279. Беседа пред присягою дворянства Московской губернии к избранию в должности

(Spoken in the Chudov monastery on January 7; printed in the Works of the Holy Father, in the Gubernia Vedas of 1853 and in the collection of 1861) Do not be ashamed of the face of man, for this is the judgment of God (Deut. 1:17). The sight of a host of noble men gathered to elect for themselves guardians of order and servants of justice invites important reflections. What a struggle is the subject of election to public office among other peoples! With struggle, and sometimes with anxiety, they achieve the goal of legitimizing the right to elect the public. Then it begins, and then subsides, then a new struggle is resumed, now for the expansion, now for the limitation of this right. The incorrect expansion of the right of public election is followed by its incorrect use. It would be difficult to imagine it probable if we had not read in foreign news: that electoral votes are for sale; that for those seeking election, the voters express their honor or lack of honor not only with affirmative or negative votes, but also with stones and stones, as if a man could be born from a beast, from the fury of passions a rational deed; that the ignorant make a distinction between people in whom state wisdom should be discerned, the lawless participate in the election of future participants in legislation, the villagers and artisans argue and cast their votes, not about who could well keep order in the village or in the society of artisans, but about who is capable of governing the state. Thank God! Not so in our blessed fatherland. Autocratic power, according to the God-given model: “I will plant from the fruit of your womb on your throne” (Ps. 131:11) - established on the age-old law of heredity, once, in a time of impoverished heredity, renewed and strengthened on the previous basis by a pure and reasonable election, stands in inviolable steadfastness, and acts in calm grandeur. Subjects do not think of seeking the right to elect to public office, out of the confidence that the authorities are in every possible way concerned about the common good, and understand better than they do, through whom and how to arrange it. The government, out of free goodwill and trust in its subjects, grants them the right to choose the public, assigning it such limits within which it can be used wisely and for the benefit of society. So, it seems, I’m not dreaming, but I’m entering into a true understanding of the matter when it seems to me that the supreme power is telling you, noble men: origin from families that have been predominantly revered since ancient times and the merits of your ancestors, and yours, have formed of you a chosen class, distinguished by special advantages, in the state. Your class, like any other, requires order and improvement characteristic of it; has affairs that actually belong to him and his members. For this there must be people who, with prudence and experience, would lead certain departments of it and carry out its affairs. In addition to this, matters of public decency and local justice may require assistance from your jealousy, from your education and from your observation of your own benefit, because they concern, among other things, people whose welfare is entrusted to your hereditary care, and partly serves your well-being. Looking at each other in a certain, not very wide circle, you can know who can correctly satisfy which of the above requirements. So, in accordance with these requirements, choose from among yourself people who would justify the trust bestowed, maintain the dignity of your class, benefit society, who would continue to prove that the nobility and excellence heard in your honorary titles express not a superficial shine, but a living and active light emanating from the depths of the soul. For such to be the success of your chosen election, this is, without a doubt, what you yourself desire. But it happens that someone who shoots at a target, even with the desire for success, and with knowledge of this matter, does not hit the target: and this is because his eye, and hand, and attention are not quite accurately united in the pursuit of the goal, but noticeably, or inconspicuously, are entertained by extraneous directions. Something similar can happen to a voter. The goal to which his attention and desire should be directed is the mental and moral dignity in those elected. But if he allows himself to be entertained by some extraneous views, which are represented by the personalities of those seeking election, then it can easily happen that the electoral ball will miss the dignity, like an arrow misses the target. To prevent such failure, you need to take special attention and firmly adhere to the rule of prudence and truth, proposed by the world's first legislator: “be not ashamed of the face of man, for God is the judgment.” I do not think that any of you would reject this rule with the objection that it is prescribed for judges, and not for voters. However, to avert any doubt, I note that the voter, at the time of election, is also a judge. The judge judges the truth of the right, whether it really exists, in order to justify, and the guilt of the guilty, in order to condemn. The voter judges the merit of those nominated for election, whether they really have it in order to decisively elect. So, voter, it is true that Moses says to you: “Do not be ashamed of the face of man, for this is the judgment of God.” A “human face” appears and says to the voter: “I am your relative, I am your friend; will you really deny me your electoral vote?” Or: “I need to take a place in public service, support me in my election so that I can arrange my well-being.” – What do you think, voter? Do you think that it is a shame to refuse, although you see the highest inner dignity in other persons than in these? - Yes, “be not ashamed of a man’s face.” The Tsar, who honors you as an elector with his trust, God, who sees and accepts your vow to act correctly in your election, demands from you not your relatives, not your friends, not people seeking their own benefits, but worthy and useful to society. “See for yourselves among all people strong men who fear God, righteous men who hate pride” (Ex. 18:21). The voter's concern should not be about pleasing individuals, but about maintaining the common good, which largely depends on what kind of people are entrusted with public positions. Only heavenly societies consist of good and perfect members, which are therefore not subject to any disorder. Earthly human societies consist of good people, to varying degrees, and unkind people, also not to the same degree. And for society, of course, it does not matter which of these two elements is stronger and more active than the other. The Word of God sometimes represents water as an image of human society, as it is written by the Seer of Mysteries: “the waters ... are people and peoples” (Rev. 17:15). Let us use this image to glean the truth from it. Water, although there is silt in it, is clean when it lies at the bottom: but when by some improper movement the silt rises up, all the previously pure water loses the appearance of purity and becomes cloudy. Similarly, human society, although there is a part of unkind people in it, is pure, splendid and prosperous, when this unfortunate element lies at the bottom, when unkind people, justly humiliated in the general opinion, do not achieve power, honor and influence on others: but when the unkind element rises upward, when unkind people achieve power, honor and influence on others, then they muddy both clean water and good people, or with their influence they lead into temptation, or with their strength they subject them to difficulties and sorrows, and, growing in strength, they harm the whole society. The creator of Proverbs said about this: “People will rejoice over those who are righteous, but men will lament over the rulers of the wicked” (Prov. 29:2). That is: when good people are given justly their due honor and influence in society; this is joy and happiness for all people: but if the unkind are given authority; This is grief and misfortune for everyone. “Praise the righteous,” give power through election to pious, wise, honest people: and “the people will rejoice” and the most humane Autocrat himself. Amen. You might be interested in: