The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-17

CHICAGO. Sept IL allow dare you
judge?" y
Arrayed IN robes of spotless white, which
seemed all the whittier by reason of his
swarthy countenance and wealth of jet
black hair, with arm and index finger ex-
tended and every muscle of his body
quivering with excitement, Dharmapala,
the eminent Buddhist priest and scholar
from Calcutta, stood upon the edge of the
platform in the Hall of Washington yes
terday afternoon and thus hurled defiance
at the audience before him. A volley of
cheers was the response Beyond the
striking figure from the Orient, dwelling
intep.ly upon every word, sat the veneer
able Edward Everett Hale, who had just
come from an adjoining hall. On his
right was the negro prince from Africa,
on his left Mrs. Ormiston Chant, the En-
gish Radical. Next to her, his head en-
circled in a turban of white, Dakoyoshi
Matuysama, the advocate of ,Shintoism,
side by side with the negro Protap
Chunder Mazoomdar, the philosopher of
the Brahmo- Homaj. 1t was striking
scene and q striking occasion.
The Buddhist had been introduced after
an address of remarkable liberality by
Rev. Dr. b. l.. Rexford, of Boston. He
expressed his qualification that an oppor-
tunity had been afforded him of crossing
the water to participate in the parliament
and said that it mattered little what a
mans dogma, or what his theology, if he
was only sincere and true in the light
within him. Then, surveying the audi
ence, he suddenly demanded: "How many
of you have read the life of Buddhap"
Five hands, four of them belonging to
women, were timidly held up.
Five only" said the Buddhist, with n
tone and look of disdain. -Four hundred
and seventy-five millions accept our re-
ligion of love and hope. You call your
self nation; II great nation, and yet you
do not know the history of this great
teacher. How dare you judge?" and the
audience cheered again and again.
You complain that you do not make
converts among u.s." he continued ''You
preach God of love, but in your actions
You are selfish. You make of an Ignorant
or unsophisticated man q perfect hypo-
critic. You have used the story of IL life
crushing bloody Juggernaut to secure the
means to save alleged heathens. .Jugger-
naut has been popularized by Christian
missionaries, and yet n commission COM
posed of eminent Englishmen has declared
that the Christian idea of Juggernaut was
myth, that death and blood were repul
awe to our people. This Christian story
has been exploded. 1t has gone into OBJ
livion."
And so the Orientalist went on, scoring
his hearers and defending his own creed.
He asked how many had read the life of
Mohammed, the prophet of Arabia, and
when four hands went up he asked why
they should denounce Northumberland
when they knew nothing of it or its
founder. And with every sentence he car
ried his audience with him.
Quite as radical in its way was the adj
dress of Rev. DR.. Rexford, the Boston
Universalist divine, and he took for his
subject 1.-THE religious intent" He said
he had no sympathy with the people who
wanted to be separated from the bonds
that bound them to the tragic past.
He preferred to keep his share of the
bond; that he could rejoice in the develop
ment of mankind, in glorying that evolu-
tionary religion that brought them where
they were today. He did not believe in
talking of fallen man. but of an unde-
yeloped man. Revelation was never d.
vine message until it was understood.
Rev. DIR. Lyman Abbot was another Of
the leading speakers of the day, taking
for his topic, Religion essentially char
acteristic of humanity" He spoke in his
priests, he said, were the creators of re-
ligion. They had made it. Christ came
not to create religion, but to develop that
which was already in existence. Science
was thought of man trying to find the
reality that lay behind the mysteries Of
nature. All life was search after the in
finite. Agnostics might call out to them
to stop, but they had to go on, because
they could not help it. The blemshes and
blurs Of human handiwork were upon
Christianity. but it was not Christianity
concerning which they desired to tell their
brothers from across the sea, but Christ.
Mrs. Lydia H. Dickinson in an address
upon THE Divine Basis of Cooperation
OF Man and Woman" said that woman
was not subject to man nor man to woman.
They were one, and that precluded the
idea of subsection. Truth was masculine
and love feminine.
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