Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-05-27
An AristOcratic Missionary.

There is at present notable religious
excitement in Russia. 1t pervades the up
per. classes, and is, in fact, the spread of
Professionalism as opposed to the orthodox
Greek church. The apostle of this new
dispensation is said by the London Times
to be one Lord Radstock, man of forty,
who in fit of religious enthusiasm, be-
slowed his whole fortune upon the poor,
devoting himself to the spread of Chris
tianity among the upper classes. He mas
lived much on the Continent, and made
converts chiefly among Russians staying
abroad. Encouraged by his success among
our travelling countrymen, he has now
come to the Russian capital, and is desir-
Gus of converting its inhabitants to Chris
tianity. Since he has been at st. Peters
burgh, he has daily received ten or twelve
invitations to come and hold forth in aris-
tocratic saloons on the doctrines of Christ.
He has also been preaching in the Ameri-
can church, delighting numerous female
audience by sermons on Protestant truth,
delivered in the French and English Ian
guages. Wherever he shows himself at
public or private meetings, our ladies en-
treat him to teach them how to love Jesus.
To be an eyewitness of one ofthese assem-
blies opens the mind to good deal. AT
an early hour the room is filled to over
flowing with princessess and countesses.
They are all clad in black or gray, ac-
companied by their little children, and
hunger and thirst after the spiritual food
they have come to receive. Lord Radstock
first kneels down with his back to the
assembly, entreating Christ to inspire him
with fitting words. Then, rising and turn
ing round, he says, g Let us pray" an in
junction which is Immediately obeyed by
all present. After this he opens the Bible,
reading the first text upon which his eye
happens to fall, and commenting upon it
in eloquent and impressive language. The
ladies are gradually excited to the highest
pitch of religious enthusiasm. As they sit
weeping before him, they resemble so
many heather women admitted to the first
knowledge of Christ by the powerful teach
ing of St. Paul. The close ofthe discourse
is marked by loud sobbings. The fair de-
votees rise from their seats, and crowding
around the evangelist lord, thank him in
passionate terms for showing them the way
of salvation, and directing them and their
children into the paths of peace. Every
now and then it happens that one of the
children present, startled by the contrast
between the language of Lord Radstock
.tllu tIlitl Vi lllc hllSSldtll ClcIpN. dShS HIS
mother whether it is necessary to attend
the teachings of the Orthodox pastors at
all, after tins attractive experience of the for
eigners religion. Ah,'' she says, "you
had better look to the dear lord for your
future religious Instruction. Such scenes
are being enacted daily before our eyes
Are they to be deplored or not? Are they
to be lamented, or are they simply ridicu-
lous? No doubt Lord Radstock is sincere,
and deserves the highest respect for his
disinterested enthusiasm. He believes in
a Christianity of his own, and his belief is
so deep-rooted and fervent that to propa-
gate it is necessity to him. Despite all
this we cannot help thinking that if some
poor unpretending Russian priest, arrayed
in the scanty garments of his class, were
to arrive to-day at st. Petersburg in rail-
way carriage of the third class, and try
to quicken the religious susceptibilities of
our beau monde. he would not find it quite
as easy to move countesses to tears, al
though his words might be inspired with
the same sincerity and ardor as Lord Rad
stocks. Nay, we would 60 as far as to
say that the poor priest in the shabby
clothes would not be permitted to pene-
/ trate even to the ante-room of our palaces
that he would be offered an eleemosv-
nary rouble and bid to turn to the right
about in Gods name.