those who preserved only the religious ideas of the schism, and became
reconciled with the civil power. Lastly we have the Old Ritualists, who
differed from all the other sects in retaining the old ordinances, and
who simply rejected the spiritual authority of the dominant Church.
Besides these chief sections of the Nonconformists there are a great
many minor denominations (tolki), differing from each other on minor
points of doctrine. In certain districts, it is said, nearly every
village has one or two independent sects. This is especially the case
among the Don Cossacks and the Cossacks of the Ural, who are in part
descendants of the men who fled from the early persecutions.

Of all the sects the Old Ritualists stand nearest to the official
Church. They hold the same dogmas, practise the same rites, and
differ only in trifling ceremonial matters, which few people consider
essential. In the hope of inducing them to return to the official
fold the Government created at the beginning of last century special
churches, in which they were allowed to retain their ceremonial
peculiarities on condition of accepting regularly consecrated priests
and submitting to ecclesiastical jurisdiction. As yet the design has not
met with much success. The great majority of the Old Ritualists regard
it as a trap, and assert that the Church in making this concession
has been guilty of self-contradiction. "The Ecclesiastical Council of
Moscow," they say, "anathematised our forefathers for holding to the old
ritual, and declared that the whole course of nature would be changed
sooner than the curse be withdrawn. The course of nature has not been
changed, but the anathema has been cancelled." This argument ought to
have a certain weight with those who believe in the infallibility of
Ecclesiastical Councils.

Towards the Priestless People the Government has always acted in a much
less conciliatory spirit. Its severity has been sometimes justified on
the ground that sectarianism has had a political as well as a religious
significance. A State like Russia cannot overlook the existence of
sects which preach the duty of systematic resistance to the civil and
ecclesiastical authorities and hold doctrines which lead to the grossest
immorality. This argument, it must be admitted, is not without a certain
force, but it seems to me that the policy adopted tended to increase
rather than diminish the evils which it sought to cure. Instead of
dispelling