The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-12


capacity TO see n moral issue clearly ana
feel sure Of what s right Neither pnm-
tive Quaker nor Doukhobor rejected the
Christ executed in Judea. but TO neither
Of them was His life and death OF as fnnch
importance az "the Christ within IL 10
well known that the early Quakers gave
but secondary place TO the Bible, and the
Doukhobors on their part, most OF whom
we're quite illiterate, hardly attached I'M
portance to it, except to those portions
that had passed into the Chants or
Psalms" which they learned by heart
and used at their meetings. Our author
acknowledges that. had the inward voice
been an invention Of George Fox, and
we're il quite exceptional for men TO think
with their own heads and be guided by their
own consciences. the conclusion that the
Doukhobors sprang from Quaker origin
would be almost Irresistible. The fact is
however, that in all ages and countries
there have been men who knew that we can
in reality believe nothing but what we
see and feel to be true. and that any books,
or men. or churches we may take az authon-
ties are Oinless geography decides the
natter, after all. only selected AZ authon-
ties byus. II seems that the only ascertain
able personal connection between the
Doukhobors and the Quakers before the
recent persecution Of the former amounts
10 no more than this that English Quakers
more than once during the last century
visited the Doukhobors without, however,
protesting TO share all their views. IL
should moreover. be borne in mind that
the Ouakers have never systematically
allowed to any Of their members suoh
autocratic authority az 1t has been a CON
spiouous part of the Doukhobor polity To
accord to the Leader
Ii il impossible TO designate the exact
date when Doukhoborism appeared or 10
draw a line between the tluctuating currents
OF opinion which flowed together TO form
the sect, on the one hand. and the speclhc
doctrines of the sect itself on the other
The first Doukhobor leader whose name
can be given was Sylvan kolesnikof, OF the
village Of Nkolsk in the Government oil
Ekaterinoslaf whose activity as religious
teacher dates from about 1850 to about
ITS. He was man who could read,
rare accomplishment among the common
people in his day. and he was remarkably
well informed. His strict life and generosity
and kindness attracted people to him.
and his sermons brought conviction, both
by the suitability of his message TO his audi
ence and by his gift OF natural eloquence'
His propaganda was carried on exclusively
in the lowest stratum of the Russian popu-
lation Doukhoborism has never had any
success among the upper classes. NO
priest has ever been converted to 1t, nor
with the exception of some Cossack officers
do we hear OF any converts OF higher rank
than couple of non-commissioned officers,
a wool dealer and one or two yeomen
Kolesnikof held the doctrine that mems
souls fell before the creation OF the world,
and that we are. In fact, fallen angels.
Similar ideas were being expressed about
the same time by the French philosopher
Saint Martin. whose writings had con-
siderable currency among the educated
classes at Moscow and st. Petersburg.
One OF Kolesnikof's sayings was that, II
each man would renounce himself, there
would be neither personal sins and vices,
nor public evils and crimes Another
was Let us bow TO the God in one an
other. for we are the image of God on
earth He taught that -by the cleansing
Of repentance and the enlightenment Of
spiritual instruction. men reach the sweet
ness of union with God AT the same
time. he told his followers that, as the
| tAltInGulitN VI AFis4Oh hiV Nii'ii'fN' 'N.'N'
they might conform 20 the ceremonial
religion OF whatever province or country
/ thsy happened to be in beha wing as Cath
olics in Poland, as Orthodox in Russia. or
! as Mohammedans in Turkey or Persia
The first organizer and hierarch oil the
| Doukhobors was Ilarion Pobirohin, who
seems to have been chiefly active about
the years 1855 He was a wool dealer.
| and is said to have been man OF attractive
| character, eloquent, but strongly opinion
ated He did not consider the Bible au-
thoritative. and taught that truth Is not
in books, but in the spirit; not IN the Bible
but in the Living Book. Adopting
the Doukhobor faith. he became the recog-
nized leader in his own district -tIambon.
and made very important addition 70,
or rather perversion Of, their doctrines.
Not content with recognizing himself to
be a son OF God, like others. inspired suf-
ficiently by the Holy Spirit to enable him
TO discern his duty and progress toward
| perfection he claimed 10 be Christ. Ills
arrogance does not appear to have shocked
his followers He proceeded to establish
a theocratc despotism. Twelve apostles
were chosen and twelve -Death-Bearing
Angels appointed TO punish all who re-
lapsed after becoming Doukhobors. Among
ais tenets was that OF the infalhbility OF
his Church Collecting the Doukhobors OF
his district into one place, he introduced
communism among them. Toward tbs
end OF his life his self-confidence and self
assurance increased. He showed himself
proud. boastful and dictatorial in settling
questions. Ultimately he came into con-
Act with the civil authorities, was com
mitted for trial and was sent with his
children and with some of his apostles tC
live in Siberia.
Pobirohn's successor was Savely IA
poustin. the most remarkable Of all thu
Doukhobor leaders. According TO some
accounts, he was a son Of Pobirohii
and was conscripted as a punishment TO
being a Doukhobor. He was tall man
we'll built, had an imposing gait and ap
pearance. an amazing memory, great abil
ity, and a remarkable talent for oratory
His ascendancy over the Doukhobors VIII
came under his influence seems to hav
been complete According to the law o
the times. bis son would be liable to serv
in the army as he himself had done. Ba
poustin, therefore, made arrangements tina
the boy should be officially illegitimatt
For this purpose. he sent his wife back /
L.. urn 90 r,ilv thu EairnikOfa bafora tb