books. These Uniates, the Edinoverz ("United Believers"), have about two hundred and forty-four churches. When Russians speak of Raskolniks they usually mean the priestly sect, and they are always anxious to convert them all to the established Church. One of the chief arguments used by Russian bishops against any new proposal, such as, for instance, official recognition of the Church of England, is that it would tend to frighten away the Raskolniks.[1] It is among the priestless Raskolniks that the wildest beliefs have arisen. They made a virtue of necessity, and declared that now that Antichrist is reigning the ministry of priests and bishops must cease; they baptize their children and hold prayer-meetings led by elders. And they have broken into endless sects on all sorts of points. One great quarrel was about what letters should be put on the crucifix; where we write INRI, some of them, in spite of John xix. 19, &c., insisted on ICXC (Iesus Christ) only. They began all manner of strange abstinences—tobacco, sugar, potatoes, cooked hare were unclean and never to be touched. Some of them, to hasten the Second Coming of our Lord, preached suicide, and then quarrelled as to whether suicide by fire or by hunger were more pleasing to God. They were all the wildest Millennianists, miracle-mongers, and seers. Horrible licence alternated with suicidal mortifications.[2] In a wild anarchy of mad opinions and mutual cursing they were held together only by their insane fury against the Orthodox. And these sects, sprung out of the old Raskol movement, still exist, are still horribly persecuted,[3] and, as usual, answer that persecution by a tenfold fanaticism.
There are the Philipovzi, whose Gospel is suicide by fire, the Beguni, who always wander, will eat from no stranger's plate, and practise the abominations of "free love" instead of marriage; there are the Moltshaljniki, who never speak; the Chlysti, who believe that in 1645 God the Father came down in a chariot of fire,
