, 1879-10-16
Russia S Clergy.

lures OF the clergy of the Greek Church
in Russ n. But TO render them ioctict.
it is proper to admit that with the
general progress Of the Cars subjects
they also are much changed, though
against their own will, beng touched by
the spirit OF the age. ltiS an undiSputablr
act that they are amazingly far behind
he other educated classes in Russia,
which in truth differ from them as
much us the men of the modern ages do
from the men of the middle ages
The Russian clergy have no excuse
for their degraded position. During the
long period Of seven centuries they held
in their HANDS their own fate as well as
that of their country. From the intro
duction of Christianity into Kief till
the time OF Peter the Great, the clergy
were the only educated class in Russia;
they were the sole teachers and moral
guides of the people for generation after
generation. If they have chosen a care
less and sluggish life, and kept the
people in the deepest Ignorance, it is on
this account that the popular influence
is lost, and that their power in the
State has disappeared.
When Peter the Great mounted the
throne, he realized at once that in order
to guarantee his country from Incidence
and darkness he had first of all to liber-
ate it from the yoke of the clergy.
This he did, in spite Of furious anathe-
mas, and of conspiracies and revolts in
stigated by the holy men. Peter abol-
ished the title and powers of the Patri-
arch, who had been the despotic chief of
the Russian Church, and in it's stead he
created Holy Synod, composed of Bish-
ops appointed by the C2ar who himself
then became the real head of the church.
Then European learning was trans
planted into Russia and intrusted to lay
teachers, who became the intellectual
and moral guides of the people,
Russian history does not make men
tion of any great or brilliant clergyman.
There is a story Of priest who turned
merchant, and justified the change on
this ground: "After a mature trial |
found out that | was philosopher, and
so | left the priesthood and went into
trade"
For the last half century the most
able and successful students OF the theo-
logical colleges have been encouraged to
enter the university and to abandon the
clerical career Naturally the pulpits of
the Russian churches are filled with
mediocrities, crude scholars and poor
preachers.
Having no regular salary, the clergy
are thrown ON their own skill for their
subsistence and as marriage is obiga-
tory upon all Russian priests, making
living for their families (Which are pro
verbally large) becomes question of
paramount Importance. In this strug-
gle for daily bread the clergy have ac-
quired an unenviable reputation The
peasants say: "The Pope has greedy
eyes and big, grasping hands. The eX-
tortions are almost incredible,
The Golos gives this example: ga
peasant was about to leave his village
and to settle in a neighboring one, where
he was going to marry a girl but he
could not do this without a certificate
from the priest The priest said: Il
will give you certificate, but not before
you make good to me all my loss by
your going away. Now, lose what |
would charge You for your wedding, say
ten roubIes. Then your wife will bring
you, say seven children, whose baptism
would bring me seven and a half rou-
bles and seven towels at twenty kopecks
each, and for each of seven prayers |
would receive in addition twenty ko-
pecks. Fnrther, of seven children, four
surely would die, and for each burying
would charge one rouble, Then, your
daughter would marry, and | should
charge one rouble for her certificate.
Perhaps your son would marry but,
well, let us drop your son as a possible
soldier. Now, you ought to pay me q
roubles 30 kopecks but, to make an
even amount 20 rouhles will do The
priest was finally induced to give the
certificate for 10 roubles."
The Russian clergy are peculir peope
in all respects. Their ugly long robes
make them scarecrows for the village
children. Their pockets are said to be
bottomless. Their schooling which
lasts for fifteen years, is conducted on
a curriculum of the middle ages it
doesn't comprise one study of use in
common life. Their long pOring over