Appended Note on the
Eastern Editions of Synodical Literature.
————————————
From
the presses of the East,
especially those at Athens, a number of editions more or less complete
of the Greek text of the Canons of the Ecumenical and of the Local
Councils have been issued, and the notes of Balsamon, Zonaras, and
Aristenus have been added in some cases. Professor Bolotoff
writes however that so far as Greek literature on the subject is
concerned, with the exception of purely topographical researches in the
environs of Constantinople, it is simply putting into Greek what was
originally in German.
The Russian Church has done somewhat more and as will be
seen from the following table, some attempts have been made at
providing scholia, but when the scheme of this present work was shewn
him, Professor Bolotoff said: “We have nothing analogous to
this undertaking in Russia.” The learned professor remarks
that all the best Russian literature upon the subject is contained in
magazine articles, especially those of Professor Zaozersky of the
Moscow Theological Academy, and of Professor A. S. Pavloff, of the
University of Moscow; he mentions also the latter’s article in
the
Orthodox Review
, and adds that “An Essay on a Course
of Church Legislation,” by Joann Smolensk (St. Petersburg, 1851)
should be referred to.