Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-05-27
"'Love is not love, which alters
When it alteration finds, ,"
A Peculiar Religious Sect.

The Russian government, says tn
Pail Mall Gazette, has been unsuccess
full hitherto in its attempts to stamp ou
religious sect known as the Skoptzi
or "white doves" the chief tenet o
whose faith is the duty of celibacy
1t is not very long since large numbe
of these people, including their chief
Koudrine, were put upon their trial
which exceeded in length, if not in in
terest, that of the unhappy noble
man to whom reference is occasionally
made in the House of Commons anC
now a fresh association of Skoptzi has
been discovered in southern Russia, ano
800 of their number are about to be
tried at Simpheropol. The strength oi
this sect is to he found in the wealth
of several of it's most Jealous adherents,
and in the mingled ignorance and su.
perstition of the people among whom
converts are sought.
To illustrate this combination of two
not very attractive qualities, the st.
Petersburg Journal mentions case re-
Gently tried at the Moscow assizes. A
peasant, accused of numbering an old
woman who was upon pilgrimage, was
asked by the Judge why he had COM
mitted the crime, and replied that he
was driven to it by hunger. The Judge
pointed out that the provisions which
the victim had in her basket were not
touched, upon which the prisoner ex-
claimed, in quite an indignant tone +:
"Do you take me for heathen9 It
was Friday, and you surely don't sup
pose I should eat meat on that day9" It
is upon imaginations such as these that
the Skoptzi fwork, and the number of
conversions which they effect is so great
that the government is getting alarmed
as to their progress.
Each section has its prophet, who pre-
sides at the religious meetings, which
are not held upon any fixed day or at
any particular place, in order the more
effectually to elude discovery. The SER
vice takes place at night, and COM
mences by the singing of hymns COM
posed by the prophet and committed to
heart by his congregation. Men and
women take it in turns to sing, after
which they dance until they are ex.
hausted. The Greek church they con-
slider to be the receptacle of every sort
of sin, and is termed by them the
"Ohurch of Babylon )" but some of the
Russian emperors, including Paul I. and
Alexander l., and also the Empress
Elizabeth, are claimed as members of
their sect and raised to the rank of
saints. They reject the sacraments, and
express their opinions of priests by the
saying that ample sleeves-the Russian
priests wear them very large-hide
deceitful mind.
Neophytes are only admitted after the
celebration of elaborate rites, chief
among which are invocations to their
saints. and especially to Akoulina Evan.
ovna, their Holy Virgin. After this
singing and dancing take place, as at
the ordinary religious meetings, the
prophet puts on white stockings, and,
with Bible in his hand, prays for
strength to work miracles. He then
tells different members of the congfega-
tion what fate is in store for them.
These doctrines may seem more ludi-
crous than baneful; but they are said
to be accompanied by other practices of
the grossest immortality.