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54 Russia’s People and Their Neighbors
her rulers. Russia, though trying to play the part of a liberal country
v , before the west, still remains despotic and still bears the deep mark
of Tartar domination.
The Slavs Need Freedom in Christ
We believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing that can
produce real and lasting reforms in the heart of a nation.
We have spoken of the fact that the Teutons pushed the Slavs east-
ward in the course of the centuries, and it appears that the Slavs
during the wars with their western neighbors were so often taken
prisoners and in such great numbers, and were sold on the market for
slaves, and this is the way their very name of Slavs gave rise to the
word slaves. Slave is thus derived from Slav and is practically the
same word.
American Christians! you know the power of the Gospel of Christ.
"I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God
unto salvation to every one that believeth." Do you realize that most
of the Russian Slavs are not yet free? They are still bondmen of sin.
Will you help to make the slaves free? You can do so by sending them
the Gospel of our Saviour! for it is written: "Ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free." Help to make them free! It is
not enough that they be made free politically. Not enough that they
be freed from the oppression of a despotic government, or from the op-
pression of capital, or from the enslavement of their conscience to the
claims of an arrogant priesthood—but they must be made free from
sin and from all its consequences.
Early Missionary Experiences
I have just referred to Count Alexis Tolstoi, and would mention the
name of another member of that numerous family, Count Dimitry
Tolstoi, a typical Russian official of the last century, a typical bureau-
crat, who would come up to you with a smile and with courteous man-
ners which he had learned from the Court of London or Paris, but with
a dagger in his heart.
It was thirty-five years ago. My friend, the Rev. N. F. Hoijer, who
is sitting before me now, and myself were young men, zealous in preach-
ing the Gospel and in winning souls to Christ. Mr. Hoijer was sent by
the Swedish Missionary Board. He lived in St. Petersburg and he and
his wife were anxious to help unfortunate girls, who had gone wrong
but who wanted now to earn their living by honest labor. He and Mrs.
Hoijer had rented a flat in the same building where they lived and had
taken in several girls under the training of a Christian lady who taught
them sewing and fancy work. As such women were always provided
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