登陆注册
5382300000119

第119章 CHAPTER XVIII(4)

fellowship. Thus practically the Raskolniki live in the same condition as in the time of Peter: they pay a tax and are not molested--only the money paid does not now find its way into the Imperial Exchequer.

These external changes in the history of the Raskol have exercised a powerful influence on its internal development.

When formally anathematised and excluded from the dominant Church the Nonconformists had neither a definite organisation nor a positive creed. The only tie that bound them together was hostility to the "Nikonian novelties," and all they desired was to preserve intact the beliefs and customs of their forefathers. At first they never thought of creating any permanent organisation.

The more moderate believed that the Tsar would soon re-establish Orthodoxy, and the more fanatical imagined that the end of all things was at hand. In either case they had only to suffer for a little season, keeping themselves free from the taint of heresy and from all contact with the kingdom of Antichrist.

Some had coffins made, and lay down in them at night, in the expectation that the Second Advent might take place before the morning.

But years passed, and neither of these expectations was fulfilled.

The fanatics awaited in vain the sound of the last trump and the appearance of Christ, coming with His angels to judge the world.

The sun continued to rise, and the seasons followed each other in their accustomed course, but the end was not yet. Nor did the civil power return to the old faith. Nikon fell a victim to Court intrigues and his own overweening pride, and was formally deposed.

Tsar Alexis in the fulness of time was gathered unto his fathers.

But there was no sign of a re-establishment of the old Orthodoxy.

Gradually the leading Raskolniki perceived that they must make preparations, not for the Day of Judgment, but for a terrestrial future--that they must create some permanent form of ecclesiastical organisation. In this work they encountered at the very outset not only practical, but also theoretical difficulties.

So long as they confined themselves simply to resisting the official innovations, they seemed to be unanimous; but when they were forced to abandon this negative policy and to determine theoretically their new position, radical differences of opinion became apparent. All were convinced that the official Russian Church had become heretical, and that it had now Antichrist instead of Christ as its head; but it was not easy to determine what should be done by those who refused to bow the knee to the Son of Destruction. According to Protestant conceptions there was a very simple solution of the difficulty: the Nonconformists had simply to create a new Church for themselves, and worship God in the way that seemed good to them. But to the Russians of that time such notions were still more repulsive than the innovations of Nikon. These men were Orthodox to the backbone--"plus royalistes que le roi"--and according to Orthodox conceptions the founding of a new Church is an absurdity. They believed that if the chain of historic continuity were once broken, the Church must necessarily cease to exist, in the same way as an ancient family becomes extinct when its sole representative dies without issue. If, therefore, the Church had already ceased to exist, there was no longer any means of communication between Christ and His people, the sacraments were no longer efficacious, and mankind was forever deprived of the ordinary means of grace.

Now, on this important point there was a difference of opinion among the Dissenters. Some of them believed that, though the ecclesiastical authorities had become heretical, the Church still existed in the communion of those who had refused to accept the innovations. Others declared boldly that the Orthodox Church had ceased to exist, that the ancient means of grace had been withdrawn, and that those who had remained faithful must thenceforth seek salvation, not in the sacraments, but in prayer and such other religious exercises as did not require the co-

operation of duly consecrated priests. Thus took place a schism among the Schismatics. The one party retained all the sacraments and ceremonial observances in the older form; the other refrained from the sacraments and from many of the ordinary rites, on the ground that there was no longer a real priesthood, and that consequently the sacraments could not be efficacious. The former party are termed Staro-obriadsti, or Old Ritualists; the latter are called Bezpopoftsi--that is to say, people "without priests" (bez popov).

The succeeding history of these two sections of the Nonconformists has been widely different. The Old Ritualists, being simply ecclesiastical Conservatives desirous of resisting all innovations, have remained a compact body little troubled by differences of opinion. The Priestless People, on the contrary, ever seeking to discover some new effectual means of salvation, have fallen into an endless number of independent sects.

同类推荐
  • 玄都律文

    玄都律文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 慈氏菩萨所说大乘缘生稻[卄幹]喻经

    慈氏菩萨所说大乘缘生稻[卄幹]喻经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Bramble-bees and Others

    Bramble-bees and Others

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上老君玄妙枕中内德神咒经

    太上老君玄妙枕中内德神咒经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 靖乱录

    靖乱录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 红楼穿越之绝黛狼君

    红楼穿越之绝黛狼君

    当她知道自己成了红楼里的林黛玉,第一反应是:哈哈哈,赚到了,赚大发了。当她突然听到自己的未来相公是他时,第一反应是:呵呵呵,别逗了,别吓唬人了。第二反应是:呜呜呜,这下子,亏本了,亏海里去了。这头中山狼怎么是我的人?一个是多愁多病身,一个是强硬粗暴汉,这这这,,,开玩笑,根本就不配嘛。什么?叫我出嫁,就给这么点东西打发走?不可能,我开的条件,少一毛都不行!what!才成亲,婆婆就要送小三?好,长者赐,不敢辞!那么,来吧,只要小三你能受得住考验!呐尼!表妹要上位,丫环要爬床?来吧,姑娘们,放马过来,叫你们尝一尝当家主母的的手段!你有阴谋,我有计策!当我还是那世事不谙的,只会流着眼泪,无语问苍天的苦哈哈的林妹妹?那我可以告诉你,你错得不一蹋糊涂!男人,不放手,女人,不手软。林妹妹出手,不同凡响。
  • 黑化男神别过来

    黑化男神别过来

    【一对一甜宠】*【男女身心干净】*【男主始终如一】*【千里姻缘一线牵】*【云起书院首发,勿转】*【男主极度变态,不喜勿入】*“叮咚,欢迎来到快穿系统,请开始你的任务。”嗯,做为一个被系统逼迫牵红线的人,她很无奈……说好的拯救世界呢?居然是牵红线。行,牵就牵吧,为毛有个坑人不眨眼的系统?还有个动不动就黑化的男神?!“叮咚,男神黑化已爆表,本系统先跑!主人你垫后!”“……”卧槽,你这个破系统给我等着!平时挖坑让她跳也罢了,现在居然让她挡枪你给我等……诶,那边那个已经黑化值爆表的男神站那别动!让我跑上三千米先!
  • 爱至末日

    爱至末日

    阳光帅气的南宫冉一直爱慕着纪新语,可她只拿他当好朋友。当颜沐枫出现后,纪欣语虽然口口声声说讨厌他的狂傲和自大,内心却不知不觉被他吸引。南宫冉察觉到纪欣语对颜沐枫太过关注,决定趁长假带她去法国散心,可惜事与愿违,在巴黎街头,两位有情人再一次相遇,并且让纪欣语的心更进一步沦陷。然而命运早已下了判决,最后,身患重病的颜沐枫不告而别,而纪欣语则守护着那片宁静的海,固执地相信他们的爱会延续到末日降临……
  • 凤凰神妃:神王你别跑!

    凤凰神妃:神王你别跑!

    凤梨为执行任务无奈跳海,以为自己会身死大海的她被一块古怪的石头带到了一个奇怪的大陆——凤凰大陆,她变成了凤氏皇族的小公主,但是这个装神弄鬼的神官是怎么回事?处处与她做对,当她好欺负的吗?被凤梨当做装神弄鬼的神官不在意的笑了笑:“就欺负你怎么了?反正都欺负你几万年了,不差这辈子。”
  • 一天一小时瑜伽:保健养生

    一天一小时瑜伽:保健养生

    朋友们,如果你想在紧张、忙碌的生活中,静静地享受片刻的安宁,那么,就请你走进瑜伽吧,它会带给你意想不到的惊喜。从现在开始,就让我们一起放松,深呼吸……
  • 驭鬼皇妃:黑道女皇霸业天下

    驭鬼皇妃:黑道女皇霸业天下

    她堂堂黑道女皇竟然穿越成了人前被人欺负,人后被鬼欺负的容家九小姐,于是人前治人,人后治鬼,于是挑战帝国,一统黑暗地带,收服四王,做那王上之王,霸业天下。他神秘莫测,于千年轮回之中遇见她,红衣妖冶,风华绝代。他们之间的相遇是注定还是偶然?被封印在禁地的卷轴,被隔绝的神秘三界,流淌着不祥之人血脉的少女。这是新的命运,还是旧的轮回?“以汝之血,唤吾之名。”梦中永不间断的呼唤,苍凉的声音,冰冷的目光,还有情不自禁的心痛。他是谁?她又到底是谁?纤手一指,百万鬼军,霸业天下,唯我无双。千年轮回,百年之约,生生世世,唯她无双。
  • 听说月光找到了海洋

    听说月光找到了海洋

    在海边长大,美得像海妖一样的姑娘苏眉,从第一眼见到陆海洋,就被他吸引。他家境贫寒却有骨气、他对她冷冰冰却对一只流浪猫倾注所有感情,他的种种让她一往情深。为了引起他的注意,她用尽万般心思。只是她的万般心思在家境贫寒的陆海洋眼里成了挑衅和羞辱,为了自己可怜的自尊,陆海洋制造了一场意外。究竟是一场怎样的意外让两人从此天各一方,甚至让陆海洋换了脸,换了身分?对苏眉来说,如果陆海洋像一阵捕捉不到的风,那么宋文祈就是一棵树。也许青春是一场穿越海洋抵达港湾的旅途。
  • 危险关系:丫头,悠着点

    危险关系:丫头,悠着点

    老爸老妈出国旅游将她丢给刚回国的他照顾,谁知道他是一只披着羊皮的狼,在家里专门欺负她,将她当女佣使唤,还在一个雷电交加的夜晚将她给那啥了,不仅如此,好友居然拿她当赌注,输给了他,太过份了,她要奋起,将他狠狠地打回原型!(此文乃校霸独宠拽丫头的孩子篇,很友爱哦)
  • 重生之称霸三国

    重生之称霸三国

    现代人回到三国时代,明白历史走向的他将会有怎样的经历?在历史前行之中,他又怎样的选择?曾经是个糊涂人的陈诚,是否还会糊涂下去?大陆争霸马上开始,三国猛将来去丛丛,且看新的争霸的开始······
  • 山窗余稿

    山窗余稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。