ankind from destruction; whereas the continuance of the war, however it
may end, will be a postponement of that only means of salvation.

"Yet even if this be so," it is replied, "wars can cease only when all
men, or the majority, will refuse to participate in them. But the refusal
of one man, whether he be Tsar or soldier, would only, unnecessarily, and
without the slightest profit to any one, ruin his life. If the Russian
Tsar were now to throw up the war, he would be dethroned, perhaps killed,
in order to get rid of him; if an ordinary man were to refuse military
service, he would be sent to a penal battalion and perhaps shot. Why,
then, without the slightest use should one throw away one's life, which
may be profitable to society?" is the common question of those who do not
think of the destination of their life and therefore do not understand
it.

But this is not what is said and felt by any man who understands the
destination of his life--_i.e._ by any religious man. Such a man is
guided in his activity not by the presumed consequences of his action,
but by the consciousness of the destination of his life. A factory
workman goes to his factory and in it accomplishes the work which is
allotted him without considering what will be the consequences of his
labor. In the same way a soldier acts, carrying out the will of his
commanders. So acts a religious man in fulfilling the work prescribed to
him by God, without arguing as to what precisely will come of that work.
Therefore for a religious man there is no question as to whether many or
few men act as he does, or of what may happen to him if he does that
which he should do. He knows that besides life and death nothing can
happen, and that life and death are in the hands of God whom he obeys.

A religious man acts thus and not otherwise, not because he desires to
act thus, nor because it is advantageous to himself or to other men, but
because, believing that his life is in the hands of God, he cannot act
otherwise.

In this lies the distinction of the activity of religious men; and
therefore it is that the salvation of men from the calamities which they
inflict upon themselves can be realized only in that degree in which they
are guided in their lives, not by advantage nor arguments, but by
religious consciousness.

X

"But how about the enemies that attack us?"

"Love your enemies, and ye will have none," is said in t