dominion.[1] For this reason the cathedral was called "The Church of the Tithes."[2] The care of the building and the charge of the funds were entrusted to the priest Anastasius, whom Vladimir had brought from Cherson. From Greece also came the canons of the councils and the Greek laws for Church government. But from the first it was maintained that the Scriptures constituted the basis of Christian life and doctrine; and encouragement was given to the reading and study of the Bible. This characteristic of the Greek Church in contradistinction from the Roman passed over into the Russian Church, and is one of its happiest features.
Vladimir distinctly promised in his edict of the tithes—which might be called the Magna Charta or the "Bill of Rights" of the Russian Church—that neither he nor any of his descendants shall ever cite members of the clergy, their wives, monks or nuns, before the State tribunals, or usurp the judicial power which has been conceded to the Church. After enumerating a list of offences which he leaves the Church to deal with—such as divorce, poisoning, witchcraft, heresy, family wrongs—he adds: "In all these cases the Church is to pass judgment; but the prince and his boyars and judges shall not take cognisance of such judicial matters. These ecclesiastical privileges I have accorded to the holy bishops, in compliance with the decisions of the Church, and the seven œcumenical councils."[3] Most of this only applies to clerical offenders. In the case of a judicial matter between an ecclesiastic and
- ↑ Modern missionary work, being voluntary and resting on free-will offerings, is frequently crippled for lack of funds. When one enquires how the missionary activity of earlier times was maintained various answers have to be given. Most of the evangelisation of the West was carried on by monks whose wants were supplied by their own monasteries, or who worked for bare subsistence in their new homes or accepted gifts from their converts. But under State religions State funds supported the work. This was the case in Russia. Of course government support had to be paid for in government control, although this was subject to a distinct right of the Church to administer its own canon law.
- ↑ Dessatingya.
- ↑ A copy of the edict, contained in a codex of the thirteenth century, is given in full by Mouravieff, Hist., Notes, pp. 357, 358.
