242 ANDREW J. SHIPMAN MEMORIAL 



denied the necessity of any clergy whatever. The latter, 

 however, accepted their ministrations. The fortunes of these 

 two denominations or sects were quite different. The former 

 grew to great importance in Russia, and are now said to 

 have between thirteen and fifteen millions of adherents. The 

 latter subdivided again and again into smaller sects, and 

 are said to number between three and four millions, all in- 

 cluded. They will be taken up separately. 



Popovtsi or Hierarchical Raskolniks. — At first these re- 

 newed their clergy by taking over dissatisfied or dismissed 

 priests from the established Orthodox Church, after having 

 them take an oath against all the reforms instituted by Nikon 

 and Peter; but this method was hardly satisfactory, for in 

 most cases the material thus obtained was of a low moral 

 grade. They believed that the whole Russian episcopate had 

 gone over to Antichrist, but still were valid bishops, and 

 hence endeavored to have priests ordained by them, but in 

 vain. They searched the Eastern world for a bishop who 

 held their peculiar ideas, and it seemed almost as though 

 they must eventually change for lack of clergy, when chance 

 aided them. A community of Popovtsi monks had settled at 

 Bielokrinitsa (White Fountain) in Bukowina. Ambrose 

 (1791-1863), a Greek monk, was appointed Bishop of Sara- 

 jevo in Bosnia, and was consecrated by the Patriarch of Con- 

 stantinople. Subsequently a later patriarch deposed him, and 

 when his resentful feelings against the Constantinople au- 

 thorities were at their height, the Raskolniks approached him 

 with the request to become their bishop. On 16 April, 1846, 

 Ambrose agreed to go over to their faith and adopt all the 

 ancient practices, consecrate other bishops for them, and 

 become their metropolitan or archbishop. On 27 October, 

 1846, he was solemnly received in the monastery of Bielo- 

 krinitsa, took the necessary oaths, celebrated pontifical Mass 

 and assumed episcopal jurisdiction. Bielo-krinitsa is only a 

 few miles from the Russian border, and a hierarchy was soon 

 brought into being for Russia. After bishops were conse- 

 crated for Austria and Turkey, bishops were consecrated 

 and installed in Russia. The Russian Government could not 

 crush the head of the Raskol Church, for it was in Austria. 

 The Popovtsi grew by leaps and bounds, commenced to pro- 

 vide for a regular educated clergy and vied with the Estab- 



