"That'sinevitableinanycase," Ivanlaughedagain."TheoldmanhastoldHimHehasn', inmyopinionatleast.'AllhasbeengivenbyTheetothePope,' theysay, 'andall, therefore, isstillinthePope'shands, , atleast.' That'showtheyspeakandwritetoo—theJesuits, .'HastThoutherighttorevealtousoneofthemysteriesofthatworldfromwhichThouhastcome?' myoldmanasksHim, andanswersthequestionforHim.'No, Thouhastnot; thatThoumayestnotaddtowhathasbeensaidofold, 'sfreedomoffaith; foritwillbemanifestasamiracle, , "Iwillmakeyoufree"? ButnowThouhastseenthese "free"men,' theoldmanaddssuddenly, withapensivesmile.'Yes, we'vepaiddearlyforit,' hegoeson, lookingsternlyatHim, ', 'soverforgood? , to-day, peoplearemorepersuadedthaneverthattheyhaveperfectfreedom, ? WasthisThyfreedom?' "
"Idon'tunderstandagain," Alyoshabrokein."Isheironical, ishejesting?"
"Notabitofit! HeclaimsitasameritforhimselfandhisChurchthatatlasttheyhavevanquishedfreedomandhavedonesotomakemenhappy.'Fornow' (heisspeakingoftheInquisition, ofcourse) '; andhowcanrebelsbehappy? Thouwastwarned,' hesaystoHim.'Thouhasthadnolackofadmonitionsandwarnings, butThoudidstnotlistentothosewarnings; , fortunately, , ThouhastestablishedbyThyword, Thouhastgiventoustherighttobindandtounbind, andnow, ofcourse, , then, hastThoucometohinderus?' "
"Andwhat'sthemeaningof 'nolackofadmonitionsandwarnings'?" askedAlyosha.
"Why, that'sthechiefpartofwhattheoldmanmustsay.
" 'Thewiseanddreadspirit, thespiritofselfdestructionandnon-existence,' theoldmangoeson, 'thegreatspirittalkedwithTheeinthewilderness, andwearetoldinthebooksthathe "tempted" ? AndcouldanythingtruerbesaidthanwhatherevealedtoTheeinthreequestionsandwhatThoudidstreject, andwhatinthebooksiscalled "thetemptation"? Andyetiftherehaseverbeenoneartharealstupendousmiracle, ittookplaceonthatday, , andthatwehadtorestorethemandtoinventthemanew, andtodosohadgatheredtogetherallthewisemenoftheearth—rulers, chiefpriests, learnedmen, philosophers, poets—andhadsetthemthetasktoinventthreequestions, suchaswouldnotonlyfittheoccasion, butexpressinthreewords, threehumanphrases, thewholefuturehistoryoftheworldandofhumanity—dostThoubelievethatallthewisdomoftheearthunitedcouldhaveinventedanythingindepthandforceequaltothethreequestionswhichwereactuallyputtoTheethenbythewiseandmightyspiritinthewilderness? Fromthosequestionsalone, fromthemiracleoftheirstatement, wecanseethatwehaveheretodonotwiththefleetinghumanintelligence, , asitwere, broughttogetherintoonewhole, andforetold, , sincethefuturewasunknown; butnowthatfifteenhundredyearshavepassed, weseethateverythinginthosethreequestionswassojustlydivinedandforetold, andhasbeensotrulyfulfilled, thatnothingcanbeaddedtothemortakenfromthem." 'JudgeThyselfwhowasright—ThouorhewhoquestionedTheethen? Rememberthefirstquestion; itsmeaning, inotherwords, wasthis: "Thouwouldstgointotheworld, andartgoingwithemptyhands, withsomepromiseoffreedomwhichmenintheirsimplicityandtheirnaturalunrulinesscannotevenunderstand, whichtheyfearanddread—? Turnthemintobread, andmankindwillrunafterTheelikeaflockofsheep, gratefulandobedient, thoughforevertrembling, lestThouwithdrawThyhandanddenythemThybread." ButThouwouldstnotdeprivemanoffreedomanddidstrejecttheoffer, thinking, whatisthatfreedomworth, ifobedienceisboughtwithbread? , andallwillfollowhim, crying, "Whocancomparewiththisbeast? Hehasgivenusfirefromheaven!" DostThouknowthattheageswillpass, andhumanitywillproclaimbythelipsoftheirsagesthatthereisnocrime, andthereforenosin; thereisonlyhunger? "Feedmen, andthenaskofthemvirtue!" that'swhatthey'llwriteonthebanner, whichtheywillraiseagainstThee, ; theterribletowerofBabelwillbebuiltagain, andthough, liketheoneofold, itwillnotbefinished, yetThoumightesthavepreventedthatnewtowerandhavecutshortthesufferingsofmenforathousandyears; , hiddenundergroundinthecatacombs, , "Feedus, forthosewhohavepromisedusfirefromheavenhaven'tgivenit!" Andthenweshallfinishbuildingtheirtower, , , never, nevercantheyfeedthemselveswithoutus! , andsaytous, "Makeusyourslaves, butfeedus." Theywillunderstandthemselves, atlast, thatfreedomandbreadenoughforallareinconceivabletogether, fornever, neverwilltheybeabletosharebetweenthem! Theywillbeconvinced, too, thattheycanneverbefree, fortheyareweak, vicious, , but, Irepeatagain, canitcomparewithearthlybreadintheeyesoftheweak, eversinfulandignobleraceofman? AndifforthesakeofthebreadofHeaventhousandsshallfollowThee, whatistobecomeofthemillionsandtensofthousandsofmillionsofcreatureswhowillnothavethestrengthtoforegotheearthlybreadforthesakeoftheheavenly? OrdostThoucareonlyforthetensofthousandsofthegreatandstrong, whilethemillions, numerousasthesandsofthesea, whoareweakbutloveThee, mustexistonlyforthesakeofthegreatandstrong? No, , , becausewearereadytoendurethefreedomwhichtheyhavefoundsodreadfulandtoruleoverthem—, , forweshallbeforcedtolie.
