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complete separation from all others as there is in the Roman. Nor can we admit any one to communion unless he be reconciled to us as to another Church and religion."

Mr. Law, on hearing that I had seen M. Pafsky, asked, "Well, you found him too Protestant for you | ?" I said, "Yes, I found him heterodox enough." "I thought you would," he replied; "but I can tell you, for all that, that he is a very excellent man and much liked and respected; and he certainly is a man of superior understanding and requirements."

CHAPTER XLVII.

Conversation with the Priest Sidonsky.

UNDAY, October 13th [o.s.].-Went with my

SUND

teacher of Slavonic to see the priest Sidonsky, protopope of the Kazan Sobor, and Professor of Philosophy, who is well acquainted with German literature, but ill-looked upon, my master says, by the heads of the clergy, as mixing human philosophy with religion. We conversed in Latin. He said that he did not study German with any idea of adopting German doctrines. On my saying, "We think that moral philosophy ought to be a handmaid to religion and to the Church;" he asked, "What philosophy do you follow as that of Leibnitz, Des Cartes," &c.? I said, "We do not much like such modern and foreign writers. We read Aristotle and Plato and certain writings of our own divines to connect them with orthodox theology. The Germans are intellectual and laborious, but, owing to their unhappy state, all their books are infected with heresy. So it has been ever since they have made that wretched

boast of having come out of Babylon." He seemed to assent. But when we spoke of the definition of the one visible Church of the Creed, though he saw and admitted that there was an inconsistency in their manner of speaking with regard to it, he yet said, "We have no need to examine or to settle that question; and we never think about it. Our clergy not having acquired worldly power and pride, nor yielded to those corruptions which the clergy in the West yielded to, we have never felt any need of examining the question as regards the West." I said, "If it were not for the civil power which now hinders, but to which it is not safe to trust, you would both see internal divisions among yourselves multiply and spread, and, besides that, you would be unable to resist the force even of the pseudo-Catholicism of Rome. If you are a part only, where is the whole? Show us that Mother which we confess in the Creed, and to whom obedience from you and from us alike is due. There cannot be a part without a whole. There is one Communion claiming distinctly to be the whole, and in point of extent and numbers having better claim than any other, which is named the Catholic Church by your own lips, and by those of all her other enemies, and she boldly says that you belong to her; that you are a separated part, a dislocated limb, a rebellious child, a sheep that has strayed. Does not your conduct and language justify

her? You admit that you are only a part; she says that she is the whole. You seem to confess it; for you call her Communion 'the Catholic Church,' and you can never bring yourselves to say distinctly what is that whole of which you are a part. Does not this look as if you were indeed what she says you are? You may say that you call yourselves Capholics and the Latins only Catholics. We too make sometimes a similar defence of ourselves, viz. They are only Roman Catholics, but we are the real Catholics.' But in spite of all such excuses there is a real weight in popular language."

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"But suppose you take the other line, and assert, according to the esoteric doctrines of your Church books and formularies, that your Capholic Eastern Church is the whole Ecumenical Church, and that Catholicism is all Eastern by origin, as Rome says it is all Roman by obedience, still are you not strange people to pretend to be the whole Catholic Church? There are some millions of Lutherans and Calvinists subjects of the Russian Empire, whom you ought to try to convert to the true faith and Church; then, there are all the Latins, two-thirds of the Christian world; and, not only have you shown no zeal or power to correct and convert them, but you have been actually following and imitating them, seeking learning and theology in their schools, adopting their scholastic novelties, even holding Synods and drawing up expositions of doctrine.

at their bidding and after their instructions. But let that pass; let us say nothing of the enormous improbability of the supposition that half of the Church has fallen away as a body, and, since its defection has gone on increasing in spiritual power and extent in a greater degree than the orthodox ;-consider this, that in this one city and diocese you have had a colony of English (they tell me), 2000 or 3000, since the capital was transferred here. Now what have you done in 130 years for their souls more than if they were a herd of swine? This is the zeal and charity of the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church!"

He said, "Our church has always shown great moderation and tolerance, and" (as M. Pafsky also boasted) "has been careful not to condemn others." I said, "such moderation is cruel to others, and suicidal towards herself." He said, "A certain kind of zeal for religion has caused the spilling of much blood." I replied, "Such zeal as causes fighting and bloodshed, is carnal and satanical; the right zeal would rather cause the pouring forth of many prayers and tears." He said, "I must allow that there has been a culpable negligence; but nothing has forced us hitherto to consider the question of the definition of the Visible Church whenever circumstances require it, it will no doubt be examined." I said, "The civil government is a very insecure bond of unity, as we are now learning

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