The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-28
THE DUKHOBORTSI.
Fuller Information Concerning Their
"Quakerism."


| To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal
L observe Newton A. Trueblood's letter in
the Journal of the 21st inst giving results
of his search, which he intimates was so
| nearly fruitless as to the title of the Dukho-
| bortsi to the name of Russian Quakers."
lie joins us in regretting the shortness of
information from which he could draw con-
corning their belief, the best cycopedias be-
ing silent except the International, which
contains some shreds of information likely
to have been derived from Russian reports
or hostile sources. The reporter-Iike make
up also of his quotation from the New York
Sun is evident, and is characterized by
visitor who knows that people much more
directly as case where a news-gatherer
must do up as best he may the subject he
mas to present somehow. BY outsiders
churches have received snap descriptions
before ad absurdum. Stutified present
ments concerning the English Quakers for
long time outmatched these about the
Dukhubors No present established religious
denomination in our land would hand
itself over for a day to an outside purveyor
of news as an exponent of it's system or
teaching.
But one thousand of those martyrs Of
peace in the Caucasus having already been
put to death by different processes of Rus
sian officials, besides numbers imprisoned
or sent to Siberia their case, whatever their
creed or whatever their title to be fellow
beings of ours, has become in Russia one
OF life or death. 1t transcendS in claims on
humanity ali rumors from unsympathetic
sources possible to be collected by whatever
! column writer's. The gist of their offense is,
that they stand where Christians of the
early church of the first three centuries did
in this one saying: II am Christian, and
| therefore cannot fight"
Though they represent some distinct
Quaker" principles or tenets, l am not
favorable to representing those so-called
Observation-Disclosures, or many others nearer
home that bear our name, as entitled to be
called by IT. AS an officer in this religious
society could not give my voice to receive
one of that prosecuted people into member
ship as a sufficient representative of our
doctrines. Some of these they conspicuously
have: others they lack, and they have sew
eral practices inconsistent with our, and, l
believe, did they but know it, with their own
| religious principles also. But the portions
of their belief, like those which the Friends,
or 'Quakers," have so long profesSed, are
| these:
That 'the spirit of God, present in the
soul Of man, directs him by His word with
In His spirit alone can true worship be
made.
That Jesus Christ is the word of God.
That His true baptism is of the spirit.
The external baptism, or what Peter called
the putting away of the filth of the flesh,"
is not the baptism which now saveth."
The communion of the body and blood
OF Christ in the form of bread and wine
ali times of the sacred. life-giving, eternal
sacramento in the forgiveness of their sins
spiritually through the inward acceptance
of the word of God. which is Christ''-"the
true bread which cometh down from heaven
and giveth life unto the world
Fasting is with them a matter of absti-
from lnSfC nd Gin
ally, and not ceremonial Withholding from
permissible. Wars do not proceed from the
spirit of Christ, and to learn war no more
is the duty of His followers.
Their official or adopted name is Chris
tians OF the Universal Brotherhood" Ayl-
mer Maude, who Is now representing their
among us to speak from personal knowl-
edge, asserts that the article in the New
York Sun is, in general effect misinforma-
the divinity of Christ. our Savior. Vladimir
Tchertkoff's work entitled Christian Mar
worthy authority, have gathered the above
items of creed, says: They believe that ex-
cept through God and Christ there is no
ing in three personifcations of the One and
Unutterabe." "A Christian. they say. is one
%hO Seswss in 1s Christ TRd us the
edge Christs coming in the flesh, His works,
teaching and suffering, but they chiefly ac-
firm that all contained In the gospel should
be accomplished in themselves
The prominent place in which they hold
conduct and character for salvation has
seemed to eclipse from their view the doc
trine known under the name of "the atone
ment'-so far as 1 can find any expression
of it that would be satisfactory to the
orthodox society OF Friends and the other
churches called evangelical Regretting this
omission as do, regret likewise the prac-
teal disowning of so precious doctrine
from the lives Of | dare say, majority of
those whom we would not exclude from
American citizenship.
! could also addilce crudities and un-
quakerlike modes and proceedings in their
forms of worship. But none of these things,
so that they have kept their heart upifted
to higher life in the spirit have prevented
their being a much-admred people among
their surrounding neighbors, even among
Mohammedans who learned to reverence
their characters, as perhaps the represent
atives of some of the ancient and forgotten
Mohammedan virtues"
An English visitor says: after going
away from the Dukhobortsi, and living
again among a. people like myself I could
not help noticing the difference between
them and US; the weakness, the confusion
irtoxication. the constant dissatisfaction
of which We live. However much we may
talk of the Christian life. among all of us
there is feeling of distrust in the possi-
bility Of all people living in unity, and
acknowledging as guide their higher con-
seriousness only. Hence our distrust
in the welfare of life like that of
Dukhobortsi. Seeing them. it became clear
TO me that all their welfare all their
strength, lies in the fact that they have
planted both their feet upon that road on
which We put one foot and then draw it
back. We have all but one thing to
do and that is to step intellectually on to
that same road" AS he doubtless means
by this absolute conformity 10 the witness
of the Divine Spirit, he upholds right
standard
The project to induce a portion of the
Dukhobortsi TO come to Idaho is urged by
the transportation agent of an important
railway line. whose policy. as he personally
told me. is to COLOMBO their line of travel
with those sects of the more Quaker-like
conscience. and of spiritual tendencies -
which they have found the surest to de-
velop the prosperity of a country and to
bring profitable business to their railways
JOHN II. DILLINGHAM;
Philadelphia II Mo-. "a.
The meeting place of the Sunday school
superintendent Of the city for tonight has
nln.a