Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - XV. Later Sects
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be numbered by hundreds of thousands. As a body the
Stundists have no fixed creed, but hold what are usually known as
the evangelical doctrines common to Protestants in Western
Europe.
A large proportion hold Baptist views with regard to that
sacrament; the large majority adopt the Quaker’s attitude to
military service and swearing, and all are much less
formalistic and dogmatic than most Western Protestants. They lay
the greatest emphasis on the practical side of Christianity.
Their services resemble those of the early Christians, and they
maintain no special clergy; “elders” are appointed instead.
They do, however, sometimes support missionaries.
The Stundists also have in many cases formed themselves
into communities for the purpose of putting into practice more
thoroughly the principle of Christian brotherhood, but they
retain the institution of private property.
They have been and are still persecuted by the Russian
Government in the most barbarous manner, on the flimsiest
and most absurd pretexts, such as “favouring the German
Emperor,” “being Socialists,” &c. They are at present
“deprived of all rights,” and treated accordingly.
To give some idea of the way in which these inoffensive
Christians are treated both by the authorities and the Orthodox
mob, we give some letters and documents out of a pile in our
possession that would in itself make a complete volume.
Mention has already been made of a letter from a Stundist
peasant which Count Tolstoi read to me (p. 63). Here it is:—
“...You wish to hear from me, and I will now briefly
tell jou some of my last experiences. A few miles from the
city of Kursk lives a brother in Christ who owns a small
piece of land. We wished to live together, and I therefore
moved to him, and got part of his land, about four acres; on
this I sowed different kinds of corn, which soon began to grow
and ripen. We wished, as I said, to live together, and now
rejoiced over God’s blessing on our labour; but then a storm
broke over our heads.
“On July 15th we began very early to cut the corn. After
breakfast my brother went to the house, and I began to sharpen
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