Johannites
A mystic sect who follow the tenets of the late Father John of Cronstadt, where they publish an organ, and pursue their propaganda by means of itinerant pamphlet-sellers. They are said to abduct Jewish children, and because of this rumour they have on more than one occasion come under police supervision. They have several times unsuccessfully fixed the date of the Last Judgment. They declared in Father John's life-time that all the powers of heaven had descended into Cronstadt, and were personified in the entourage of Father John. They exhorted all believers to make confession to Father John, who alone could rescue sinners from the depths of hell. The orthodox clergy would not know the Lord, but Father John would gather together in Cronstadt 144,000 of the blessed, and then "leave the earth." Another affirmation of theirs is that all children who are new-born are "little devils," who must be stamped out" immediately after birth.
The Johannites urged the people to sell all their possessions and send the proceeds to Father John, or entrust them to the keeping of the pamphlet-sellers. Evidence is forthcoming tending to show that Father John was unaware of the abuse of his name, and on one occasion, in reply to a telegram from Bishop Nikander, of Perm, he strongly repudiated any connection with certain Johannite propagandists in the Perm Government. 66