RECOLLECTIONS OF POBEDONOSTZEFF 1892-1894 65 



resentative of the Emperor in the Synod of the empire, 

 the highest assemblage in the church, and he the most 

 influential man in it, really controlling archbishops and 

 bishops throughout the empire, whether the &quot;filioque&quot; 

 clause is an insurmountable obstacle to union, he replied, 

 &quot;Not at all; that is simply a question of dialectics. But 

 with whom are we to unite? Shall it be with the High- 

 churchmen, the Broad-churchmen, or the Low-churchmen! 

 These are three different bodies of men with distinctly 

 different ideas of church order; indeed, with distinctly 

 different creeds. Which of these is the Orthodox Church 

 to regard as the representative of the Anglican commu 

 nion ?&quot; I endeavored to show him that the union, if it 

 took place at all, must be based on ideas and beliefs that 

 underlie all these distinctions; but he still returned to 

 his original proposition, which was that union is impos 

 sible until a more distinct basis than any now attainable 

 can be arrived at. 



I suggested to him a visit to Great Britain and his 

 making the acquaintance of leading Englishmen; but to 

 this he answered that at his time of life he had no leisure 

 for such a recreation; that his duties absolutely for 

 bade it. 



In regard to relations with the Russo-Greek Church on 

 our own continent, he seemed to speak with great pleasure 

 of the treatment that sundry Russian bishops had received 

 among us. He read me letters from a member of the 

 Russo-Greek hierarchy, full of the kindliest expressions 

 toward Americans, and especially acknowledging their 

 friendly reception of him and of his ministrations. Both 

 the archbishop in his letter, and Pobedonostzeff in his 

 talk, were very much amused over the fact that the Ameri 

 cans, after extending various other courtesies to the arch 

 bishop, offered him cigars. 



He discussed the possibility of introducing the &quot;Holy 

 Orthodox Church &quot; into the United States, but always 

 disclaimed all zeal in religious propagandism, saying that 

 the church authorities had quite enough work to do in ex 

 tending and fortifying the church throughout the Russian 



II. 5 



