What will happen to you, beloved Fatherland, in the midst of this agitation of the peoples and the Babylonian settlement of kings? Will you become a land of victory? Or will you divide up universal slavery? On the throne of Russia will sit a good and righteous tsar; But what is the meaning of goodness and righteousness in the face of power and wickedness? Should a young confidant of wisdom fight with a giant of battle?.. *****

Almost the whole world thought so; so judged even those who most desired salvation from Severus. The future ways of God are as far from the ways of men as heaven is from earth. And what about the proud enemy? Going from victory to victory, he did not even think that there was a place anywhere on earth for his defeat. In a frenzy of pride, he even dared to say that the lot of Russia had been fulfilled.

Thus, son of pride, this glorious lot has been fulfilled! The great hour of fate has come! Everything bowed down before thee, as long as only men, with their strength and wisdom, acted against thee; now fall into the dust yourself, for the Lord has reigned... put on... and girded up (Psalm 92:1)!

Here, most venerable listeners, it would be fitting to depict before you how the greatest of God's judgments was done to the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) and to his minions, how the wisdom of the wise was destroyed and the strength of the mighty was crushed, how in the name of God alone smote thousands and ten chased away darkness, how the very elements fought (fought for truth, helped - ed.) the truth.

It was one of those great times in which, according to the prophet, they did not have to teach their neighbor... saying, "Know the Lord, for having been taught by terrible signs, all have known Him, from a little... unto the great (Jeremiah 31:34).

Thus, O Lord, we have seen and all tongues have seen, that Thou art the Lord, and that there is nothing like Thee; Thou shalt kill and live; in Thy hand is the strength of nations, and the strength of kingdoms; Thou exaltest the humble, and destroyest the thrones of the proud; Thou hast crowned Russia with universal glory, thou hast made her blessed monarch Alexander the firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. For to Thee alone is due glory for ever!

Thy processions have been seen, O God, the processions of my God the King, Who is in holiness!

And does not the fate of the Fatherland present clear signs of blessing from above? - Did not the difficult experiments with which Providence loves to visit the peoples pleasing to Him, apparently turn to the greater strengthening and glory of Russia? Are not the destinies of kingdoms already decided by the wave of the autocratic sceptre? Do not proud enemies, in a moment of their weakness, find salvation in our generosity? Is not the great scroll of laws and justifications unbent before the eyes of all the sons of the Fatherland? Do new rights and distinctions crown the diligence of civilians? Does not the Holy Church rejoice at the increase in the assembly of supreme pastors and at the return to the bosom of her lost children? The future is known to God alone, but the true sons of the Fatherland already see with joy that the Lord will not slumber, but will fall asleep lower (Psalm 120:4).

Thou shalt be, dear Fatherland, and thou shalt always behold the miracles of God's Providence, but do not blind thy eyes with unbelief and doubts! Kings and peoples will not cease to turn their eyes to you, and to observe with respect your every gesture; malice and sedition will not cease to tremble at your very name; science and art with all their fruits will hasten under your bright and spacious roof; nature itself will open its bowels and entrust you with new treasures and mysteries - only be what you have been until now - keep intact the ancient pledge of faith in the King of Heaven and loyalty to the kings of the earth, and do not approach the forbidden tree of unbelief and mad liberty! It seems good to eat, pleasing to the eye, to see and to be beautiful... (Gen. 3:6), but within it is death and destruction. Do not forget that the appearance of the Lord, who is beneficent, is often preceded by fire and storm (3 Kings 19:11-12).

In such a case, fall down with humility before inscrutable destinies, but do not dare, never dare to sing the ways of God, and the glory of the Lord will be seen upon you! Remember how the processions of God's Providence are accomplished (Psalm 77 and 14). Therefore, first and foremost, try to adorn yourself with innocence of morals and truth. Without holiness, no one anywhere will see the Lord, neither kings nor nations, neither on earth nor in heaven (Heb. 12:14). Amen.

* This refers to the abolition of the Patriarchate under Peter I and the establishment of the Most Holy Governing Synod. The approval of these transformations by St. Innocent should be attributed only to his diplomatic gifts. (Ed.)

** Although Catherine II continued Peter I's policy towards the Church, abolishing 252 monasteries "as unnecessary" and allowing 161 to live on donations, the partitions of Poland objectively forced her to act in favor of Orthodoxy. From 1781 to 1783 alone, about 120,000 people voluntarily left the union imposed on them and returned to the bosom of the Orthodox Church. In 1794, Catherine II issued a decree permitting the free accession of all Uniates to the Russian Church, at the same time guaranteeing complete immunity to the Orthodox, Catholics, and Unites. And these guarantees were strictly observed! By the end of the reign of the empress, about two million people left the union, returning to the Orthodox faith; the only Uniate cathedra in the western regions was Polotsk. (Editor's note)

We are talking about the codification of laws carried out in 1767-1769 by the Laid Commissions. (Ed.)