,P>T #af 

#ahhbahhb 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,LEO ,TOL/OY 

,TEXT 3 

,& ,I CEAS$ TO D\BT1 & BECAME FULLY CONV9C$ ?AT NOT ALL 
WAS TRUE 9 ! RELIGION ,I HAD JO9$4 ,=M]LY ,I %\LD HAVE SAID 
?AT IT WAS ALL FALSE1 BUT ,I C\LD NOT SAY SO N[4 ,! :OLE ( 
! PEOPLE POSSESS$ A KN[L$GE ( ! TRU?1 = O!RWISE !Y 
C\LD NOT HAVE LIV$4 ,MOREOV]1 ?AT KN[L$GE WAS ACCESSIBLE TO 
ME1 = ,I HAD FELT IT & HAD LIV$ BY IT4 ,BUT ,I NO LONG] D\BT$ 
?AT !RE WAS ALSO FALSEHOOD 9 IT4 ,& ALL ?AT HAD PREVI\SLY 
REPELL$ ME N[ PRES5T$ ITSELF VIVIDLY BE=E ME4 ,& ?\< ,I 
SAW ?AT AMONG ! PEASANTS !RE WAS A SMALL] ADMIXTURE ( ! 
LIES ?AT REPELL$ ME ?AN AMONG ! REPRES5TATIVES ( ! 
,*UR*1 ,I /ILL SAW ?AT 9 ! PEOPLE'S BELIEF ALSO FALSEHOOD WAS 
M+L$ ) ! TRU?4 

,BUT :]E DID ! TRU? & :]E DID ! FALSEHOOD COME FROM8  
,BO? ! FALSEHOOD & ! TRU? W]E CONTA9$ 9 ! SO-CALL$ 
HOLY TRADITION & 9 ! ,SCRIPTURES4 ,BO? ! FALSEHOOD & ! 
TRU? HAD BE5 H&$ D[N BY :AT IS CALL$ ! ,*UR*4 

,& :E!R ,I LIK$ OR NOT1 ,I WAS BR\<T TO ! /UDY & 
9VE/IGATION ( !SE WRIT+S & TRADITIONS - :I* TILL N[ ,I 
HAD BE5 SO AFRAID TO 9VE/IGATE4 

,& ,I TURN$ TO ! EXAM9ATION ( ?AT SAME !OLOGY :I* ,I 
HAD ONCE REJECT$ ) SU* CONTEMPT AS UNNECESS>Y4 ,=M]LY IT 
SEEM$ TO ME A S]IES ( UNNECESS>Y ABSURDITIES1 :5 ON ALL SIDES 
,I WAS SURR\ND$ BY MANIFE/ATIONS ( LIFE :I* SEEM$ TO ME CLE> 
& FULL ( S5SE2 N[ ,I %\LD HAVE BE5 GLAD TO ?R[ AWAY :AT 
W\LD NOT 5T] A HEAL? HEAD1 BUT ,I HAD NO:]E TO TURN TO4 ,ON 
?IS TEA*+ RELIGI\S DOCTR9E RE/S1 OR AT LEA/ ) IT ! 
ONLY KN[L$GE ( ! MEAN+ ( LIFE ?AT ,I HAVE F\ND IS 
9SEP>ABLY CONNECT$4 ,H[EV] WILD IT MAY SEEM TOO MY FIRM OLD 
M9D1 IT WAS ! ONLY HOPE ( SALVATION4 ,IT HAD TO BE C>EFULLY1 
ATT5TIVELY EXAM9$ 9 ORD] TO UND]/& IT1 & NOT EV5 TO 
UND]/& IT AS ,I UND]/& ! PROPOSITIONS ( SCI5CE3 ,I DO 
NOT SEEK ?AT1 NOR CAN ,I SEEK IT1 KN[+ ! SPECIAL *>ACT] ( 
RELIGI\S KN[L$GE4 ,I %ALL NOT SEEK ! EXPLANATION ( 
EV]Y?+4 ,I KN[ ?AT ! EXPLANATION ( EV]Y?+1 LIKE ! 
COMM5CEM5T ( EV]Y?+1 MU/ BE CONCEAL$ 9 9F9ITY4 ,BUT ,I 
WI% TO UND]/& 9 A WAY :I* WILL BR+ ME TO :AT IS 
9EVITABLY 9EXPLICABLE4 ,I WI% TO RECOGNIZE ANY?+ ?AT IS 
9EXPLICABLE AS BE+ SO NOT BECAUSE ! DEM&S ( MY REASON >E 
WRONG 7!Y >E RI<T1 & AP>T FROM !M ,I CAN UND]/& 
NO?+71 BUT BECAUSE ,I RECOGNIZE ! LIMITS ( MY 9TELLECT4 ,I 
WI% TO UND]/& 9 SU* A WAY ?AT EV]Y?+ ?AT IS 
9EXPLICABLE %ALL PRES5T ITSELF TO ME AS BE+ NECESS>ILY 
9EXPLICABLE1 & NOT AS BE+ SOME?+ ,I AM UND] AN >BITR>Y 
OBLIGATION TO BELIEVE4 

,?AT !RE IS TRU? 9 ! TEA*+ IS TO ME 9DUBITABLE1 BUT 
IT IS ALSO C]TA9 ?AT !RE IS FALSEHOOD 9 IT1 & ,I MU/ F9D 
:AT IS TRUE & :AT IS FALSE1 & MU/ DIS5TANGLE ! ONE FROM 
! O!R4 ,I AM SETT+ TO WORK UPON ?IS TASK4 ,:AT ( FALSEHOOD 
,I HAVE F\ND 9 ! TEA*+ & :AT ,I HAVE F\ND ( TRU?1 & TO 
:AT CONCLUSIONS ,I CAME1 WILL =M ! FOLL[+ P>TS ( ?IS 
WORK1 :I* IF IT BE WOR? IT & IF ANYONE WANTS IT1 WILL PROBABLY 
SOME DAY BE PR9T$ SOME:]E4 

7,S\RCE3 ,A ,CONFESSION1 BY ,LEV ,NIKOLAYEVI* ,TOL/OY1 ,DI/RIBUT$ BY ! ,TOL/OY ,LIBR>Y ,ONL9E1 ,FIR/ DI/RIBUT$ 9 ,RUSSIA 9 #a#h#h#b1 FIR/ PUBLI%$ 9 #a#h#h#d47 

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