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Show SCARCELY CHRISTIAN Chylsts of Russia Have Strange Religious Ceremonies St Petersburg, March HO. Something Some-thing like a cyclone has recently swept through the Russian church, and near the center of It Is again the '"mad monk," Hcllodorus An end was suddenly sud-denly put to tho monk's amazing exterritoriality ex-territoriality from tho civil and ecclesiastical ec-clesiastical power. For a presumptuous presumptu-ous telogram addressed to tho ompor-or, ompor-or, accusing the holy synod of heretical hereti-cal and uncanonlcal proceeding He-HodoniB' He-HodoniB' patron, Bishop Hermogenes. was dismissed from membership In thnt body. His refusal to depart for his diocese in Saratoff led to Its being taken away from him Finally both be and Hellodorun, who had come up from TraBltsyn to wage his hattle, were exiled to remote monasteries In Grodno and Vladimir provinces. This order was enforced only after a lortnigm ot insubordination, in which Hermogenes was sustained by somo of tho most influentfal leaders of political and court circles. The personal element Ju these sensational sen-sational developments Includes u third figure. Gregory Ttasputln. a reputed "holy man" residing In Tsarkoe Selo. 'Ho, It now appears, wrr the power behlud Heliodorus. enabling the latter to7 say and do what he liked, in defiance de-fiance of tho synod, and of the whole government. The Interdict upon the press of St. Petersburg and Moscow against publishing anything about Rasputin, and the confiscation of about ten issues of different newspapers, including some as influential in ruling circles as the Novoe Vromya. and .the Golos Moskvy, Is another manifestation manifesta-tion of Rasputin's power. .His sup port was on personal grounds recently recent-ly withdrawn from Heliodorus and his group with Immediate consequences to them. RaBputin keeps as much in the background back-ground as possible. With all the slyness sly-ness of the peasant when dealing with persons In authority, Rasputin avoided avoid-ed getting into trouble with the holy synod, though he has demonstrated repeatedly that the synod la powerless power-less before him. This untutored peasant from Siberia has gained all hie power in six years. He owes his introduction in tho antc-Qhauiberjj antc-Qhauiberjj of the great to Hermogenes, Heliodorus and Theophanus, who led the ultra-reactionary movement whlcb came In the wake of the revolution. Rasputin, however, restricted himself to the religious sphere of action. Those who came near him conceived an Idea that he was a person of extraordinary spiritual experience and power. Such is the view held In the highest circles cir-cles One of the ministers of state who attempted to open the question about Rasputin during the recent stir was told that "Russia exists these six ears thanks 4o Rasputin's prayers." The dnma views tho matter differently. differ-ently. An urgent interpellation on tha censorship of the press In connection with Rasputin was adopted with but a single dissenting voice. The text of the Interpellation reproduced one of the Incriminating articles from tho Golos Moskvy challenging the holy 6 nod to call upon the author for proof that Rasputin Is a chyls.t (flagellant (flagel-lant sectarian), corrupter of bodies and souls, a sly conspirator againdt tho holy of holies, tho throne and church altar. The charge of being a chyl6t conveys con-veys a very definite meaning to the Russian ear At matins and vesuers priests of the orthodox church rarely fail to admonish their flock against the abominations of the chylsts. These sectarians, however, practice the utmost ut-most secrecy, and arc among the moat punctual of church goers. When the priest admonishes, they gToan and mutter horror of the very practices which thoy carry on in aecreL Tho chylsts now thrlvo In thirty provinces. Tho most notorious thing about them Is their religious meotlngs (called "exercises In zeal") carried on either with immunity n palaces, or under constant fear of discovery lu somo secret underground passage or out of tho way chamber. On entering the meeting room tho men put on white calico or linen shirts, reaching almost to the ground, and provided with long sleeves The mooting communes com-munes are allogorlcally called ships; the presiding prophet pilot, the sleews sails. Women put on similar shirts with the addition of a white skirt They also cover their heads' with a white kerchief, with red spangles. All worshippers hold a candle in the right hnnd and a handkerchief with red spangles In the left These handkerchiefs handker-chiefs are called nrchongel's wings. Generally all remain barefooted. If outsiders are present the service Is a formal ono of reading, diversified with singing nnd preaching. If all by them-rclves them-rclves the chylsts perform a variety of religious dances, of whlcli tho circle cir-cle Is tho supreme dcgTee, In which thev tumble and writhe in contortions, contor-tions, like madmen, beating thom-kc1vvk thom-kc1vvk on tho breaBt, pulling tho hair, sitting- down and Jumping up, beating each othor and crying, "Oh, Ghost, O .Tsar, God, Tsar, Ghost." These dances with Intervening prophesy and chants, continue till all drop on the floor exhausted. ex-hausted. In their beliefs the -chylsts are scarcelv Christian. They call Jesus Christ 'the "old Christ" in contrast to constantly manifested new 0110?. To their mysticism is ndded a-dualls-tlc view of the universe, the spirit being be-ing a good element and the flesh an evil one. Thev reject matrimony, arc total abstainers from liquors, practice vegetarianism, rarely 3raqke. practice wide democracy and benevolence, thereby attracting the humble and the needy to their fold. |