CONCILIATION.
One point has been gained in the mere fact of the imperial minute
having drawn a distinction between things which may be thought and
things which may be done. The right of holding a particular article of
faith stands on a different ground to the right of preaching that
article of faith in open day. The first is private, and concerns one's
self; the second is public, and concerns the general weal. What is
private only may be left to conscience; what is public must be always
subject to the law.
The ministers have come to see that every man has a right to think for
himself about his duty to God; and under their directions the police
have orders to leave a man alone, so long as he refrains from exciting
the public mind, and disturbing the public peace. In fact, the
Russians have been brought into line with their neighbors the Turks.
In Moscow a man is now as free to believe what he likes as he would be
in Stamboul; though he must exercise his liberty in both these cities
with the deference due from the unit to the mass. He must not meddle
with the dominant creed. He must not trifle with the followers of that
creed; though his action on other points may be perfectly free. Having
full possession of the field, the Church will not allow herself to be
attacked; even though it should please her to fall on you with fire
and sword.
In Moscow, a Mussulman may try to convert a Jew; in Stamboul, an
Armenian may try to convert a Copt; but woe to the Mussulman in Russia
who tempts a Christian to his mosque, to the Christian in Turkey who
tempts a Mussulman to his church! As on the higher, so it stands on
the lower plane. The right of propagand lies with the ruling power. In
Russia, a monk may try to convert a dissenter; the dissenter will be
sent to Siberia should he happen to convert the monk. A rule exactly
parallel holds in Turkey and in Persia, where a mollah may try to
convert a giaour; but the giaour will be beaten and imprisoned should
he have the misfortune to convert the mollah.
Some men may fancy that little has been gained so long as toleration
stops at free thought, and interdicts free speech. In England or
America that would seem true and even trite; but the rules applied to
Moscow are not the rules which would be suitable in London or New
York. The gain is vast when a man is permitted to say his prayers in
peace.
One day last week I came upon striking evidence of the value of this
freedom. Riding into a large village, known to me by fame for its
dissenting virtues, I exclaimed, on seeing the usual Orthodox domes
and crosses--"Not many dissidents here!" My companion smiled. A moment
later we entered the elder's house. "Have you any Old Believers here?"
"Yes, many."
"But here is a church, big enough to hold every man, woman, and child
in your village."
"Yes, that is true. You find it empty now; in other times you might
have found it full."
"How was that? Were your people drawn away from their ancient rites?"
"Never. We were driven to church by the police. When God gave us
Alexander we left off going to mass."
"Was the persecution sharp?"
"So sharp, that only four stout men lived through it; never going to
church for a dozen years. When Nicolas died, the police pretended that
we had only those four Old Believers in this place; the next day it
was suspected, the next year it was known, that every soul in it was
an Old Believer."
All these dissenting bodies are political parties, more or less openly
pronounced; and have to be dealt with on political, no less than on
religious grounds. Rejecting the State Church, they reject the
Emperor, so far as he assumes to be head of that Church. A State
Church, they say, is Antichrist; a devil's kingdom, set up by Satan
himself in the form of Nikon the Monk. So far as Alexander is a royal
prince they take him, and even pray for him; but they will not place
his image in their chapel; they refuse to pray for him as a true
believer; and they fear he is dead to religion, and lost to God.
The Popular Church contends that since the reign of Peter the Great
every thing has been lawless and provisional. Peter, they say, was a
bastard son of Nikon the Monk; in other words, of the devil himself.
The first object of this child of the Evil One being to destroy the
Russian people, he abandoned the country, and built him a palace among
the Swedes and Finns. His second object being to destroy the Russian
Church, he abolished the office of Patriarch, and made himself her
spiritual chief.
The consequences which they draw from these facts are instant and
terrible; for these consequences touch with a deadly sorcery the
business of their daily lives.
Since Satan began his reign in the person of Peter the Great, all
authorities and rules have been suspended on the earth. According to
them, nothing is lawful, for the reign of law is over. Contracts are
waste; no trust can be executed; no sacrament can be truly held; not
even that of marriage. Hence, it is a matter of conscience with
thousands of Old Believers, that they shall not undergo the nuptial
rite. They live without it, in the hope of heaven providing them with
a remedy on earth for what would otherwise be a wrong in heaven. And
thus their lives are passed in the shadow of a terrible doom.
The absence of marriage-ties among the best of these Old Believers is
not the most frightful evil. So far as the men and women are
concerned, the case is bad enough; but as regards their children, it
is worse. These children are regarded by the law as basely born. "By
the devil's law," say the Old Believers sadly; but the fact remains,
that under the Russian code these "bastards" do not inherit their
fathers' wealth. In other states, an issue might be found in the
making of a will, by which a father could dispose of his property to
his children as he pleased. But an Old Believer dares not make a will.
A will is a public act, and he disclaims the present public powers.
The common course is, for an Old Believer to _give_ his money to some
friend whom he can trust, and for that friend to _give it back_ to his
children when he is no more.
The Emperor, studying remedies for these grave disorders among his
people, has conceived the bold idea of legalizing in Russia the system
of civil marriage, already established in every free country of
Europe, and in each of the United States. A bill has been drawn, so as
to spare the Orthodox clergy, as much as could be done. The Council of
State is favorable to this bill; but the Holy Governing Synod,
frightened at all these changes, refuse to admit that a "sacrament"
can be given by a magistrate; and a bill which would bring peace and
order into a million of households is delayed, though it is not likely
to be sacrificed, in deference to their monastic doubts.
"What else would you have the Emperor do?" I ask a man of confidence
in this Popular Church.
"Do! Restore our ancient rights. In Nikon's time the crown procured
our condemnation by a council of the Eastern Churches; we survive the
curse; and now we ask to have that ban removed."
"You stand condemned by a council?"
"Yes; by a deceived and corrupted council. That curse must be taken
off our heads."
"Is the Government aware of your demands?"
"It is aware."
"Have any steps been taken to that end?"
"A great one. Alexander has proposed to remove the ban; and even the
Synod, calling itself holy, has consented to recall the curse; but we
reject all offers from this band of monks; they have no power to bind
and loose. The Eastern Churches put us in the wrong; the Eastern
Churches must concur to set us right. They cursed us in their
ignorance; they must bless us in their knowledge. We have passed
through fire, and know our weakness and our strength. No other method
will suffice. We ask a general council of the Oriental Church."
"Can the Emperor call that council?"
"Yes; if Russia needs it for her peace; and who can say she does not
need it for her peace?"