"Why," begantheelder, "allthesesentencestoexilewithhardlabor, andformerlywithfloggingalso, reformnoone, andwhat'smore, deterhardlyasinglecriminal, , for, althoughtheobnoxiousmemberismechanicallycutoffandsentfarawayoutofsight, anothercriminalalwayscomestotakehisplaceatonce, , eveninourtime, anddoesregenerateandtransformthecriminal, -doingasasonofaChristiansociety—thatis, oftheChurch—thatherecognizeshissinagainstsociety—thatis, , andnotagainsttheState, , asaChurch, hadjurisdiction, , butonlythepowerofmoralcondemnation, , , totheholysacrament, giveshimalms, , OLord, ifeventheChristiansociety—thatis, theChurch—weretorejecthimevenasthecivillawrejectshimandcutshimoff? WhatwouldbecomeofhimiftheChurchpunishedhimwithherexcommunicationasthedirectconsequenceofthesecularlaw? Therecouldbenomoreterribledespair, atleastforaRussiancriminal, , whoknows, perhapsthenafearfulthingwouldhappen, perhapsthedespairingheartofthecriminalwouldloseitsfaithandthenwhatwouldbecomeofhim? ButtheChurch, likeatender, lovingmother, holdsalooffromactivepunishmentherself, asthesinneristooseverelypunishedalreadybythecivillaw, , aboveall, becauseitsjudgmentistheonlyonethatcontainsthetruth, , theysay, rarelyrepents, fortheverydoctrinesofto-dayconfirmhimintheideathathiscrimeisnotacrime, (soatleasttheysayofthemselvesinEurope) accompaniesthisexclusionwithhatred, forgetfulness, , italltakesplacewithoutthecompassionateinterventionoftheChurch, forinmanycasestherearenochurchesthereatall, forthoughecclesiasticsandsplendidchurchbuildingsremain, , , , butthedifferenceisthatbesidestheestablishedlawcourtswehavetheChurchtoo, , thereisstillpreserved, thoughonlyinthought, thejudgmentoftheChurch, whichthoughnolongerexistinginpracticeisstilllivingasadreamforthefuture, andis, nodoubt, , thatis, thatifthejurisdictionoftheChurchwereintroducedinpracticeinitsfullforce, thatis, ifthewholeofthesocietywerechangedintotheChurch, notonlythejudgmentoftheChurchwouldhaveinfluenceonthereformationofthecriminalsuchasitneverhasnow, , inrestrainingthosewhoplanevil, ," saidFatherZossima, withasmile, "theChristiansocietynowisnotreadyandisonlyrestingonsomesevenrighteousmen, butastheyareneverlacking, , sobeit! Eventhoughattheendoftheages, foritisordainedtocometopass! Andthereisnoneedtobetroubledabouttimesandseasons, forthesecretofthetimesandseasonsisinthewisdomofGod, inHisforesight, , maybytheDivineordinancebecloseathand, , sobeit!"
