CHAPTER CXXVIII. Last conversation and parting with M.Skreepitsin. THE THE same day I took leave also of M. Skreepitsin, one of the High Procurator's assistants, like M. Mouravieff. He has since become the head of an under department to the Minister of Public Instruction for all merely tolerated religions. He is a most engaging and estimable young man, and was charged with the Representation of the Civil Power in Lithuania, at the time of the return of the Uniats. He received me with the utmost cordiality, and would have it that I should come to them again officially; and, on my saying, as I had often, and all along, said before, that I had no sort of public mission, but had merely come to Russia for my own private studies, and that my demand for communion was also a merely personal act, without any shadow of authority or approbation, except from one old man, Dr. Routh, and that too, only incidental to my other and more imme diate objects-so that there was no chance whatever of my visit to Russia leading to any public act; nor in any case, supposing our Church were disposed to open communications, should I be at all a likely person to be employed, he said, "Surely, having been already here, and knowing the language and our Church, you would be the man." And he seemed quite unwilling to believe my assurances, to believe that nothing was likely to be done from authority on our part, to open communications. He said: "The Synod would be most happy and forward to remove all difficulties, and meet you halfway; so I hope the English Bishops would write to it. And I can tell you, the Government would like nothing better, if it could be. And there is a very deep feeling also among our people against Rome. I confess, this feeling is not always confined within due limits; but still, it would make many, from their political antipathies, view with favour any attempt in another direction, after that unity, which must always be the object of the prayers of all good Christians. In speaking of the Metropolitan of Moscow's answer to my letter, I said, he had answered it just as if I had admitted the actual separation of the English and Russian Churches, and had put myself forward to open a treaty or negotiation for the renewal of communication between them. He said I must not think the Metropolitan wished to answer coldly to my letter; for, in truth he, like all of them, had been much pleased with my visit to Russia, and there was no single person among them who would be more delighted than the Metropolitan to be enabled to enter upon a public negotiation for unity. "However," he continued, "in replying to you as an individual, and himself as a diocesan Bishop, he would no doubt be afraid of committing himself, and so might seem to answer less directly than you could have wished. But you may depend upon it, he is just the man of all of us who most desires that your Bishops should write to the Synod; and I hope they will write to it. CHAPTER CXXIX. Parting with the Priest Fortunatoff. HE same evening I went to bid the Priest THE Fortunatoff good-bye, and drank tea with him. He said that Professor Bozolubsky and he had talked about me and the English Church. He said he was quite sure that the Synod would make unity, if our bishops would write, and a very great blessing it would be; but your Church would have to make explanations previously; and he said, "There is a point which has been suggested to me, as involving a difference, on which I should like to know what you say; and that is-the Adoration of the Eucharist " (which was indeed one of the points on which the Non-Jurors broke off their correspondence) "for we adore it." I answered, "I see no necessary difference between us here, for if we adore the corporal, the altar, relics, and pictures, much more the Holy Eucharist." "Yes," he answered, "but those adorations are widely different; for we adore the Eucharist with Divine worship, as being the very body of Christ." This led to a serious discussion. He said, after all, "We knew here, in Russia, very little of your Church; you have done a great thing in opening the way to a better acquaintance; your bishops should write; our Synod would be very glad to answer and confer with them; and I think it would succeed." I explained that, in our present state and circumstances we can do nothing. He said, "We have not in Russia copies nor knowledge of your symbolical books, and books of canons and laws of the Church. These should be sent to us. Now that you have made a beginning others will follow your example, and come from England to study our Church. We ought, by all means, to have a good church in London, and you one here." |