FATHER GERÁSIM. There are many who turn aside in that way. In Odessa there was a lady who was carried away by Spiritualism and began to do much harm. But all the same, God enabled us to lead her back to the Church.
PRINCESS. The chief thing, please understand, is that my son is about to marry his daughter. I have given my consent, but the girl is used to luxury and should therefore be provided for, and not have to depend entirely on my son. Though I admit he is a hard-working and an exceptional young man.
Enter Mary Ivánovna and Nicholas Ivánovich.
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. How d’you do, Princess? How d’you do? To Father Gerásim I beg your pardon. I don’t know your name.31
FATHER GERÁSIM. Do you not wish to receive my blessing?
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. No, I don’t.
FATHER GERÁSIM. My name is Gerásim Sédorovitch. Very pleased to meet you.
Men-servants bring lunch and wine.
FATHER GERÁSIM. Pleasant weather, and good for the harvest.
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. I suppose you came, at Alexándra Ivánovna’s invitation, to divert me from my errors and direct me in the path of truth. If that is so, don’t let us beat about the bush, but let us get to business at once. I do not deny that I disagree with the teaching of the Church. I used to agree with it, and then left off doing so. But with my whole heart I wish to be in the truth and will at once accept it if you show it to me.
FATHER GERÁSIM. How is it you say you don’t believe the teaching of the Church? What is there to believe in, if not the Church?
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. God and His law, given to us in the Gospels.
FATHER GERÁSIM. The Church teaches that very law.
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. If it did so, I should believe in the Church, but unfortunately it teaches the contrary.
FATHER GERÁSIM. The Church cannot teach the contrary, because it was established by the Lord himself. It is written, “I give you power,” and, “Upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. That was not said in this connection at all, and proves nothing. But even if we were to admit that Christ established the Church, how do I know that it was your Church?
FATHER GERÁSIM. Because it is said, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. That, too, was not said in this connection, and proves nothing.
FATHER GERÁSIM. How can one deny the Church? It alone provides salvation.
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. I did not deny the Church until I found it supported everything that is contrary to Christianity.
FATHER GERÁSIM. It can make no mistakes, for it alone has the truth. Those who leave it go astray, but the Church is sacred.
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. I have already told you that I do not accept that. I do not accept it because, as is said in the Gospels, “By their deeds shall ye know them, by their fruit shall ye know them.” I have found out that the Church blesses oaths, murders and executions.
FATHER GERÁSIM. The Church acknowledges and sanctifies the Powers ordained by God.
During the conversation, Styópa, Lyúba, Lisa and Tónya at different times enter the room and sit or stand listening.
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. I know that the Gospels say, not only “Do not kill,” but “Do not be angry,” yet the Church blesses the army. The Gospel says, “Swear not at all,” yet the Church administers oaths. The Gospel says …
FATHER GERÁSIM. Excuse me. When Pilate said, “I adjure thee by the living God,” Christ accepted his oath by replying “I am.”
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. Dear me! What are you saying? That is really absurd.
FATHER GERÁSIM. That is why the Church does not permit everyone to interpret the Gospel, lest he should go astray, but like a mother caring for her child gives him an interpretation suitable to his strength. No, let me finish! The Church does not lay on its children burdens too heavy for them to bear, but demands that they should keep the Commandments: love, do no murder, do not steal, do not commit adultery.
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. Yes! Do not kill me, do not steal from me my stolen goods. We have all robbed the people, we have stolen their land and have then made a law forbidding them to steal it back; and the Church sanctions all these things.
FATHER GERÁSIM. Heresy and spiritual pride are speaking through you. You ought to conquer your intellectual pride.
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. It is not pride. I am only asking you what should I do according to Christ’s law, when I have become conscious of the sin of robbing the people and enslaving them by means of the land. How am I to Act? Continue to own land and to profit by the labour of starving men: putting them to this kind of work points to Servant who is bringing in the lunch and some wine, or am I to return the land to those from whom my ancestors stole it?
FATHER GERÁSIM. You must Act as behoves a son of the Church. You have a family and children, and you must keep and educate them in a way suitable to their position.
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. Why?
FATHER GERÁSIM. Because God has placed you in that position. If you wish to be charitable, be charitable by giving away part of your property and by visiting the poor.
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. But how is it that the rich young man was told that the rich cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven?
FATHER GERÁSIM. It is said, “If thou wouldest be perfect.”
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. But I do wish to be perfect. The Gospels say, “Be ye perfect as your Father in Heaven …”
FATHER GERÁSIM. But we have to understand in what connection a thing is said.
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. I do try to understand, and all that is said in the Sermon on the Mount is plain and comprehensible.
FATHER GERÁSIM. Spiritual pride.
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. Where is the pride, since it is said that what is hidden from the wise is revealed to babes?
FATHER GERÁSIM. Revealed to the meek, but not to the proud.
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. But who is proud? I, who consider myself a man like the rest of mankind, and one who therefore must live like the rest by his own labour and as poorly as his brother men, or those who consider themselves to be specially selected sacred people, knowing the whole truth and incapable of error; and who interpret Christ’s words their own way?
FATHER GERÁSIM offended Pardon me, Nicholas Ivánovich, I did not come here to argue which of us is right, nor to receive an admonition, but I called, at Alexándra Ivánovna’s request, to talk things over with you. But since you know everything better than I do, we had better end our conversation. Only, once again, I must entreat you in God’s name to come to your senses. You have gone cruelly astray and are ruining yourself. Rises.
MARY IVÁNOVNA. Won’t you have something to eat?
FATHER GERÁSIM. No, I thank you. Exit with Alexándra Ivánovna.
MARY IVÁNOVNA to young Priest And what now?
PRIEST. Well, in my opinion, Nicholas Ivánovich spoke the truth, and Father Gerásim produced no argument on his side.
PRINCESS. He was not allowed to speak, and he did not like having a kind of debate with everybody listening. It was his modesty that made him withdraw.
BORÍS. It wasn’t modesty at all. All he said was so false. It was evident that he had nothing to say.
PRINCESS. Yes, with your usual instability I see that you are beginning to agree with Nicholas Ivánovich about everything. If you believe such things you ought not to marry.
BORÍS. I only say that truth is truth, and I can’t help saying it.
PRINCESS. You of all people should not talk like that.
BORÍS. Why not?
PRINCESS. Because you are poor, and have nothing to give away. However, all this is not our business. Exit, followed by all except Nicholas Ivánovich and Mary Ivánovna.
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH sits pondering, then smiles at his own thoughts Mary! What is all this for? Why did you invite that wretched, erring man? Why do those noisy women and that priest come into our most intimate life? Can we not settle our own affairs?
MARY IVÁNOVNA. What am I to do, if you want to leave the children penniless? That is what I cannot quietly submit to. You know that I am not grasping, and that I want nothing for myself.
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. I know, I know and believe it. But the misfortune is that you do not trust the truth. I know you see it, but you can’t make up your mind to rely on it. You rely neither on the truth nor on me. Yet you trust the crowd — the Princess and the rest of them.
MARY IVÁNOVNA. I believe in you, I always did; but when you want to let the children go begging …
NICHOLAS IVÁNOVICH. That means that you do not rely on me. Do you think I have not struggled and have not feared! But afterwards I became convinced that this course is not only possible but obligatory, and that it is the one thing necessary and good for the children themselves. You always say that were it not for the children you would follow me, but I say that if we had no children we might live as we are doing; we should then only be injuring ourselves, but now we are injuring them too.
MARY IVÁNOVNA. But what am I to do, if I
