Church is at present in a more degraded state than any other Christian Church. The hierarchy are ignorant, contemplative monks. The secular priesthood form a miserable caste, almost as uneducated as the peasants whom they are supposed to guide and to enlighten. All through the nineteenth century the intellectuals, with the exception of a few writers of the Slavophile group, have been on the side of the opposition, as I pointed out before. The Russian Church has not produced one theologian, one writer, one statesman.
But when we consider that the Church, notwithstanding her present degradation, has nevertheless not forfeited the confidence of the peasantry, it seems all the more reasonable to infer that her influence would be tremendous if she were to awaken from her present lethargy, if there were a revival of spiritual energy. And it seems equally reasonable to anticipate that such influence would be exerted on the side of the Government.
The Church might, no doubt, have a liberalizing tendency, she might insist on the carrying out of a programme of reform, she might act the part of umpire and peacemaker—but her influence would be on the whole a conservative
