The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-06-16


zionist. the patriarch of Russia, in his
time reformed the clergy greatly. He in
sisted upon cleanliness, self-sbnegation,
unceasing industry and accuracy in cere-
monial, and he weeded out very greatly
the hypOcrites and drones. He punished
sloth and uncleanliness as crimes. and
made even the Russian monk worthy of
general respect. But after his time the
morals of the clergy declined. Though
tons, the monasteries with all their
wealth and power have never been what
Nixon left them, and this is not the first
time that they have scandalized the
church.
OF one thing, certainly, the Russian
monk has, since Nixon, never been guilt
less, and that is of intemperance, and it
may be added uncleanness of person. At
times in the history of Russia so gross
have been the residents of religious es-
adjustments in these respects, that it
was necessary to establish commissions,
with police powers, TO enforce some re-
gard for decency in the sacred houses.
To-day the condition of the monasteries
is not reputable for cleanliness nor So
briefly, but the vow of celebacy has never
been relaxed, and that monks, powerful
as they are in Russia, should maintain
mistresses within the walls of Kremlin,
will bring down upon them even severer
punishment than the thefts with which
they are now charged.
The monastic brethren have not in late
years been very happy in their relations
to the church. AS they mingle freely
with the people and exercise over them a
powerful influence; as they have largely
neglected the spiritual for the things
formal; as they have dabbled in political
matters, and have made their monasteries
castles of defiance to even the Gar, at
times, the church proper has come to re-
gard them with no little jealousy and sus-
picion, especially as they are given to
favoring schismatic doctrines, with which
the church is at war.
The monasteries are all possessed of
enormous wealth in Russia, and save a
few of & minor character, receive from
the Government annually vast sums, the
proceeds of sequestered estates. The en-
tira frata in, hoe
mania for the collection of precious
stones, rare jewels and rich stuffs All
writers agree that the gathering of such
treasures is craze among the monks of
Russia. They do not seek them often to
crafty tastes of the flesh, but to adorn
their monastic houses and beautify and
enrich their affairs, and this fact is an in
teresting one to be borne in mind in
watching the outcome ofthe recent arrests
of monks in the Kremlin.
They will be punished, as we have said,
but it will probably be found that they
have disposed of none Of the gains of
theft. AS it is fact that some of the
monkish brotherhoods in Russia have
taken up with the widest fancies and APP
proved offanatical and mystical doctrines
and ceremonies abhorred by the church,
this discovery of women in the monastery
may turn out to be the revelation of the
practice of the doctrine of some of the
fads, like those Of the heresies of the
Khylisti and Shakouni, the latter openly
protesting and preaching at one time de-
bauchery and carnal relation, to be prac-
ticed to excess, in order to mortify the
flesh by exhaustion and safety, and thus
reach condition wherein prophetic
utterance is possible"
However it may have been thought
that these heresies have been crushed out,
and while it is true that in later years the
monks have not been chargeable, as a
class, with adopting these wild doctrines,
we should not be surprised to learn that
some sort of defense is set up for these
Kremlin monks, on the ground of their
action indicating a species of insanity or
frenzy. But it will avail them nothing.