TOLSTOI'S REMARKABLE CREED.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 4 July 1901, Page 4

TOLSTOI'S REMARKABLE CREED.

The " Temps " night published the text of Count Leo Tolstoi's reply tn the Holy Synod. In terms of burning eloqence (says the ' Chronieio's Paris correspondent ) he exposes the arbitrary and unjustifiable character of the decree fulminated against him. On the other hand he proclaims his renunciation nf the Orthodox Church, " but not on that account " he says, "have I revolted against the Lord. " Tolstoi quotes the following extract from Coleridge ; —'* He who begins by loving Christianity better than truth will proceed by loving his own sect or Church better tban Christianity, and end in loving himself better than all." Whilst professing a firm belief in life beyond the tomb, ho repudiates the conventional conceptions of both heaven and holl. With regard to the Sacraments, he looks upon them as a species of base, common witchcraft, absolutely opposed to the idea of God and the teaching of Christ. Baptism is a corruption. The ceremony of marriage between two persons already united of their own free will, the granting of divorce?, consecrating second marriage between divorced persons are, he says, practices formally opposed to the spirit as well as the letter of the Gospel. Confession, he adds, is a dangerous illusion encouraging immorality. Extreme Unction, the use of icons and relics, prayers and ceremonies, he regards as the outcome of ignorant sorcery. Holy Communion is a deifying of the flesh contrary to Christian doctrine, and canonisation is the beginning of imposture. Tolstoi then describes his own faith, which accepts God as the principle of all tilings. " I believe (he says) He is in me, as I am in Him. I beliove that the will of Uod has never been more exactly and luminously expressed than in the doctrine of the Man Christ, but wo cannot consider Chris l ; as God and address prayers to Him without committing, in my opinion, the groatest of sacrileges. I believe the true happiness of man consists in accomplishing the will of God, which is that every man shall love his follow-mon. I believe that to progress in love there is but one means—prayer. Not public prayer in temples, which Christ expressly reproved, but the prayer of which He Himself has given example, solitary prayer, which teaches us the meaning of life and implants the conviction that we depend solely upon the will of God." Count Tolstoi concludes : " I confess, then, Christianity, and it is because I endeavour to conform my acts to my belief that I am ablo to live in peace and joy to the end,"