Historical rarities and curious observations domestick & foreign containing fifty three several remarks ... with thirty seven more several histories, very pleasant and delightful / collected out of approved authors, by William Winstanley ...

Of their Priests in Muscovia.

For their Priests, it is lawful to marry for the first time; but, if the first Wife die, he cannot take a second but he must lose his Priest-hood, and his Living withal: the Reason they make out of that place of St. Paul to Timothy, 1. 3, 2. not rightly un∣derstood: thinking that to be spoken of divers Wives successively that the Apostle speaketh of at one and the same time. If he will needs marry again after his first Wife is dead, he is no longer called Papa, but Rospapa, or Priest quondam. This maketh the Priests to make much of their Wives, who are accounted as the Matrons, and of best Re∣putation among the Women of the Parish.

For the Stipend of the Priest, their manner is not to pay him any tenths of Corn, or ought else; but he must stand at the Devotion of the People of his Parish, and make up the Incomes towards his Main∣tainance so well as he can, by Offerings, Shrists, Marriages, Burials, Dirges, and prayers for the Dead and the Living; (which they call Molitua) for besides their Publick Service within their Churches, their manner is, for every private Man to have a Prayer said for him by the Priest, upon any occasi∣on of Business whatsoever, whether he ride, go, sail, plough, or whatsoever he doth else; which is not framed according to the occasion of his Business,

but at Randome, being some of the ordinary and usual Church-prayers; and this is thought to be more holy and effectual, if it be repeated by the Priest's Mouth, rather than by his own. They have a Custom besides, to solemnize the Saints day that is Patron to their Church, once every Year; what time all the Neighbours of their Country and Parishes about, come in to hear Prayers said to that Saint for themselves and their Friends, and so make an Offering to the Priest for his Pains: This Offering may yield them some ten pounds a Year, more or less, as the Patron or Saint of that Church is of Credit and Estimation among them. The manner is, on this day, (which they keep Anniver∣sary for the Priest) to hire divers of his Neighbour-Priests to help him, as having more Dishes to dress for the Saint than he can well turn his hand unto. They use besides to visit their Parishioners Houses with holy Water and Perfume, commonly once a Quarter; and so having sprinkled and becensed the good Man and his Wife, with the rest of their Houshold and Houshold-stuff, they receive some Devotion, more or less, as the man is of Ability. This and the rest laid altogether, may make up for the Priest, towards his maintainance, about thirty or forty Marks a Year; whereof, he payeth the tenth part to the Bishop of the Diocess.