The Kingdom of God Is Within You | Page 2

that his destructive criticism
of the present social and political RÉGIME will become a powerful
force in the work of disintegration and social reconstruction which is
going on around us. Many earnest thinkers who, like Tolstoi, are
struggling to find their way out of the contradictions of our social order
will hail him as their spiritual guide. The individuality of the author is
felt in every line of his work, and even the most prejudiced cannot
resist the fascination of his genuineness, sincerity, and profound
earnestness. Whatever comes from a heart such as his, swelling with
anger and pity at the sufferings of humanity, cannot fail to reach the
hearts of others. No reader can put down the book without feeling
himself better and more truth-loving for having read it.
Many readers may be disappointed with the opening chapters of the
book. Tolstoi disdains all attempt to captivate the reader. He begins by
laying what he considers to be the logical foundation of his doctrines,
stringing together quotations from little-known theological writers, and
he keeps his own incisive logic for the later part of the book.
One word as to the translation. Tolstoi's style in his religious and
philosophical works differs considerably from that of his novels. He no
longer cares about the form of his work, and his style is often slipshod,
involved, and diffuse. It has been my aim to give a faithful
reproduction of the original.
CONSTANCE GARNETT. January,1894

PREFACE.

In the year 1884 I wrote a book under the title "What I Believe," in
which I did in fact make a sincere statement of my beliefs.
In affirming my belief in Christ's teaching, I could not help explaining
why I do not believe, and consider as mistaken, the Church's doctrine,
which is usually called Christianity.
Among the many points in which this doctrine falls short of the
doctrine of Christ I pointed out as the principal one the absence of any
commandment of non-resistance to evil by force. The perversion of
Christ's teaching by the teaching of the Church is more clearly apparent
in this than in any other point of difference.
I know--as we all do--very little of the practice and the spoken and
written doctrine of former times on the subject of non- resistance to evil.
I knew what had been said on the subject by the fathers of the
Church--Origen, Tertullian, and others--I knew too of the existence of
some so-called sects of Mennonites, Herrnhuters, and Quakers, who do
not allow a Christian the use of weapons, and do not eater military
service; but I knew little of what had been done. by these so-called
sects toward expounding the question.
My book was, as I had anticipated, suppressed by the Russian
censorship; but partly owing to my literary reputation, partly because
the book had excited people's curiosity, it circulated in manuscript and
in lithographed copies in Russia and through translations abroad, and it
evolved, on one side, from those who shared my convictions, a series
of essays with a great deal of information on the subject, on the other
side a series of criticisms on the principles laid down in my book.
A great deal was made clear to me by both hostile and sympathetic
criticism, and also by the historical events of late years; and I was led
to fresh results and conclusions, which I wish now to expound.
First I will speak of the information I received on the history of the
question of non-resistance to evil; then of the views of this question
maintained by spiritual critics, that is, by professed believers in the
Christian religion, and also by temporal ones, that is, those who do not

profess the Christian religion; and lastly I will speak of the conclusions
to which I have been brought by all this in the light of the historical
events of late years.
L. TOLSTOI. YASNAÏA POLIANA, May 14/26, 1893.

CONTENTS.
I. THE DOCTRINE OF NONRESISTANCE TO EVIL BY FORCE
HAS BEEN PROFESSED BY A MINORITY OF MEN FROM THE
VERY FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIANITY
II. CRITICISMS OF THE DOCTRINE OF NON-RESISTANCE TO
EVIL BY FORCE ON THE PART OF BELIEVERS AND OF
UNBELIEVERS
III. CHRISTIANITY MISUNDERSTOOD BY BELIEVERS
IV. CHRISTIANITY MISUNDERSTOOD BY MEN OF SCIENCE
V. CONTRADICTION BETWEEN OUR LIFE AND OUR
CHRISTIAN CONSCIENCE
VI. ATTITUDE OF MEN OF THE PRESENT DAY TO WAR
VII. SIGNIFICANCE OF COMPULSORY SERVICE
VIII. DOCTRINE OF NON-RESISTANCE TO EVIL BY FORCE
MUST INEVITABLY BE ACCEPTED BY MEN OF THE PRESENT
DAY
IX. THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE CHRISTIAN CONCEPTION OF
LIFE WILL EMANCIPATE MEN FROM THE MISERIES OF OUR
PAGAN LIFE
X. EVIL CANNOT BE SUPRESSED BY THE PHYSICAL FORCE
OF THE GOVERNMENT--THE MORAL PROGRESS OF

HUMANITY IS BROUGHT ABOUT NOT ONLY BY INDIVIDUAL
RECOGNITION OF THE TRUTH BUT ALSO THROUGH