bishops, he stated that, although
he was well aware that he had himself absolute power to judge his son
for his crimes, and to dispose of him according to his own will and
pleasure, without asking advice of any one, still, "as men were
sometimes less discerning," he said, "in their own affairs than in
those of others, so that even the most skillful physicians do not run
the hazard of prescribing for themselves, but call in the assistance of
others when they are indisposed," in the same manner he, having the
fear of God before his eyes, and being afraid to offend him, had
decided to bring the question at issue between himself and his son
before them, that they might examine the Word of God in relation to it,
and give their opinion, in writing, what the will of God in such a case
might be. He wished also, he said, that the opinion to which they
should come should be signed by each one of them individually, with his
own hand.

He made a similar statement in his address to the grand council of
civil authorities, calling upon them also to give their opinion in
respect to what should be done with Alexis. "I beg of you," he said,
in the conclusion of his address, "to consider of the affair, to
examine it seriously and with attention, and see what it is that our
son has deserved, without flattering me, or apprehending that, if in
your judgment he deserves no more than slight punishment, it will be
disagreeable to me; for I swear to you, by the Great God and by his
judgments, that you have nothing to fear from me on this account.

"Neither are you to allow the consideration that it is the son of your
sovereign that you are to pass judgment upon to have any effect upon
you. But do justice without respect of persons, so that your
conscience and mine may not reproach us at the great day of judgment."

The convocation of clergy, in deliberating upon the answer which they
were to make to the Czar, deemed it advisable to proceed with great
caution. They were not quite willing to recommend directly and openly
that Alexis should be put to death, while, at the same time, they
wished to give the sanction of their approval for any measures of
severity which the Czar might be inclined to take. So they forbore to
express any positive opinion of their own, but contented themselves
with looking out in the Scriptures, both in the Old and New Testament,
the terrible denunciations which are therein contained against
disobedient and rebel