(uneducated persons who scarcely knew how to read) concerning a passage in some religious book which maintained that it was not a sin to put criminals to death, or to kill enemies in war. I could not believe that an assertion of this sort could be printed in any book, and I asked to see it. The volume bore the title of “A Book of Selected Prayers; third edition; eighth ten thousand; Moscow: 1879.” On page 163 of this book I read:—
“What is the sixth commandment of God?
“Thou shalt not kill.
“What does God forbid by this commandment?
“He forbids us to kill, to take the life of any man.
“Is it a sin to punish a criminal with death according to the law, or to kill an enemy in war?
“No; that is not a sin. We take the life of the criminal to put an end to the wrong that he commits; we slay an enemy in war, because in war we fight for our sovereign and our native land.”
And in this manner was enjoined the abrogation of the law of God! I could scarcely believe that I had read aright.
My opinion was asked with regard to the subject at issue. To the one who maintained that the instruction given by the book was true, I said that the explanation was not correct.
“Why, then, do they print untrue explanations contrary to the law?” was his question, to which I could say nothing in reply.
I kept the volume and looked over its contents. The book contained thirty-one prayers with instruc-
