The established religion of this country has, ever since the eleventh
century, been that of the Greek church, so called in opposition to the
Latin; though there were always a greater number of Mahometan and Pagan
provinces, than of those inhabited by Christians. Siberia, as far as
China, was in a state of idolatry; and, in some of the provinces, they
were utter strangers to all kind of religion.
Perry, the engineer, and baron Strahlemberg, who both resided so many
years in Russia, tell us, that they found more sincerity and probity
among the Pagans than the other inhabitants; not that paganism made them
more virtuous, but their manner of living, which, was that of the
primitive ages, as they are called, freed them from all the tumultuous
passions; and, in consequence, they were known for their integrity.
Christianity did not get footing in Russia and the other countries of
the North, till very late. It is said, that a princess, named Olha,
first introduced it, about the end of the tenth century, as Clotilda,
niece to an Arian prince, did among the Franks; the wife of Miceslaus,
duke of Poland, among the Poles; and the sister of the emperor Henry II.
among the Hungarians. Women are naturally easily persuaded by the
ministers of religion, and as easily persuade the other part of mankind.
It is further added, that the princess Olha caused herself to be
baptized at Constantinople, by the name of Helena; and that, as soon as
she embraced Christianity, the emperor John Zimisces fell in love with
her. It is most likely that she was a widow; however, she refused the
emperor. The example of the princess Olha, or Olga, as she is called,
did not at first make many proselytes. Her son,[15] who reigned a long
time, was not of the same way of thinking as his mother, but her
grandson, Wolodomer, who was born of a concubine, having murdered his
brother and mounted the throne, sued for the alliance of Basiles,
emperor of Constantinople, but could obtain it only on condition of
receiving baptism: and this event, which happened in the year 987, is
the epocha when the Greek church was first established in Russia.
Photius, the patriarch, so famous for his immense erudition, his
disputes with the church of Rome, and for his misfortunes, sent a person
to baptize Wolodomer, in order to add this part of the world to the
patriarchal see.[16]
Wolodimer, or Wolodomer, therefore completed the work which his
grandmother had begun. A Greek was made the first metropolitan, or
patriarch of Russia; and from this time the Russians adopted an
alphabet, taken partly from the Greek. This would have been of advantage
to them, had they not still retained the principles of their own
language, which is the Sclavonian in every thing, but a few terms
relating to their liturgy and church government. One of the Greek
patriarchs, named Jeremiah, having a suit depending before the divan,
came to Moscow to solicit it; where, after some time, he resigned his
authority over the Russian churches, and consecrated patriarch, the
archbishop of Novogorod, named Job. This was in the year 1588, from
which time the Russian church became as independent as its empire. The
patriarch of Russia has ever since been consecrated by the Russian
bishops, and not by the patriarch of Constantinople. He ranked in the
Greek church next to the patriarch of Jerusalem, but he was in fact the
only free and powerful patriarch; and, consequently, the only real one.
Those of Jerusalem, Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria, are mercenary
chiefs of a church, enslaved by the Turks; and even the patriarchs of
Jerusalem and Antioch are no longer considered as such, having no more
credit or influence in Turkey, than the rabbins of the Jewish synagogues
settled there.
It was from a person who was a patriarch of all the Russias, that Peter
the Great was descended in a right line. These new prelates soon wanted
to share the sovereign authority with the czars. They thought it not
enough that their prince walked bare-headed, once a year before the
patriarch, leading his horse by the bridle. These external marks of
respect only served to increase their thirst for rule; a passion which
proved the source of great troubles in Russia, as well as in other
countries.
Nicon, a person whom the monks look upon as a saint, and who was
patriarch in the reign of Alexis, the father of Peter the Great, wanted
to raise his dignity above that of the throne; for he not only assumed
the privilege of sitting by the side of the czar in the senate, but
pretended that neither war nor peace could be made without his consent.
His authority was so great, that, being supported by his immense wealth,
and by his intrigues with the clergy and the people, he kept his master
in a kind of subjection. He had the boldness to excommunicate some
senators who opposed his excessive insolence; till at last, Alexis,
finding himself not powerful enough to depose him by his own authority,
was obliged to convene a synod of all the bishops. There the patriarch
was accused of having received money from the Poles; and being
convicted, was deposed, and confined for the remainder of his days in a
monastery, after which the prelates chose another patriarch in his
stead.
From the first infancy of Christianity in Russia, there have been
several sects there, as well as in other countries; for sects are as
frequently the fruits of ignorance, as of pretended knowledge: but
Russia is the only Christian state of any considerable extent, in which
religion has not excited civil wars, though it has felt some occasional
tumults.
The Raskolnikys, who consist at present of about two thousand males, and
who are mentioned in the foregoing list,[17] are the most ancient sect
of any in this country. It was established in the twelfth century, by
some enthusiasts, who had a superficial knowledge of the New Testament:
they made use then, and still do, of the old pretence of all sectaries,
that of following the letter, and accused all other Christians of
remissness. They would not permit a priest, who had drank brandy, to
confer baptism; they affirmed, in the words of our Saviour, that there
is neither a first nor a last, among the faithful; and held, that one of
the elect might kill himself for the love of his Saviour. According to
them it is a great sin to repeat the hallelujah three times; and,
therefore, repeat it only twice. The benediction is to be given only
with three fingers. In other respects, no society can be more regular,
or strict in its morals. They live like the quakers, and, like them, do
not admit any other Christians into their assemblies, which is the
reason that these have accused them of all the abominations of which the
heathens accused the primitive Galileans: these latter, the gnostics,
and with which the Roman catholics have charged the protestants. They
have been frequently accused of cutting the throat of an infant, and
drinking its blood; and of mixing together in their private ceremonies,
without distinction of kindred, age, or even of sex. They have been
persecuted at times, and then they shut themselves up in their hamlets,
set fire to their houses, and thrown themselves into the flames. Peter
took the only method of reclaiming them, which was by letting them live
in peace.
But to conclude, in all this vast empire, there are but twenty-eight
episcopal sees; and in Peter's time there were but twenty-two. This
small number was, perhaps, one of the causes to which the Russian church
owes its tranquillity. So very circumscribed was the knowledge of the
clergy, that czar Theodore, brother to Peter the Great, was the first
who introduced the custom of singing Psalms in churches.
Theodore and Peter, especially the latter, admitted indifferently, into
their councils and their armies, those of the Greek, the Latin, the
Lutheran, and the Calvinist communion, leaving every one at liberty to
serve God after his own conscience, provided he did his duty to the
state. At that time there was not one Latin church in this great empire
of two thousand leagues, till Peter established some new manufactures at
Astracan, when there were about sixty Roman catholic families, under the
direction of the capuchins; but the jesuits endeavouring to establish
themselves in his dominions, he drove them out by an edict, published in
the month of April, 1718. He tolerated the capuchins as an insignificant
set of monks, but considered the jesuits as dangerous politicians.
The Greek church has at once the honour and satisfaction to see its
communion extended throughout an empire of two thousand leagues in
length, while that of Rome is not in possession of half that tract in
Europe. Those of the Greek communion have, at all times, been
particularly attentive to maintain an equality between theirs and the
Latin church; and always upon their guard against the zeal of the see of
Rome, which they look upon as ambition; because, in fact, that church,
whose power is very much circumscribed in our hemisphere, and yet
assumes the title of universal, has always endeavoured to act up to that
title.
The Jews never made any settlements in Russia, as they have done in most
of the other states of Europe, from Constantinople to Rome. The Russians
have carried on their trade by themselves, or by the help of the nations
settled amongst them. Theirs is the only country of the Greek communion,
where synagogues are not seen by the side of Christian temples.
_Conclusion of the State of_ RUSSIA _before_ PETER _the_ GREAT.
Russia is indebted solely to czar Peter for its great influence in the
affairs of Europe; being of no consideration in any other reign, since
it embraced Christianity. Before this period, the Russians made the same
figure on the Black Sea, that the Normans did afterwards on the coasts
of the ocean. In the reign of the emperor Heraclius, they fitted out an
armament of forty thousand small barks; appeared before Constantinople,
which they besieged, and imposed a tribute on the Greek emperors; but
the grand knez Wolodimar, being wholly taken up with the care of
establishing Christianity in his dominions, and wearied out with
intestine broils in his own family, weakened his dominions by dividing
them between his children. They almost all fell a prey to the Tartars,
who held Russia in subjection near two hundred years. At length John
Basilides freed it from slavery, and enlarged its boundaries: but, after
his time, it was ruined again by civil wars.
Before the time of Peter the Great, Russia was neither so powerful, so
well cultivated, so populous, nor so rich as at present. It had no
possessions in Finland, nor in Livonia; and this latter alone had long
been worth more than all Siberia. The Cossacks were still unsubjected,
nor were the people of Astracan reduced to obedience; what little trade
was carried on, was rather to their disadvantage. The White Sea, the
Baltic, the Pontus Euxinus, the sea of Azoph, and the Caspian Sea, were
entirely useless to a nation that had not a single ship, nor even a term
in their language to express a fleet. If nothing more had been wanting
but to be superior to the Tartars, and the other nations of the north,
as far as China, the Russians undoubtedly had that advantage, but they
were to be brought upon an equality with civilized nations, and to be in
a condition, one day, of even surpassing several of them. Such an
undertaking appeared altogether impracticable, inasmuch as they had not
a single ship at sea, and were absolutely ignorant of military
discipline by land: nay, the most common manufactures were hardly
encouraged, and agriculture itself, that _primum mobile_ of trade, was
neglected. This requires the utmost attention and encouragement on the
part of a government; and it is to this that the English are indebted,
for finding in their corn a treasure far superior to their woollen
manufacture.
This gross neglect of the necessary arts, sufficiently shews that the
people of Russia had no idea of the polite arts, which become necessary,
in their turn, when we have cultivated the others. They might indeed,
have sent some of the natives to gain instruction among foreigners, but
the difference of languages, manners, and religion, opposed it. Besides,
there was a law of state and religion, equally sacred and pernicious,
which prohibited any Russian from going out of his country, and thus
seemed to devote this people to eternal ignorance. They were in
possession of the most extensive dominions in the universe, and yet
every thing was wanted amongst them. At length Peter was born, and
Russia became a civilized state.
Happily, of all the great lawgivers who have lived in the world, Peter
is the only one whose history is well known. Those of Theseus and
Romulus, who did far less than him, and of the founders of all
well-governed states, are blended with the most absurd fictions: whereas
here, we have the advantage of written truths, which would pass for
fictions, were they not so well attested.