Page:The World's Parliament of Religions Vol 1.djvu/208

 l80 HISTORY OF THE PARLIAMENT. The eloquent Bishop B. W. Arnett, of the African Metho- dist Episcopal Church, was then received with enthusiasm. He said : I have never seen so large a body of men meet together and discuss questions so vital vi'ith as little friction as I have seen during this Parliament. The watchword has been toleration and fraternity, and shows what may or can be done when men assemble in the proper spirit. As was said 2,000 years ago, we have met together in one place and with one accord, each seeking for the truth, each presenting his views of the truth as he under- stands it. Each came with his own fund of information, and now we sepa- rate having gained information from each other on the subject of God, man- kind, and the future life. There is one thing that we have all agreed upon — that is, that the source of the true, beautiful, and the good is spirit, love and light, of infinite power, wisdom and goodness. Thus the unity of the spirituality of God is one thing that we have all agreed upon. We have differed as to how to approach him and how to receive his favor and blessing. If the Parliament has done nothing more, it has furnished comparative theology with such material that in the future there will be no question about the nature and attributes of God. The great battle of the future will not be the Fatherhood of God, nor that we need a redeemer, mediator, or a model man between God and man, but it is to acknowledge the Brotherhood of Man practically. There was some apprehension on the part of some Christians as to the wisdom of a Parliament of all the Religions, but the result of this meeting vindicates the wisdom of such a gathering. It appears that the conception was a divine one rather than human, and the execution of the plan has been marvelous in its detail and in the harmony of its working, and reflects credit upon the Chairman of the Auxiliary, Mr. Bonney, and also on the Rev. J. H. Barrows; for there is no one who has attended these meetings but really believes that Christianity has lost nothing in the discussion or comparison, but stands to-day in a light unknown in the past. The Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, and the Golden Rule have not been superseded by any that has been presented by the various teachers of religion and philosophy ; but our mountains are just as high and our doctrines are just as pure as before our meeting, and every man and woman has been con- firmed in the faith once delivered to the saints. Another good of this convention ; it has taught us a lesson that while we have truth on our side we have not had all the truth ; while we have had theory we have not had all the practice, and the strongest criticism we have received was not as to our doctrines or method, but as to our practice not being in harmony with our own teachings and with our own doctrines. I believe that it will do good not only to the dominant race, but to the race