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Correspondence (1716–1725)
Eastern Patriarchs and the Nonjurors, ed. Williams, 1868
15. No. 15: The Holy Governing Synod of Russia to the Nonjurors
The Sacred Governing Council of the Russian Church, to the very Reverend the Bishops of the Catholick Church in Great Britain our dearest Brethren in the Lord, wisheth Health.
Your Letters written to us the thirtieth of May in the former Year, worthy Gentlemen and dearest Brothers, we have received, from which more than from any Thing before, being assured that you have chiefly at Heart and seek and desire Peace and Concord with the Oriental Church, we have conceived great Joy in the Spirit, and also given Glory to Christ our Saviour, who is our Peace: For as much as by moving you to these Endeavours He has confirmed our Faith in His Promises. For how continually He is graciously present with His Church according to His Promise your Desire of Concord is a Testimony. We also give you great Thanks that you have not thought it unworthy of you to express your Good Will to our Synod in Terms of the greatest Veneration, and have esteemed it worth your while to write to us of these Matters. Your Answers which you have returned to the Writing of the most Holy Patriarchs, penned in the Greek Tongue, we have sent to those Prelates. The other which are in Latin we have and consider. And making no Doubt that these Desires of yours spring not from any Earthly Root, but spring from a heavenly seed, we faithfully promise our best Assistance to further this your, nay our also, so Holy a Negotiation. And now, which is of greatest Moment in this Case, we have acquainted his Imperial Majesty, our most gracious Lord, with your Proceedings, which both you desired and we also thought ourselves oblidged to. The most potent Prince received them with a very sincere Countenance, and, as we believe, esteemed this as one of his just Consolations after an happy but laborious Expedition. What his Opinion is concerning this Affair we will ingenuously tell you. He thinks it proper that you send two of yours to have a friendly Conference in the Name and Spirit of Christ with two that are to be chosen out of our Brethren; hereby the Opinions, Arguments, and Persuasions of each Party may be more sincerely produced, more clearly understood; and it may be more easily known what may be yielded and given up by one to the other, what on the other side may and ought for Conscience Sake to be absolutely denied. In the mean time no Prejudice would befall either your Communion or ours from such a private Conference, nor the Hopes of Union be altogether lost thereby.
This is the Opinion of our Monarch concerning this most Holy Negotiation, which seems indeed to us the best. We desire that, as soon as may be, you will let us know how it appears to you. In the mean time, God is seriously to be entreated by each of us to be merciful to us and you. Farewell, our dear Brothers.
Your Brothers most bounden to
your Charity in Christ,
THEODOSIUS Archbishop of Novogord, and the Archimandrite [of] Alexander Nevesis.
THEOPHANUS Archbishop of Plescow.
GABRIEL Archimandrite of the Holy Trinity of the Monastery of Sergius.
THEOPHILACT Archimandrite of Czudow.
IEROTHEUS Archimandrite of Noevospashi.
PETER Archimandrite of Simonove.
ATHANASIUS Precident of Tolski.
ANASTASIUS NAUSIUS.
Mosco; in the Year 1723.
in the Month of February.
We acquaint you, dearest Brothers, that the Precident of our Synod, STEPHEN Metropolitan of Razan, died before your Letter came to us.
To the very Reverend the Bishops of the Catholick Church in Great Britain, our dearest Brethern.