A defense of the Russian Church's Old Moscovite tradition. Ioakim, patriarch from 1674 to 1690, favored the Greek direction of the Church and opposed the Old Believers and other Church reformers or schisms.

Author, title and date of publication given within text on both sides of first preliminary leaf.

Signatures: pi² [Church Slavic A-Ld]⁸ [i.e. 1-34⁸].

Text printed on laid paper in Church Slavic characters in Cyrillic uncial style, single column, 15 lines, with catchwords and occasional marginalia. Headings, some initials, some text, and illustrations (depicting the cross and methods of making the sign of the cross) are printed in red. Woodcut head-pieces begin initial sections of main text.

This copy bound in contemporary brown leather over wooden boards; elaborate tooling and stamping both front and back. Traces of original brass-and-leather clasps present. Ink inscriptions on pastedowns include a plea for the Lord's mercy. Belonged to Professor and Mrs. Karl H. Menges.

In Russian Church Slavic. Leaves are numbered in upper right corners with Church Slavic (Cyrillic) characters.