Jan.] 
S. Lucas—Morley. 
S. Parker—IJpfwich. 
J. Luccocxkx—Morley. 
W. Youarr—King/ion. 
J. Lane—Hinckley. 
R. Bowpen—Darwen. 
D. Wasupourn—/Vellingborough. 
W. JoHNs—Totne/s. 
‘T. BROADBENT 
J. DewHurst—Old Ford. 
J. Hawkes Coxzgleton. 
S. TayLtor—Maachefter. 
G. Case—Shrewy/bury. 
W. Taomas—Che/ier. 
W. T. Procrer—Northampton. 
W.O. Manninc—Mauchefter. 
J. Ross—Glajgow. 
j. L. Toms—Ditio. 
J. Ramssortom—Ealand, 
Dus Davis—Glajrow. 
L. CaRPENTER—Ditio. 
J. Batt—Maznchefter. 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
PT HERE has lately been pubdlifhed bya 
German divine anaccount of the ftate 
of religious toleration in Ruffia, which 
appears to me not only to contain fome 
curious matter of fact, but to afford im- 
portant matter for reflexion alfo. With 
your permiflion I will make both thefe 
the fubjeét of a letter. 
For three centuries paft it has been the 
practice of the Ruffian fovereigns to in- 
dulge ftrangers in the free enjoyment of 
their religious worfhip;.and under the 
mame of firangers appear to have been 
included thofe numerous tribes or nations 
which have been adopted into the Ruffian 
empire by fubmiffion or conqueft. . This 

policy has probably been derived from ~ 
- the Turks and other eaftern nations ; and 
ithas, in later reigns, been enforced by 
the neceflity of inviting ftrangers in order 
to carry into effeét the great plans of civi- 
’ lization and improvement, which have 
been tran{mitted from one fovereign to 
another. The ‘* Account”? in queftion 
was drawn up in the time of the late em--- 
prefs Catharine, whofe managing {pirit re- 
duced this, like every other public con- 
cern, into a fyftem. ‘The following are 
its eflential points. All religions are to- 
Jerated in Ruffia. Chriftian of every de- 
nomination, Jew, Mahometan, Pagan, 
n.ay each worfhip his God, or Gods, in 
tle way his father has done before him. 
Neither is there any thing like a religious 
teft for admiilion, to public offices. The 
Toleration in Ruffia. 
9 
firt perfons in thé civil and military de- 
partments are Greek, Roman-catholic, 
Lutheran, Calyimft, &c.-as it may hap- 
pen. The fovereign’s choice is a\fuff- 
cient qualification ; nothing exifts to con- 
troul it. Yet there is a national church, 
ftrongly marked by. its privileges, and 
perfectly fecured againft that dread of ail 
churches, innovation. In the firft, place, 
though the different feétaries may change 
at pleafure from: one church to another, 
yet the true native Ruflian muft inviola- 
bly adhere to the religion in which he is 
born, the Greek : any change in him is 
apoftafy ; and foreign ecclefiaftics are 
forbidden to receive a Ruffian into their 
communities. Nay, if a foreigner once 
conforms to the eftablifhed religion, heis 
fixed in it for ever. Ifa foreigner’s chil- 
dren, in defect of a minifter of his own 
perfuafion, chance to receive. baptifm from 
a Greek prieft, they mutt likewife ever re- 
main members of the national church. 
Moreover, in marriages between a Ruffian 
- and a foreigner, the offspring, without a 
very particular difpenfation from court, 
muft be brought up in the Greck’faith. 
‘The marriage ceremony, even of. ftran- 
gers, muft always be performed according 
to the Ruffian ritual ; but this, indeed, 
impofes no fubfequent obligation on the 
parties, or their children. 
Such is the plan philofophical defpotif{m 
has formed for the management of religion 
ima great empire 3 and I doubt not there 
are many who will admire it as an extra- 
ordinary effort both of liberality and of 
good policy. It may feem.to unite in 
the happieft manner the fupport of a na- 
tional church with a regard to the rights 
of con{cience in thofe who have been edu- 
cated ina different communion; and may 
be thought equally to guard againft the 
evils of innovation, and thofe.of a forced 
uniformity. For myfelf, however, I can- 
not but confider it.as a remarkable in- 
{tance of the mpudence of power—of the 
propenfity of mortals elevated by ftation 
above their fellow-creatures, to affume the 
prerogative of ditating to them in their 
mof important concerns. ‘The {pirit of 
the preceding regulations is this—** All 
religions are equal—equally frue, or e- 
qually falfe. It is ufeful to the fovereign 
to have a prevailing one under his: fpecial 
influence and proteétion ; yet it is not 
worth whilete quarrel with ftrangers, or 
deprive the ftate of their fervices, for the 
fake of uniformity. Subjects, however, 
are to be taught, that the choice of reli- 
| C2 gion 
