Page:The World's Parliament of Religions Vol 1.djvu/235

CHAPTER VI. INTERESTING ACCOUNTS OF THE SACRED BOOKS OF THE WORLD. THE Veda of Hinduism, of which M. N. DVivedi of Bom- bay spoke in a second-day paper, does not mean simply, as Western scholars have often assumed, the earliest Vedic books, which are four in number, and are the origin of all that came later, but always includes to the Hindu scholar and to Hindu believers the extensive later growth of sacred literature, such as the Brahmanas and the Upanishads, the former serv- ing to explain and direct ritualistic use of the earliest Vedic texts, and the latter bringing out the philosophy implied by those texts. Mr. Mozoomdar, speaking on the third day for the Brahmo- Somaj, or Society of Worshipers of God, of India, stated that in 1 86 1 they published a book for the reading of scripture lessons, the matter of which consisted of choice selections from all scriptures, thus carrying out the principle of the unity of prophecy and harmony of faiths. In a fifth-day paper Dr. George Washburn stated in regard to the Koran, or Bible of Mohammedanism, that it claimed to be a new and perfect revelation of the will of God ; that such was its comprehensive place and conclusive authority, that from the time of the Prophet's death to this day no Moslem has appealed to the ancient traditions of Arabia, or to the Jewish or Christian scriptures as the ground of his faith; and that every orthodox Moslem regards Islam as a separate, dis- tinct, and absolutely exclusive religion, even while he knows that Mohammed admitted that both Jewish and Christian scriptures were the Word of God. In a sixth -day paper Dr. C. A. Briggs said that all the great historic religions have sacred books which are regarded by the disciples of these religions as the inspired Word of 207