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178 HISTORY OF THE PARLIAMENT. say farewell. They brought liberty to America because they knew the fountain of liberty, even the liberator of mankind, the author of the brother- hood of man — yea, God manifest in the flesh, light of freedom shining into the darkness of slavery. Spain has been down-trodden for centuries by ecclesiastical and political oppression, but now it has regained liberty and is rejoicing in this new liberty ; and therefore it says its farewell, rejoicing that it is free in that freedom with which Christ makes all men free. God bless free America. Adios. Mrs. Charles H. Henrotin, Vice-President of the Woman's Branch of the Auxiliary, who had given a great deal of service to the Parliament, was then presented and said : The place which woman has taken in the Parliament of Religions and in the denominational congresses is one of such great importance that it is entitled to your careful attention. As day by day the Parliament has presented the result of the prelimi- nary work of two years, it may have appeared to you an easy thing to put into motion the forces of which this evening is a crowning achievement, but to bring about this result hundreds of men and women have labored. There are sixteen committees of women in the various departments represented in the Parliament of Religions and denominational congresses, with a total membership of 174. It is too soon to prognosticate woman's future in the churches. Hitherto she has been not the thinker, the formulator of creeds, but the silent worker. That day has passed. It remains for her to take her rightful posi- tion in the active government of the church, and to the question, if men will accord that position to her, my experience and that of the Chairmen of the Women's Committees warrants us in answering an emphatic yes. Her future in the Western churches is in her own hands, and the men of the Eastern churches will be emboldened by the example of the Western to return to their country, and bid our sisters of those distant lands to go and do likewise. Woman has taken literally Christ's command to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, and to minister unto those who are in need of such ministrations. As her influence and power increase, so, also, will her zeal for good works. The experiment of an equal representation of men and women in a Parliament of Religions has been made, and that it has not been a failure I think can be proved by that part taken by the women who have had the honor of being called to participate in this great gathering. I must now bear witness to the devotion, the unselfishness and the zeal of the Chairmen of Committees who have assisted in arranging these pro- grams. I would that I had the time to name them one by one ; their gener- ous cooperation and unselfish endeavor are of those good things the mem- ory of which is in this life a foreshadowing of how divine is the principle of loyal cooperation in working for righteousness.