Church con-
ssts of twenty-one Eparchies or ecclesiasti-
cal provinces. At the head of each of these is
prelate, whose consstory is charged with
the administration. According to their extent
these provinces are of the first or second
rank. In addition to these there are thirty
one Eparchies or ecclesiastical provinces OF
the third rank, analogous somewhat to Roman
Catholic Bishops in parti6us. All these pre-
lates with their Eparchies are equally subject
to the Most Holy Governing Synod, which is at
the head of the whole Russo-Greek Church. In
this Synod the Gear is represented by Procu-
| rator General, sometimes called g the Cars
Eye" and without the confirmation of the Gear
no decision Of the Synod can pass into law.
The Patriarchate, therefore, resides not in the
Synod, but in the Gear. The clerical body of
the Russian Church consists of three main
classes-the black or regular or monastic
clergy, the white or secular clergy, and the
church servers The first is of course the
most important order. All bishops, high
dignitaries, teachers of ecclesiastical semina-
ries, belong to this class. From the second order
are drawn the parish priests. To be qualified
for secular charge the candidate must have
gone through the full course in an ecclesiasti-
cal seminary and must have been married to a
spinster. On the occasion of his wife's death
he cannot marry again, nor can he retain his
Office. The third class is of course the lowest
and its work Is the meanest. Such is the
machinery of the Orthodox Church of the
Russian Empire. The Orthodox Church is
very rich, some Of the dignitaries living in
princely magnifcence but 1t cannot be said
that the work which they have specially
undertaken is very effectually done. The
masses are stepped in ignorance nor can it be
said that the great body of the people are in
sympathy with the Church of the State
The Orthodox Church, with all it's immense
wealth and power, and backed up as it has
been by all the strength of the State, has never
been, at least for many centuries, the church
of the whole people. The Ruscolniks, or Sep
eratists, are innumerable. 1t is impossible, in
fact, to say how many different sects there are
in Russia. A detailed account of these vari-
Gus sectaries could not fail to be interesting.
Differing much among themselves, and in some
cases given to the most absurd, not to say bar
barous, PRACTICES they almost all agree in
their opposition to the Orthodox Church.
Some of them are even bitterly opposed to the
regning government. All or almost all of
them are firm believers In the principles of
Communism. On some early occasion we
shall revert to this subject, aud give our read
ers some clear idea of what is meant by the
Russian Ruscolniks. Meantime, let it be noted
that an empire which numbers millions of men
who are Communists in theory and practice,
who are opposed to the national church, who
have no affection for the government under
which they live, who are most of them deplor-
ably ignorant, cannot be said to be wholly free
from danger in the event of great European
convulsion. A great future no doubt lies be-
fore Russia, but she has much hard work to
accomplish before she can bring her vast popu-
lation into harmony with the civilization of
the West.