Page 1260 - the-brothers-karamazov

life for his sheep, so that not one of them might be lost.’ Let
not a man’s soul be lost through us!
‘I asked just now what does ‘father’ mean, and exclaimed
that it was a great word, a precious name. But one must use
words honestly, gentlemen, and I venture to call things by
their right names: such a father as old Karamazov cannot
be called a father and does not deserve to be. Filial love for
an unworthy father is an absurdity, an impossibility. Love
cannot be created from nothing: only God can create some-
thing from nothing.
‘Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath,’ the apostle
writes, from a heart glowing with love. It’s not for the sake
of my client that I quote these sacred words, I mention them
for all fathers. Who has authorised me to preach to fathers?
No one. But as a man and a citizen I make my appeal — vi-
vos voco! We are not long on earth, we do many evil deeds
and say many evil words. So let us all catch a favourable mo-
ment when we are all together to say a good word to each
other. That’s what I am doing: while I am in this place I take
advantage of my opportunity. Not for nothing is this tri-
bune given us by the highest authority — all Russia hears
us! I am not speaking only for the fathers here present, I cry
aloud to all fathers: ‘Fathers, provoke not your children to
wrath.’ Yes, let us first fulfil Christ’s injunction ourselves
and only then venture to expect it of our children. Other-
wise we are not fathers, but enemies of our children, and
they are not our children, but our enemies, and we have
made them our enemies ourselves. ‘What measure ye mete
it shall be measured unto you again’ — it’s not I who say

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