The Russians, like other nations, were originally
Pagans, and worshipped fire, which they considered as the cause of
thunder, under the name of _Perun_, and the earth under the name
_Volata_; at the same time having some notions of a future state of
rewards and punishments. Christianity was first professed by the
Princess Olga, who was baptized at Constantinople. She recommended it to
her grandson Vladimir, on whose baptism, in 988, it was adopted by the
nation generally; and from that time the Greek church has been the
established religion throughout Russia, and Greek literature greatly
encouraged. During the middle ages, however, the doctrine of
transubstantiation, and some other popish peculiarities, were covertly
introduced; and, by the irruption of the Mongol Tartars, in the
fifteenth century, a stop was put to learning and civilization for full
two centuries; but, on the accession of the present dynasty in 1613,
civilization and Christianity were restored, and schools established for
the education of the clergy. The Russian clergy are divided into regular
and secular; the former are all monks, and the latter are the parochial
clergy. The superior clergy are called archires; but the title of
metropolitan, or bishop, is personal, and not properly attached to the
see, as in the western church. Next after the archires rank the black
clergy, including the chiefs of monasteries and convents, and after them
the monks. The secular priests are called the white clergy, including
the protoires, or proto-popes, priests, and deacons, together with the
readers and sacristans. These amounted, in 1805, throughout the empire,
to ninety-eight thousand seven hundred and twenty-six. The white clergy
must be married before they can be ordained, but must not marry a second
time; they are at liberty then to enter among the black clergy, and a
way is thus opened for their accession to the higher orders. The whole
empire is divided into thirty-six diocesses, or eparchies, in which are
four hundred and eighty-three cathedrals, and twenty-six thousand, five
hundred and ninety-eight churches. The churches are divided into three
parts. 1. The altar, where stands the holy table, crucifix, &c, which is
separated from the body of the church by a large screen, on which are
painted our Saviour, the virgin, the Apostles, and other saints. Upon a
platform before this are placed the readers and singers, and here the
preacher generally stands behind a movable desk. 2. The nave, or body of
the church, which may be called the inner court. 3. The trapeza, or
outer court. The two last are designed for the congregation, but neither
have any seats. The walls of the church are highly embellished with
Scripture paintings, ornamented with gold, silver, and precious stones,
but no images.
The church service is contained in twenty-four volumes, folio, in the
Slavonian language, which is not well understood by the common people.
Parts of the Scriptures are read in the service; but few, even of the
ecclesiastics, possess a complete Bible. The patriarch of Russia was
formerly almost equal in authority with the czar himself; but Peter the
Great, on the death of the patriarch in 1700, abolished his office, and
appointed an exarch. In 1721 he abolished this office also, and
appointed a “holy legislative synod” for the government of the church,
at the head of which is always placed a layman of rank and eminence. The
monastic life was once so prevalent in this country, that there were
four hundred and seventy-nine convents for men, and seventy-four for
women, in which there were about seventy thousand monks and nuns, &c;
but this kind of life was so much discouraged by Peter the Great and the
Empress Catherine, that the religious are now reduced to about five
thousand monks and seventeen hundred nuns. Great part of their revenues
has also been alienated, and appropriated to the support of hospitals
and houses for the poor.
Pagans, and worshipped fire, which they considered as the cause of
thunder, under the name of _Perun_, and the earth under the name
_Volata_; at the same time having some notions of a future state of
rewards and punishments. Christianity was first professed by the
Princess Olga, who was baptized at Constantinople. She recommended it to
her grandson Vladimir, on whose baptism, in 988, it was adopted by the
nation generally; and from that time the Greek church has been the
established religion throughout Russia, and Greek literature greatly
encouraged. During the middle ages, however, the doctrine of
transubstantiation, and some other popish peculiarities, were covertly
introduced; and, by the irruption of the Mongol Tartars, in the
fifteenth century, a stop was put to learning and civilization for full
two centuries; but, on the accession of the present dynasty in 1613,
civilization and Christianity were restored, and schools established for
the education of the clergy. The Russian clergy are divided into regular
and secular; the former are all monks, and the latter are the parochial
clergy. The superior clergy are called archires; but the title of
metropolitan, or bishop, is personal, and not properly attached to the
see, as in the western church. Next after the archires rank the black
clergy, including the chiefs of monasteries and convents, and after them
the monks. The secular priests are called the white clergy, including
the protoires, or proto-popes, priests, and deacons, together with the
readers and sacristans. These amounted, in 1805, throughout the empire,
to ninety-eight thousand seven hundred and twenty-six. The white clergy
must be married before they can be ordained, but must not marry a second
time; they are at liberty then to enter among the black clergy, and a
way is thus opened for their accession to the higher orders. The whole
empire is divided into thirty-six diocesses, or eparchies, in which are
four hundred and eighty-three cathedrals, and twenty-six thousand, five
hundred and ninety-eight churches. The churches are divided into three
parts. 1. The altar, where stands the holy table, crucifix, &c, which is
separated from the body of the church by a large screen, on which are
painted our Saviour, the virgin, the Apostles, and other saints. Upon a
platform before this are placed the readers and singers, and here the
preacher generally stands behind a movable desk. 2. The nave, or body of
the church, which may be called the inner court. 3. The trapeza, or
outer court. The two last are designed for the congregation, but neither
have any seats. The walls of the church are highly embellished with
Scripture paintings, ornamented with gold, silver, and precious stones,
but no images.
The church service is contained in twenty-four volumes, folio, in the
Slavonian language, which is not well understood by the common people.
Parts of the Scriptures are read in the service; but few, even of the
ecclesiastics, possess a complete Bible. The patriarch of Russia was
formerly almost equal in authority with the czar himself; but Peter the
Great, on the death of the patriarch in 1700, abolished his office, and
appointed an exarch. In 1721 he abolished this office also, and
appointed a “holy legislative synod” for the government of the church,
at the head of which is always placed a layman of rank and eminence. The
monastic life was once so prevalent in this country, that there were
four hundred and seventy-nine convents for men, and seventy-four for
women, in which there were about seventy thousand monks and nuns, &c;
but this kind of life was so much discouraged by Peter the Great and the
Empress Catherine, that the religious are now reduced to about five
thousand monks and seventeen hundred nuns. Great part of their revenues
has also been alienated, and appropriated to the support of hospitals
and houses for the poor.