Page:The World's Parliament of Religions Vol 1.djvu/106

78 been far-sighted and broad-minded enough to realize the supreme value of this Parliament ; to President Miller, of the Christian College at Madras, who has used his pen and voice in our behalf; to the Buddhist scholars of Japan who have written and spoken in favor of this Congress of Faiths ; to Mr. Dharmapala, of Ceylon, who has left important work in connection with his society in southern India to make this long journey to the heart of America ; to Mr. Mozoomdar and all others who have come to us from the most populous portion of England's great empire, which has been well called "the hugest standing Parliament of Religions in the world" ; to the imperial government of China, that has commissioned a learned and able Confucian to speak for one of the faiths of his nation ; to scores of the bishops of the Anglican, Methodist, United Brethren, African Methodist and other churches; to business men in our own city who have generously helped me in times of special need, and to the dignitaries of the great Catholic Church of our country, who, through the learned and broad-minded Rector of the Catholic University at Washington, have brought to us a degree of cooperation and fellowship for which we can never be too grateful.

All these we welcome to-day ; or, if some of them be not here, we send to them, and to a multitude of others whom I have not named, our affectionate gratitude and fraternal salutation. And to the representatives of the orthodox Greek Church, of the Russian Church, of the Armenian Church, of the Bulgarian and other Churches we extend the most cordial welcome and salutation. I believe that you will all feel at home with us ; I believe that your coming will enlighten us. We shall hear about the faith of the Parsees in the words of those who hold that ancient doctrine ; we shall hear of the faith of the Jains of India in the words of one who belongs to that community which is far older than Christianity. Our minds and our hearts are to be widened as we take in more fully the various works of divine Providence.

Welcome, one and all, thrice welcome to the world's first Parliament of Religions I Welcome to the men and women of Israel, the standing miracle of nations and religions ! Welcome to the disciples of Prince Siddartha, the many millions who cherish in their heart Lord Buddha, as the light of Asia ! Welcome to the high priest of the national religion of Japan I This city has every reason to be grateful to the enlightened ruler of the sunrise kingdom. Welcome to the men of India and all faiths ! Welcome to all the disciples of Christ, and may God's blessing abide in our council and extend to the twelve hundred millions of human beings whose representatives I address at this moment.

It seems to me that the spirits of just and good men hover over this assembly. I believe that the spirit of Paul is here, the zealous missionary of Christ whose courtesy, wisdom and unbounded tact were manifest when he preached Jesus and the resurrection beneath the shadows of the Parthenon. I believe the spirit of the wise and humane Buddha is here, and of Socrates