beral gifts, and thereby we offend the moré against thy goodness, so that we remain debtors, and are subject to thy just wrath on account of our sins. But, O Lord! enter not into judgment with thy servants, for no flesh living shall be justified in thy sight. According to thine inexpressible mercy, forgive all our sins, for the sake of the infinite merits of that blood shed for us on the cross, of thine only begotten and well-beloved Son, our precious Mediator, Jesus Christ. For which, as a token of our gratitude, we resolve and earnestly desire to forgive joyfully all the sins of those who have trespassed against us, or offended us; only let thy ready grace be our help.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Forgive not only our past transgressions, but keep us in future from falling into sin. Thou knowest the nature of our weakness, so prone to sin, and seest with how many waves of misery we are encompassed in the ocean of this world; the flesh enticeth us through passions, the world by its charms, the devil through his wiles; preserve us, most gracious Lord, from being taken in these snares. Remove temptations, and quench the darts of the wicked one, that none of us may

be overcome of them, and fall into the abyss of despair. But if it be thy paternal will, for our correction, to suffer us to fall into temptation,thy will be done! Only support our spiritual weakness by thy omnipotent hand, that we may not fall back in our blessed course, and that thy strength may be made perfect in our weakness.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

We also believe that thou wilt not despise our prayer, O heavenly Father! Thou art all-powerful, and canst do all things, and thou art also infinitely good, and desirest to bestow upon us all good. Thou hast assured us by thine own blessed voice in the gospel, that we undoubtingly may hope to receive all that we ask from thee, in the name of thy well-beloved child Jesus. But, above all, we pray that the blessings which we receive from thee may not be unto our, but unto thy glory. Amen.

APPENDIX,

CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF THE

ORIGIN AND DIFFERENT SECTS OF DISSENTERS IN RUSSIA.

THE national church in Russia gives the general name of Raskolniks, or Schismatics, to all the sects which have at different periods renounced her communion; but these separatists uniformly style themselves Starovertsi, or Believers of the old faith. By the few ecclesiastical writers who have mentioned the Raskolniks, their origin has in general been ascribed to the alterations that were made in the books containing the church service, about the middle of the 17th century, in the time of the Patriarch Nikon. According to the Russian annals, however, there existed schismatics in the Russian church two hundred years before the days of Nikon; and the disturbances which took place in his time only proved the means of augmenting their number, and of bringing them for ward into public view.

The

The first of these schismatics made their appearance in Novogorod, under the name of Strigolniks, about four hundred and fifty years after the introduction of Christianity into Russia, at a time when the nation was groaning under the yoke of Mohammedan oppression, and the affairs of the church were involved in confusion. founder of this sect is said to have been a Jew named Horie, who, in the reign of Ioan Vasillivitch I. came from Kieff to reside in Novogorod, and there began to preach Moses and the prophets, and to mix the observances of Judaism with the doctrines of Christianity.

The first whom he prevailed with to embrace his opinions, were two priests, Denis and Alexie, who immediately became zealous judaising teachers, and in a short time obtained a great number of followers in Novogorod. Alexie's zeal for the renewal of the old dispensations, indeed, was carried so far, as to induce him to change his name into Abraham, and to call his wife Sarah. Nor can there be the smallest doubt, that in this attempt to renew the ceremonial law, and incorporate it with the gospel, they found considerable assistance in the analogy which exists between the numerous and complex ceremonies of the Greek Church, and the service of the Jewish Temple.

Multitudes in Novogorod and Piscoff, having by their means been converted to the new system, both Denis and Alexie, through the influence of some of their disciples, were appointed to two different churches in Moscow, where, by secretly disseminating their doctrines among every class of the people, and particularly among the priests, the number of their adherents was greatly increased, and even some of the bishops were infected with this heresy. This sect at last became so powerful, that towards the end of the fifteenth century, in the time of the Metropolitan of Moscow, Zosimes, who was himself accused of following their opinion, a general council of the Russian clergy was held in that city, for the purpose of putting a stop to their progress. In this council the errors of the Strigolniks were condemned, and persecution excited against them. But notwithstanding the severities of fire and sword, which were employed to terminate this schism, it daily became greater, and acquired new additions of converts from the established church.

Soon after this, one Karp, a deacon, having been excommunicated by the church for his heretical opinions, began to accuse the higher ranks of the clergy for selling the offices of the priesthood, and of having corrupted the church of Christ to such a degree, that the presence of the