a prayer for each other's
safety we likewise dispersed in all directions, to seek places of
shelter and concealment from our enemies. The large forests, the thin
population, the rocks and caves of that region afforded us abundance of
facilities for this object. Many of us reached such places of safety as
I have described and the freemen were able to remain concealed, but the
serfs were hunted up like wild beasts and brought back to their owners.
Many were put to the torture, to make them betray those who had assumed
what was called the new faith. Day after day some of our members were
seized. The freemen were cast into prison and put to the torture, to
compel them to deny their faith or to accuse others of following it.
Our beloved brother, Captain Martineff, had hitherto escaped, but now he
was accused of professing the new doctrines. He was seized and brought
up before the officers of a commission appointed to try all such
delinquents. He, who had ever proved a faithful soldier to his generals
and the Emperor, was not now to be found false to his faith and his
heavenly Lord and Master. He at once boldly confessed that he had taken
the Bible as his rule and guide, that by that he would stand or fall;
and he demanded that he might have the right of explaining and defending
his doctrines in public court. This liberty was scornfully denied him.
He was condemned for being guilty of desiring to subvert the Government
and religion of the country, and thrown into prison. He would at once
have been transported to Siberia, but the Government hoped by keeping
him to discover others who held the same tenets. They little knew how
far the true faith had spread, that thousands already held it, and that
no power of theirs could extinguish the light thus kindled. They
dreamed not also of the fortitude and courage of which a true Christian
is capable. Captain Martineff would neither betray others nor deny his
own faith. It was determined to break his proud spirit, as it was
called, and now commenced a system of the most cruel persecution against
him. His property was confiscated, his wife and children were seized
and cast into dungeons separate from each other. They were fed on black
bread and water. One by one they were brought to him and cruelly
flogged before his eyes. He saw them growing thinner and thinner every
day, the colour fading from their cheeks, the hue of sickness taking its
place. He knew they were sinki