132 In the eastern provinces of the Russian Empire the Mahometans carry
on an active propagandism at the expense of orthodoxy.
133 _Code of the Laws of the Russian Empire_, vol. xiv. “Statute for the
Prevention and Extirpation of Offences against the Faith,” Arts. 92
and 97. Ed. 1857, pp. 18, 19.
134 To mention only the _Panslavists_, whose formula is well known:
“Orthodoxy and nationality are synonymous.” If all Russians thought
the same, the Catholics might spare themselves the trouble of any
further controversy.
135 _Réglement ecclésiastique de Pierre le Grand, etc._, part i., p 16.
Paris: Library of the Bibliographical Society, 75 Rue de Bac, 1874.
136 “The emperor, as a Christian sovereign, is the supreme defender and
protector of the dogmas of the dominant faith, the guardian of
orthodoxy and of all that concerns good order in the holy
church.”—_Code of the Laws of the Russian Empire_; Fundam. Laws,
art. 42, ed. 1857, p. 10.
137 We have it from an authentic source that the emperor had had made
for himself, for this purpose, a set of (sacerdotal) vestments of
sky‐blue velvet, and was so bent upon carrying out his intention
that his principal favorite, Count Rostoptchin, only succeeded in
dissuading him by reminding him that he had been twice married, and
was therefore, according to the canons of the church, disqualified
for offering the Holy Sacrifice.
138 Father Gruber, General of the Jesuits, who was in great favor with
Paul, presented to the czar a project for reunion. By command of the
czar the Archimandrite Eugenius (Volkhovichinoff), afterwards
Metropolitan of Kieff, published in 1800 an answer to this project,
in the form of a canonical dissertation, _On the Authority of the
Pope_. See _The Russian Clergy_, by Père Gagarin, S.J., pp. 118,
119.
It appears that this affair was under consideration for several
years, and even in the reign of Catherine II. And in fact Hupel, in
a note of the manuscript in which we found the opening passage of
this essay, mentions the rumors read by the newspapers that a
complete (_pollige_) reunion of the Russian with the Catholic Church
was about to be accomplished, and attributed these same rumors to
the ex‐Jesuits. Hupel wrote in 1736. See _op. cit._ p. 88, note.
139 Schnitzler (J. L.), _Histoire intime de la Russie sous les Empereurs
Alexandre et Nicolas_, Paris, Renouard, 1847, vol. i., note xiii.;
_Dispositions religieuses de l’Empereur Alexandre_, p. 463, note
xi.; _La Sainte Alliance et Mme. de Krudener_. See also a writing by
the Protestant pastor, Empaytaz, _Notice sur Alexandre, Empereur de
Russie_. Geneva, 1828.
140 We have endeavored to elucidate this point of history, without
having arrived at any definite result; we have some reason to
believe that all which was known of the last days of the Emperor
Alexander has not been made public. The notes which we had collected
upon this subject would here be out of place.
141 It was in consequence of this event that, not long afterwards,
appeared the two works, respectively entitled _Persécutions et
souffrances de l’Eglise Catholique en Russie_. Par un ancien
Conseiller d’Etat en Russie (le Comte Arsène d’Harrer) Paris: Gaume,
1842; and _Vicissitudes de l’Eglise Catholique des deux rites en
Pologne et en Russie_. Par le P. Theiner, prêtre de l’Oratoire. The
French edition of this last work appeared in 1842, preceded by a
remarkable introduction from the pen of Count de Montalembert.
Paris: Sagnier and Bray.
142 Statute for the prevention and extirpation of offences against the
faith, _Code_, etc., vol. xiv., ed. 1857, art. 97, p. 19.
143 See _Description of the Country Clergy in Russia_ (Paris, Franck,
1858); _The Russian Clergy_ (in Russian), Berlin, 1859; _Of the
Organization of the Ecclesiastical Schools in Russia_ (in Russian),
Leipsic, Wagner, 1863; _Of the Orthodox Clergy, Black and White, in
Russia_ (in Russian), Leipsic, Wagner, 1866; the Père Gagarin on
_The Russian Clergy_ (London, Burns & Oates, 1872); Eckardt, _Modern
Russia_ (London, 1870), etc., etc.
144 Schédo‐Ferroti, _La Tolérance et le Schisme Religieux en Russie_.
Berlin: Behr, 1863, pp. 292, 293.