"Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall grow up in his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD.

It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD, and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule upon his throne. And there shall be a priest by his throne, and peaceful understanding shall be between them both.

And the crown shall be in the temple of the LORD..." (Zechariah 6:12-14)

"Assembled Lords, can anyone stop anybody from reading the Holy Bible, whether by Orthodox Christians, or by any human being?"

"Holy Father, would you give us an answer to honorable Count Kutuzov's question?"

"It is as impossible to stop the sun from traversing the sky, for the moon to give its light, to stop the stars from shining. It is impossible to stop anybody from reading the Word of God."

"Then it is impossible to stop these people (the Molokans) from reading the Holy Bible, where they will find a path and build a strong foundation for their faith."

"It is also required that your Highness give us your opinion on this matter."

"I decree an open manifesto, mercy for the Dukhobors and the Molokans."

"Lords, you read in the Holy Scriptures, in the Gospels of Jesus Christ, that in the beginning He came to Hebrews. And how did He treat them, in a harsh and violent manner, or did He treat them with love, and in the spirit of humility?

As you all know, as the Savior of the world, He treated them with compassion. He made a call to all mankind:

‘Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon yourself and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart. And in me, you will find rest for your souls.' (Matthew 11:28-29)

The Apostle Paul writes:

‘Who, being (Jesus Christ) in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God....took upon himself the form of a servant.' (Philippians 2:6-7)

We, as Orthodox Christians, should conduct ourselves likewise, with tolerance, not persecuting such people. We should entice them into our Orthodox Church. 

Harsh torture, violence, beatings, and all kinds of offensive measures were inflicted upon the Dukhobors and Molokans for thirty years, with constant persecution and all kinds of violence [brutality] and imprisonment. Our prisons were overflowing with such people, for the offense of reading the Word of God. This is how my deceased Grandmother Ekaterina Alekseivna (Catherine the Great, 1762-1796), treated them. She punished them by exiling them to Siberia, to Arkhanghelsk, and to Volghoghrad. She put them into dark cells. In the Tambov region, one official beat two of them to death. The fear of death was not a deterrent for them. Just the opposite happened. More and more followers joined them'."

I the Tsar, order to inform all military and all officials of the civil government not to interfere or hinder their beliefs. In their work order* to the government, in obedience to the Tsar, the higher throne or rural authorities, these people are not to be physically beaten.  [* "Work order" probably refers to the repair of bridges, roads, etc., "pro bono" by the people in the vicinity of such a project. If the work was not done in a timely fashion, the workers were severely beaten.]

Orthodox Christians are to endure such punishment, just as our redeemer left such an example for His followers.'"

"Your Highness, your high command allows freedom of religion for those that existed from early time. What about those who left the Orthodox Church recently? Should we not return them to church and bring them to repentance, so as not to give opportunity for others to leave the Orthodox Church?"

"Yes, Honorable Sergei Vasili'evitch, from your advice, it is clear that you have very small concern as to what the Word of God teaches, or to give protection to these unfortunate people. Your personal and only concern is that you have many who would leave the Orthodox Church.

You have them in the Nizhneghorodskoi Province, in the village of Raskazov. In my travels throughout Russia, it became known to me that the majority of such people do exist in Tambovskoi, Saratovskoi and Orenburskoi Provinces. Also here and in their other provinces."

"Our great Lordship and all the Lords comprising this committee, can anyone stop the flow of River Neva? Who can stop it, during its swift current? Likewise, it is impossible to stop God's work. Look and what happened during Christ's and the Apostolic time, how hard the Jews tried to stop the way to the Lord. It did not succeed, and in the end, they themselves were destroyed by the Roman sword. Let us remember what the Priest Gamaliel said, 'Anything that is of God, no one can destroy.' In the end, we will be remembered as wrestlers against God."

"Honorable Monarch! Great Lord! And all Lords in session! Listen to the words of Jesus Christ, who spoke to the people: 'If the end did not come to Israel, we would not have had salvation.'

This is also in agreement with the Prophet Amos and the Apostle James. We must understand as to what is happening in our time, that God has begun His work within the lower class of people. Just as it was with the Israelites, when they were poor (in Egypt). Even the Savior Himself prayed to the Father in heaven and earth said:

 'It was the will of the heavenly Father. We must understand this, my Lordship and all Lords! It is up to us today, to show an apostolic, true way to Christ, to these lower class of people.'"

July 17, 1805

"How do you interpret the Holy Scriptures? And how do you pray? How do you  sing psalms? Do you adhere to your submitted Articles of Faith? You explain  that to us here, personally."

"Your Imperial Majesty, we pray for your indulgence to hear us on what we have to say."

"You are granted to explain as to what your sect believes."

"We believe with all of our hearts, without a doubt, in the Word of God that was proclaimed by ancient prophets, by apostles and by the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, as it is written in the Holy Scriptures. We gladly accept these books.

We try as, best as we are able, to learn from it about our salvation. We truly keep to what is written in them. The foundation of our faith is based on the Word of God. We believe and confess only one God, Who is expressed in three personages. All three personages are as One. God did not derive from anyone. He is self existing. Who is all. He is everlasting, He is unseen. Who exists in unapproachable light. He is All Seeing and Ruler of all.

We believe that the triune God created everything by His Word, the heavens, the earth, unincarnated spirits that we call Angels. Some angels that remained committed to the Creator, they became angels, archangels, cherubims and seraphims.

We believe that the first man, Adam, was created in a perfect image and likeness of God. Likeness does not mean to a physical form. God does not have a physical body. The image of God is within our souls, in a pure mind, to live within God's will.

The first man, Adam, was deceived by a serpent and did him evil. For disobeying God's command not to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Adam fell. In this manner, Adam destroyed his own image and likeness of God. For that, goodness and sweetness of the Garden of Eden was denied to him. Because of that sin, he brought upon himself labor, sickness, misery and finally death.

The true God saw Adam's misery, his tears and his poor state of being, being without the blessed garden. In His compassion, God promised that He would, from the seed of a woman, send a Redeemer, who would bruise the head of the serpent who tempted Adam, and once again restore the image and likeness of God (within mankind).

This Savior of the world was none other than God's only begotten Son, who, in the appointed time, left the glorious heaven, and came to this earth. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, became the God-man, lived among the people, was baptized by John, taught, preached, died on the cross for the sins of the world, paid for the price with his blood. He tasted death for all. On the third day he rose again, and after forty days, he appeared to his disciples. Being witnessed by his gathered disciples, he ascended into heaven and sat down on the right hand of God the Father, who exists in all incomprehensible glory. Soon afterwards, God sent the Holy Spirit upon His Holy Apostles. With that, He established and sanctified His Holy church that correctly believed.

At the end of the age, our Lord Jesus Christ will come back again, in all His glory, with all of His Holy angels. He will resurrect all those who died in Christ. Those who are alive will be transformed into incorruptible. He will lead all the righteous into the everlasting Kingdom that has been prepared for them. The lawless and unbelievers will be judged and sentenced to Hell."

"Your petition will be granted."