The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-21
RECENT PUBLICATIONS

THE PARLIAMENT OF RELIGIoNs.-The
great Columbian Exposition is thing of
the past; the magnificent specimens of
architecture which formed the White City
have been dismantled by the hand of man
or destroyed by flames. The results of
the exposition remain, however, and will
grow and bear fruit long after the recol-
lection of its beauties and grandeur has
passed away. Probably no feature of the
fair possessed greater interest and is des-
tined to be of more enduring benefit
to mankind than the Worlds Parliament
of Religions, which held its sessions dur
ing last Septem Der. 1t is the history of
the great gathering which DR.. John Henry
BarrOws has just given to the public in
two SvO volumes of SEQ pages each
The opening chapters tell the story of
the inception and progress of the work
including extracts from personal letters
from theolOgians and leaders of thought.
in all parts of the world. The committee
having the matter in hand began their
work under the impression that nothing
like Parliament of Religions had ever as
sembled before. They learned, however
from letter written by Mr.. ii. Dharmapala
OF Calcutta, who later spoke Tor the South
ern Buddhist church of Ceylon in the
parliament, that twenty centuries ago
just such congress was held in India by
the great Buddhist Emperor Asoka, in the
city OF Pataliputra, modern Patna. The
objects sought to be accomplished by the
promoters Of the parliament were IN brief:
10 bring to gether the leading representa-
tives of the historic regions of the world !;
TO show what and how many important
truths the various religions hold and teach
in common to promote and decipher the
spirit of human brotherhood; to inquire
what light such religion has afforded, or
may afford, to the other religions of the
world; to discover from competent men
what light religion has TO throw ON the
great problems of the age. especially the
important questions connected with tem-
perance, labor, education, wealth and pow
erty. When finally the parliament as
sem bled for Its opening session on the
morning OF Monday, September IA, the
Hall of Columbus was crowded with 1000
eager listeners from all parts of the cOun-
try ana from foreign lands. The platform
presented most i'm pressive scene. In the
center sat Cardinal Gibbons, the highest
Drelate of the Catholic church in the
United States, while on either side were
grouped the Oriental delegates. fol-
lawers of Brahma. Buddha and
Mohammed. Then there was the Greek
Archbishop of Zante, while near him sat
an ebOn-hued Bishop OF the African
Methodist Church. Scattered about were
prominent American dlvlnes CT the dif-
ferent denominations and representatives
from various countries of Europe. During
two weeks these delegates met and
listened to the reading OF papers on great
questions or engaged in debate which was
never acrimonious, but always permeated
with the heaven of charity and seeming
desire to discover and lmpart only such
thoughts as should tend TO the ameio-
ration of the condition OF mankind.
A variety of opinions has been expressed
as TO the ultimate effect OF the parliament
Most of the readers of these opinions will
be apt to agree, however, with the editor
of the work when he saws: 1.-The enthu-
siasm with which all responded TO the law
of Christ as applied to the affairs of life
shows that the religious congresses
marked out the path of future social pro-
gress. IL should be added, also, that
Christian Europe and America should
not be so resoute to reproduce their
own ideals and systems in Oriental lands.
The theology of Geneva and the sacerdo-
talism of London may not he adapted to
the Japanese mind. To evaDgeliZe the
world it is not necessary that In lila should
be another England and China another
Russia. The Christianity OF the future
must be as comprehensive as the utter
ances of the apostolic fathers. and as
broad in its universal adaptation as the
gospel of Jesus. The parliament has
shown that Christianity is still the great
ouickener of humanity; that il is
now educating thoSe who do not
accept its doctrines; that there is
no teacher to be compared with Christ
and no Savior excepting Christ. that there