A FALSE PROPHET.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1741, 5 May 1913, Page 6

A FALSE PROPHET.

RUSSIAN CREDULITY. . SUFFERINGS OF DELUDED FOl,LOWERS. —■ Nothing can b? more characteristic of modern 'Russia than tlio tragi-comical ■story of (lie religious movement started by a certain l J odolian itonk named Innocent. 'I'his worthy, a Moldavian . by birth, and an ininato of tlio monastery at JJalta, a town in l'odolia, discuvei'ed 0110 day in 3910 that a certain priest, Tliecdofius Levit.sky, .who had died in lSlS.and was buried in the Theo(icsian monastery, had been a saint, and that in consequence his Lody was a mir-acle-working relic. The rumour of this startling discovery soon spread all oyer tlio neighbouring province of Bessarabia, and the monastery bccamp a place of pilgrimage and the scene of miracles, cures, and expulsions of "devils." The superiors of tlio monastery and oven the au•thoritics of the diocese at first took to tlie idea as likely to prove a sourco of revenue. Gradually, however, the thing became more serious. limoccnt was not satisfied with tlio fame of a mere discoverer, but began preaching to tlio multitude, speaking of the impending end of tho world, and of tlio approaching day of judgment. The authorities then became alarmed, but still refrained from active interference, as the preaching had the unforeseen effect of inducing tho , faithful not only to leave off drinking and smoking, but also to sell all their belongings and bring tho proceeds to the monastery. Gradually, however, Innocent becamo still bolder. Ho now proclaimed himself John the Baptist and tho prophet Elijah rolled into one, surrounded himself with a large following (predominantly female), introduced a new ritual, and worked himself up to tlio hallucination that ha was nona other than Jpsus Christ Then tho authorities decided to intervene. At first the Holy ■ Synod had an idea of-' simply unfrocking Innocent and expelling him from tho monastery, but the practical uselessncss of that measure being obvious a decision was taken to transfer him to a monastery in a distant part of Russia. Tho small monastery of Murom,' oil tho Lake of Onega, in tlio province of Olonets,. was chosen. It was also decided 1 to send down missionaries to Padolia and Bessarabia to combat tlio heresy. This was dono at tho end of last summer, but the cure proved worse than the disease, for now the faithful of Bessarabia began trooping to iUurom. Hundreds of families sold all their belongings ami set out 011 the march to the Lnko of Onega, strengthened in their faith in the new Christ by tho similarity of the sound Onega with that of Omega in tho verse' of the Apocalpse, "I am the Alpha and the Omega." By the cud of the "year quite a colony of Bessarabian 'peasants—men, women, and children—had assembled at the Jturom monastery suffering terribly from hunger, cold, and overcrowding, and 110 extiortationy on the part of tho authorities ,could prevail upon them to go away. Suddenly on February 19 tho wholo crowd, consisting of some 801) persons of both 'sexes ani ' a "' es ' "''t' l Innocent at their head, disappeared. They had set' out on foot, bare-headed, without food, lv.onev, or warm clothing, and singing psalms, towards tho nearest railway station, some 225 miles distant, in order to lake' the train for tho "Sew Zion." A line and cry was instantly raised, and when the crowd entered the . province of Archangel it was met by a detachment of constabulary and escorted to the nearest town, where Ihe.v were taken in chargo bv the police. ll'urn than 20 children had perished during (.-lie inarch from hunger and frosl, and over 50 men and women had at once to bo taken to the hospital for amputation of frost-bitten limbs and general mcdical assistance. Innocent himself was placed under arrest, and ho will now not only be unfrocked, but. also proceeded against for blasphemy and even for lese majeste, for ho had been declaring that there would be no longer any Tsars in Russia, but himself, and that nil the Icings 011 earth would bo subject to him except those of China and Japan.—'"Manchester Guardian."