War, Progress, and the End of History: Three Conversations: Including a Short Tale of the Antichrist. Vladimir Soloviev

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СКАЧАТЬ it hardly needs saying, very little import- ance, and I think was justified in expecting a similar attitude on the part of my "critics." As regards the other and extremely essential point the charac- teristics of the three impersonated confessions in the œcumenical council, this could be noticed and fully appreciated only by those of my critics who were acquainted with the history and life of the churches.

      The character of the false prophet given in the Revelation and his mission, as clearly indicated

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      therein, to mystify people for the benefit of Anti- Christ, made it necessary for me to attribute to him different prodigies of the kind that is peculiar to magicians and conjurers. It is known for certainty, dass zein hauptwerk ein Feuerwerk sein wird: " and he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men." Apocalypsis, xiii. 13.) At present we cannot, of course, know magic and mechanical technique of these prodigies, but we may be sure that in two or three centuries it will advance very far from what t is now, and what will be made possible by such progress for a magician like ours—is not for me to say. I have admitted to my story certain definite features and details only as concrete illustrations to the essential and fully-established relations, so that they would not be left mere bare schemes. The essential and the details should also be clearly dis- tinguished in all that I say about Pan-Mongolism and the Asiatic invasion of Europe. But, of course, the main fact itself has not in this case the absolute certainty which characterises the future coming and the fate of Anti-Christ and his false prophet. Nothing has been taken direct from the Scriptures in describing the development of the Mongolo- European relations, though a great deal of it can be based on Scriptural statements. Taken in general, the history indicated presents a series of conjec- tures of the probable based on the actual facts. Personally, I believe this probability to be very near

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      the certainty, and this appears so, not only to me, but also to many much more important personages. For the sake of coherency of the story, several de- tails had to be introduced into these considerations of the coming Mongolian menace, for which I, of course, cannot vouch, and which, on the whole, were sparingly used. The thing of much greater import- ance to me was to make the picture of the coming terrific conflict of the two worlds as realistic as pos- sible, and to show thereby the pressing necessity of peace and true friendship amongst all the nations of Europe.

      If the general cessation of war seems to me im- possible before the final catastrophe is over, I firmly believe that the closest friendship and peaceful co- operation of all the Christian nations and States is not only a possible but a necessary and morally imperative way for the salvation of the Christian world from being swallowed up by the lower elements.

      So as not to make the story too long and too com- plicated I had to leave out another conjecture of mine which deserves a few words of explanation. It seems to me that the coming success of Pan- Mongolism will be greatly facilitated by the stub- born and exhaustive struggle which some of the European countries will have to wage against the awakened Islam in Western Asia and in the North and Central Africa. A greater part than it is generally believed will be played in that awakening by the

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      secret and incessant activity of the religious and political brotherhood of "Senussi," which has for the movements of modern Mahomedanism the same directing importance as in the movements of the Buddhistic world belongs to the Tibetian brother- hood of "Kelani," in Lhasa, with all its Indian, Chinese, and Japanese ramifications. I am far from being absolutely hostile to Buddhism, neither am I particularly so to Islam. But a wilful blindness to the existing and coming state of things is too readily indulged in by many people to-day, and I might perhaps have chosen for myself a more profitable occupation.

      The historical forces reigning over the masses of humanity will yet have to come to blows and become intermingled with each other before the new head grows on the self -lacerating body of the beast: the world-unifying power of the Anti-Christ, who "will speak high-sounding and splendid words," and will cast a glittering veil of good and truth over the mystery of utter lawlessness in the time of its final revelation, so that even the chosen, in the words of the Scriptures, will be reduced to the great be- trayal. To show be forehand this deceptive visor, was my highest aim in writing this book.

      __________

      Concluding, I must express my sincere gratitude to M. A. P. Salomon, who corrected and supple- mented my topographical data of modern Jerusalem;

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      to M. N. A. Veliaminov, who communicated to me the story of the bashi-bazouk "kitchen," which he personally witnessed in 1877; and to M. M. Bibikov, who carefully examined the General's narrative in the First Discussion and pointed out some errors from the military standpoint, which have now been amended.

      Even in this amended form, however, I still feel numerous defects of the work. But not less felt is also the distant image of pale death, which quietly advises me not to put off the publication of this book to an indefinite and little secure date. Shall I be given time for new works, I shall be given it for improving the old ones as well. If not—the state- ment of the coming historical issue of the moral struggle has been made by me in sufficiently clear, though brief, outlines, and I publish this little work with the grateful feeling of a fulfilled moral duty.

       VLADIMIR SOLOVIEV.

      Easter, 1900.

      This preface was originally published in the newspaper, Russia, under the title "On the False Good." When preparing "The First Discussion" for publication as a separate volume, V. Soloviev made in the text numerous corrections. In a fateful manner, however, one of these corrections has proved unnecessary. On the advice of his friends he struck out the words which seemed to bear too personal a

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      character, viz.: " but not less felt is also the distant image of pale death, which quietly advises me not to put off the publication, etc." These words, which were only too soon justified, should remain in the amended text as it stands now.

       M. SOLOVIEV

       (Editor of the Russian edition).

      WAR, PROGRESS, AND

      THE END OF HISTORY

      I

      FIRST DISCUSSION

      Audiatur et prima pars

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

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