The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-16
PARLIAMENT OF RELIGIONS.
Rev. DIR. Blanchard's Sermon at Congress
Square.


VI
Rev. DR.. Blanchard preached sermon
yesterday morning to a very large con-
gregation in Congress Square church on
1.-The Worlds Parliament of Religions"
The texts were taken from the tenth and
seventeenth chapter of Acts. "Of a
truth I perceive that God is no respecter
of persons; but in every nation, he that
feareth Him and worketh righteousness
is accepted with Him. And God hath
made of one blood all nations of men,"
The lesson taught the apostle Peter by
vision was laugh the people of
America by an event. That event was
the Worlds Parliament of Religions at
Chicago. The great truth SO grandly
spoken by Paul on Mars Hill at Athens,
was nobly repeated in the.Hall Of Column
bus. They who were present believed
that whoever feared God and worked
Righteousness was accepted OF Him.
They profoundly felt that all men were
of one blood
DIR. Blanchard spoke of the two halls
in the Art Building of Columbus and OF
Washington, in which the Parliament
was held, eulogized President &C. Bon
ney for originating the Parliament, and
DR. John Henry Barrows, Presbyterian
for securing it's great success. Assisted
by Rev. DIR. Augusta Chapen, Universal
list, and by Rev. Jenken Lloyd Jones,
Unitarian, DR.. Barrows has accomplished
marvellous achievement in bringing to-
gether men from Japan, China, India,
Greece, Europe and America in the Great
Parliament.
He then dwelt at length upon the re-
suits OF. the meetings. They showed, first
of all, how the great masses of men be-
lieve in one God. Scholars say that
Shintoism of Japan and one from OF
Buddhism can hardly be called religion.
But as the great audiences united in
silent prayer and repeated the Universal
or Lords prayer, it was felt that God
was worshipped and His unity profound
ly felt.
The meetings also, showed that the
One God was regarded as the universal
Father It was thrilling to learn how all
the faiths of the world in these days
recognized the universal fatherhood OF
the one God who was above all and
through all and in all. They showed
the brotherhood of man. They who
looked on the dark features of the High
Priest Of Shintoism and of the Buddhist
priests, the yellow face of the ambassador
from China, the features OF Cardinal
Gibbons, the swarthy faces of the men,
from India, the failures Of the Arch bishop
from Greece, the black face OF the
Methodist Bishop, the white faces OF the
Protestant clergy and women on that
platform, felt, as they never did before,
how all men are brothers
They showed how Jesus of Nazareth
was exalted. Buddhist Damapharla and
noble Mozoomdar eulogized the Nazarene
The latter's s'Oriental Christ" showed
how passionate was his love of Jesus
They showed how all religions now de-
mand deeds of righteousness Cardinal
Gibbons spoke Of the parable of the
Good Samaritan as indicating the duty OF
all Christians and Prince Wolkonski told
a.story of a woman in hell and a carrot.
Cerenonials would not save. He only
who works righteousness is accepted of
God. The Parliament taught the great
lesson that all religionists now condemn
coercion of mans belief. One cannot for
get Catholic massacres zane. MussIuman
swords and Protestant cruelties. Never
theless, the Parliament showed that all,
Catholic, Mussulman and Protestant,
now condemned the use of force in
religion.
1t emphasizes, therefore, the appeal to
reason. Each religionist thought his own
form Of religion was reasonable. Catholic
and Theosophist and Christian Scientist
and Protestant were willing to make
appeals to the tribunal of reason.
Catholic archbishops praised knowledge
and liberty Henceforuh, the influence of
that great parliament is on the side of
persuasion and against power.
In closing, DR.. Blanchard declared that
it was in no spirit of bigotry that he felt
that the Parliament of Religions market
great day for Universalism. All it's
great thoughts were the thoughts of that
splendid system of faith. He loved all
denominations and all nations more than
ever He recognized joyously the good
works of all. but he. believed the Univer-
salist denomination and it's ally, the
Unitarian, were the vanguard of the
Church Universal. The great lessons of
the text these two bodies would try to
make influential, but the parliament it,
self preached more powerfully than any
sermon could, that God is no respecter of
persons, but that in every nation, he that
feareth God and worketh righteousness
is accepted of Him, and that God hath
made of one blood all the nations of man
kind.