ПСС. Том 64. Письма, 1887-1889 полностью

² На обратном пути из Воронежа А. А. Толстая заезжала в Ясную Поляну, где она провела 26—29 мая.

³ [Это не то слово.]

1889 г. Июня 22. Я. П.

Iasnaya Polyana

Tula, Russia

Iuly 5, 1889

Dear Sir.

I have seldom experienced so much gratification as I had in reading Mr. Ballou’s¹ treatise and tracts. I cannot agree with your opinion that Mr. Ballou «will not go down to posterity among the immortals...» I think that because he has been one of the first true apostles of the «New Time» — he will be in the future acknowledged as one of the chief benefactors of humanity. If, in his long and seemingly unsuccessful career, Mr. Ballou has experienced moments of depression in thinking that his efforts have been vain; he has only partaken of the fate of his and our Master.

Tell him please, that his efforts have not been vain, they give great strength to people, as I can judge from myself. In those tracts I found all the objections that are generally made against «non-resistance» victoriously answered and also the true basis of the doctrine. I will endeavor to translate and propagate as much as I can, the works of Mr. Ballou, and I not only hope, but am convinced, that the time is come, «when the dead hear the voice of the Son of god; and they that hear shall live».

The only comments that I wish to make on Mr. Ballou’s explanation of the doctrine, are, firstly, that I cannot agree with the concession that he makes for employing violence against drunkards and insane people, the Master made no concessions, and we can make none. We must try, as Mr. Ballou putsit, to mave impossible the existence of such persons, but if they are — we must use all possible means, sacrifice ourselves, but not employ violence. A true Christian will always prefer to be killed by a madman rather than to deprive him of his liberty. Secondly, that Mr. Ballou does not decide more categorically the question of property, for a true Christian not only cannot claim any rights of property, but the term «property» cannot have any signification for him, all that he uses, a Christian only uses till somebody does not takes it from him, he cannot defend his property, so he cannot have any. Property has been Achilles heel for the Quakers, and also for the Hopedale Community.²

Thirdly, I think that for a true Christian, the term «government» (very properly defined by Mr. Ballou) cannot have any signification and reality. Government is for a Christian only regulated violence; governments, states, nations, property, churches, — all these for a true Christian are only words without meaning; he can understand the meaning other people attach to those words, but for him it has none, just as for a business man if the ground, and regulations of the game, could have no importance or influence upon his activity. No compromise! Christian principles must be pursued to the bottom, to be able to support practical life. The saying of Christ that, «If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me», was true in His time, and is true in ours; a follower of Christ must be ready to be poor and suffer; if not he cannot be his disciple, and «non-resistance» implies it all. Moreover, the necessity of suffering for a Christian is a great Good, because otherwise, we could never know, if what we are doing, we are doing for God, or for ourselves.

The application of every doctrine is always a compromise, but the doctrine in theory cannot allow compromises; although we know we never can draw a mathematically straight line, we will never make another definition of a straight line as «the shortest distance between two points».

I will take care to send you my book on «Life» and would be very glad to know that you and Mr. Ballou approve of it.

«I amcome to send fire on the earth, and what will I, if it be already kindled?» I think that this time is coming, and that the world is on fire, and our business is only to keep ourselves burning; and if we can communicate with other burning points, that is the work which I intend to do for the rest of my life.

Many thanks for your letter, and for Mr. Ballou’s portrait and books. Please tell him that I deeply respect and love him, and that his work did great Good to my soul, and I pray and hope that I may do the same to others.

Your brother in Christ

Leo Tolstoy.

Милостивый государь.