Page:The World's Parliament of Religions Vol 1.djvu/177

THE CHRONICLE OF THE PARLIAMENT. M9 and praying for our success. Looking for the results of our Parliament we must not forget that it is already a result in itself, a glorious result of the advanced conception of religion as a common good of mankind. Truth and untruth do not come together for a peaceful meeting. Divine revelation and diabolical inflation do not seek each other for mutual edification. That, therefore, the different religions of the world actually did come together, is itself a truth of the advanced religious thought of our age. Now admit those who have prepared the way for this Parliament. I may point with pride to this Holland Confederation of Protestants, whose single aim, according to its constitution, is and already has been for more than twenty years to promote the free development "of the religious life within the churches and beyond," without any dogmatic or denominational addition. This our Protestant bond therefore must hail with enthusiasm this fulness of the times. Their delegate must feel at home amid these thous- ands, all of the members of the same confederation, though not Dutchmen all of them, nearly all of them promoters of the free development of the religious life. And now, how shall this aim be reached ? What will, what must be, the result of the Parliament ? I trust it will put a stop to the mutual rivalry of the various religions, in order to show that one religion, if not the only good and true one, still must be considered as the best of all. Religion is in such a way influenced by climate, race and tradition, that what is the best for one cannot to the same degree satisfy the wants of another. No, there is a better rivalry promising greater and surer success. Let all of us move to see which of us can best and soonest live up to the highest demands of his religion, which of us first can overcome the sad differences between creed and deed, between his professed and his applied religion. And whenever we discover, as in these days we could many times, when- ever we discover in each other's religion something that is lacking or less developed in ours, let us try to aim that such precious good shall enrich our own religion with the spiritual pleasures found elsewhere. This, indeed, will be to promote the free, the unprejudiced develop- ment of the religious life, by which, if all of us are thus advancing along our different lines, at the end we will meet each other on the heights, when the consciousness of being near to God will fill all his children with everlasting joy. Mr. William L. Tomlins, of Chicago, was presented and made an address on Religion and Music, which was received with great favor. The Chairman then presented Dr. E. G. HiRSCH in the following words : The leading thought of to-day is ultimate and universal religion, and surely if anyone has a right to speak of that it is a representative of the Hebrew race. Dr. Ernil G. Hirsch, of Chicago, who calls himself, and he is, a thorough American. He represents a people whose contributions to the