THE

CONGREGATIONAL MAGAZINE.

JANUARY, 1843.

ACCOUNT OF THE DISSENTERS IN RUSSIA,

PARTICULARLY OF THE DUEHOVNEE CHRISTIANEE, OR SPIRITUAL

CHRISTIANS.

CHAPTER I.

Incident-Subbotnikee-Duehobortzee-Duchovnee Christianee-Letter by a Dignitary of the Greek Church-Conversation between another Dignitary and three of the Duehobortzee in May 1792.

THE Molokanns of Russia were first brought before the attention of British Christians by the following incident, which occurred many years ago. A party of friends, having gone from St. Petersburg one summer, to visit the romantic scenery at a waterfall in Finland, could find no proper lodgings in a neighbouring village, where it was necessary that they should pass the night. There was no inn, and the huts of the peasantry could afford no separate accommodation for the ladies of the party. They learned, however, that there was a house consisting of two apartments, which was not far distant. It belonged to the Stavist, or peasant-magistrate; and he, with his wife, was from home, but he had left the key in the custody of one of the villagers. They easily obviated a few objections made to their sleeping there; but they had scarcely obtained possession, and made their arrangements for the night, when the Stavist and his wife returned, and expressed great displeasure on finding their house filled with strangers; they soon, however, consented that the party should occupy the better apartment, and they, the kitchen. With this arrangement the host appeared to be satisfied, but, after a time, he was overheard complaining of the inconvenience to which he was subjected. This induced one of the party to go out and pacify him by the gift of a few religious tracts. With these the man was delighted; and his guest, seeing his joy, hastened to bring and present to him a New Testament. When the man opened the volume, and saw what it was, he exclaimed, with joy beaming in his countenance, "Oh!

this will so please my Cossacks!" "What!" said his guest, "have you Cossacks here?" "Yes! and fine fellows they are," was the reply. "What brought them here?" "They were banished to this place many years ago on account of their religion. Now they are forgotten, and here they remain." "Indeed!" said the guest, "I should like to see them."

Most of them were then labouring at a distance from the village, and the tourist could not await their return; but he learned that some of them were employed as gardeners at Wybourg, through which city he had to pass on his return home, and he obtained information where they were to be found.

On arriving at Wybourg, he sent for one of the Cossacks. A tall, intelligent-looking person soon presented himself as such. They entered into a lengthened conversation, and, to the delight of the party, a scriptural and satisfactory reply was given to every question they proposed. At length, one of them said, "Well, brother, you have been a long time in this part of the country; do you know anything about your ancestors?" "Oh yes," said the man, "we know all about them; we are the descendants of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego;" intimating that, as these men had been cast into the fiery furnace for refusing to fall down and worship the golden image set up in the plains of Dura, so had they been exiled for refusing to join in what they considered the idolatrous observances of the dominant church. He was then asked, "Do you then never go to church?" Turning to the interrogator with a piercing look, he said, "I am sure you are not so foolish as to suppose that a thing made of wood, and mortar, and bricks can be a church. Our Saviour hath declared Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them;' such is the church we attend." He was then informed of what was doing in England and in other countries, for the spread of the truth. His delight was extreme, and he said, "We have long been expecting Jesus Christ to gather his people out of all nations, but did not expect that it was likely to be so soon accomplished. Let me go home to tell my friends the good news. They will greatly rejoice with me."

A full account of all that passed was prepared, and presented to an influential nobleman, who burst into tears on perusing it, and availed himself of the first opportunity to lay it before his majesty, the late Emperor Alexander. He listened to it with deep interest, and exclaimed, "Oh! that I had men about me who would tell me the truth! I never knew that these poor men were exiled on account of their religious sentiments." He ordered inquiry to be made after all who were suffering for the same cause. About three hundred individuals, it is said, were recalled from banishment, and a grant made to them of some rich land on the shores of the Sea of Asoph. Thither they removed; and there the little one became a thousand, and the small one a strong nation.

As no records are kept of their numbers or transactions, it is difficult to procure statistical information concerning this interesting people. The late Emperor Alexander ordered a return of their numbers a short time before his death; and I was informed by one of them that there were then about 40,000 Molokanns, and that they were all peasants or serfs.

The term Molokann is generally applied to them by their countrymen as a term of reproach, like the English designations, Methodist and Quaker. It may be rendered milk-eater; and it is applied to them because they do not abstain from milk, cheese, butter, and other animal food, on those days on which the other Russians fast. It is applied indiscriminately to three distinct bodies; viz. the Subbotnikee, the Duchobortzee, and the Duchovnee Christianee.

The Subbotnikee, or Saturday people, are so called from their keeping the seventh day of the week as the Sabbath, from which circumstance they have also been called Russian Jews. They hold Unitarian sentiments, and reject the New Testament Scriptures. They are not numerous, and they do not appear to have had any connexion with the other two bodies, excepting that, like them, they are called Molokanns, and they do not disclaim the designation.

The Duchobortzee, or Spiritual Wrestlers-a designation adopted by themselves and the Duchovnee Christianee, or Spiritual Christians, called also Voskresenkee or Sunday-people, on account of the strictness of their morals, were formerly one body.

I have been unable to ascertain at what time the division took place, but I learned from one of the Duehovnee Christianee, that it is reported amongst them, that at one of their meetings for worship many years ago, there were present two old men, both of whom were well acquainted with the Scriptures. One of these, hoping to become a leader amongst his brethren, attempted to persuade the assembly that the Scriptures were of no use-as the Spirit of God would teach men their duty if they only waited his suggestions. When he sat down, the other arose, and endeavoured to prove that the Scriptures afford the only safe rule of conduct: it being easy to prove them inspired by the Spirit of God, but difficult to apply any satisfactory criterion to the alleged leading of the Holy Spirit, A keen controversy ensued; several who were present adopted the sentiments of the former speaker, and many members of the body afterwards embraced the same opinions. Some of these having fallen into immoral practices, the other party considered that it was owing to their erroneous sentiments on the subject in dispute, and refused to associate any longer with those by whom such sentiments were held. The party objecting to the use of the Scriptures, then appropriated the designation Duchobortzee; but they objected at the same time to the exclusive claim preferred by the other party, to the designation Duchovnee Christianee. One or both