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bade me sit on a stone, and began asking me questions. I told
him everything without reserve. ‘I see,’ said the old man,
‘that you are unfortunate, that you are in Satan’s kingdom,
and that there you are on the road to perdition. Will you
find peace for your soul and gain the kingdom of heaven?’
‘I will.’ ‘Well, then, listen to me. I, my son, have long
sought the true faith. I have tried all religions, and have at last
come to the conclusion that it cannot be found anywhere; the
whole world is wandering in darkness. The authorities
persecute us, because they are servants of Satan or Antichrist;
the common people know not what to do.... I have therefore
determined to win God’s grace by prayer and fasting. Let
men retire to the forests and deserts to escape lies, ruin, and
Satan’s kingdom! Do you also fly from the world, fast and
pray. Then shall you understand the true faith, and peace
shall descend upon you.’
“After the conversation with the old man I passed the whole
night without a wink of sleep. He prayed all the time
kneeling upon sharp stones and pieces of broken glass. When
morning came he left his cave, dipped three times in the
stream, and bowed to north, south, east, and west.
“The old man’s speech, his long, white beard, his emaciated
body, his mild expression, his long, flowing robe, girt
about his waist by a coarse rope, his bleeding feet
and knees, made so deep an impression upon me that I
determined to become his disciple. ‘I will forsake
the world and retire to a desert place,’ I exclaimed
to myself. ‘I will pray and fast; I shall at length
find peace, and gain my soul’s salvation.” I dug out
a cave in the forest, where I settled, and imposed on myself a
strict fast, taking nothing but bread and water. Three years
passed in this manner; my fame spread through the surrounding
country, and many came to consult me concerning their soul’s
salvation. All were seeking for truth, for the true faith, for
God. With one accord all declared that Antichrist ruled the
whole world; that nowhere on earth could truth be found;
that judges and authorities committed only unrighteousness
and oppression, that they are the devil’s servants.
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