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PREFACE
The Parliament of Religions and the World's Re ligious Congresses attracted the attention of mankind all over the earth. Those who lis tened to the valuable papers read and ad dresses made regretted that millions could not read what only hundreds had heard. But it would require a library of encyclopoedic vol umes to contain all that was said at those great assemblages. The only feasible method of ex tending their circulation in a concise form is to print the most of the best and the best of the most of the Parliament papers, and condense the substance of the Congresses into what might be termed a literary pem mican, omitting, as far as possible, all personal and petty details, con nected with the conception, origin and progress of the meetings. Such matter, however interesting to those mentioned, is of minor impor tance to the public, and if indulged in excludes the far more valuable papers themselves, and is at the expense of the increase of the size and cost of the volume, thus removing it beyond the reach of many who might otherwise possess it. This volume contains the most and the best of the Parliament and the Congresses. The Parliament papers are largely from authors' manu scripts or stenographic reports, and the Congresses are mainly written by eminent clergymen and others who participated in them. If the reader will compare this book with others that profess to cover the same ground, he will discover that the important papers are not “edited” in a manner to break the hearts of their authors by the omission of vital portions, nor disfigured by such errors as were excusable in the haste incidental to their original appearance in the daily press, but discreditable in a permanent volume; that papers de livered to the Congresses do not appear in the proceedings of the Parliament, nor vice versa; that papers never read are not printed in these pages, nor are important ones read omitted; in a word, that the documents themselves are given as nearly as possible within the com pass of a single volume, without note or comment. Mechanically, this work is all that any one would desire. Its large, legible type, beautiful illustrations and handsome binding constitute it by far the most elegant book among those devoted to the laudable purpose of preserving the valuable words spoken at the World's Parlia ment and Congresses. A complaint has been made by some of those who were prominent in the Parliament that their prerogatives have been invaded by others who have published the proceedings. Even Christian clergymen, who profess to be anxious that their utterances may reach the widest cir culation, have attempted to confine the publication of their papers to one particular work. But it must be apparent that the great Parlia ment and Congresses were the property of mankind. No one pos sesses any monopoly in them. They were made successful by the generous contributions, and the unpaid time and toil of thousands. It was the constant announcement of the prominent promoters of the Parliament, that the unique gatherings were for the moral and religious welfare of mankind, and multitudes of men and women worked with out money and without price to render the great occasion the mag nificent success that it was. The statement will, therefore, doubtless occasion surprise, yet it is true, that some of those most prominent in making this proclamation have not only availed themselves of their opportunities to promote their personal emolument, but have attempted to confine the circulation of the valuable documents to the publications in which they are financially interested. The publishers of this volume have proceeded on the ground that no private individual or corporation has any exclusive property in the papers of the World's Parliament and Congresses of Religion, but that they are entitled rather to the widest possible circulation—a view which, it is pleasing to state, has been very heartily indorsed by the majority of those who participated in the Congresses—and they desire to do their part in spreading them before the world. To this end a large amount of money has been expended, and the present volume is the result; and they trust it will be a means to extend the beneficent work of the
greatest religious event of the Nineteenth Century, and, with con fidence in its merits, they send it out to the world. In the compilation and preparation of this volume the publishers are indebted for valuable aid and services to a large number of gentle men who were prominently identified with the great religious gather ings, among whom may be specially mentioned Rev. Simeon Gilbert, D.D., Professor Andrew C. Zenos, of McCormick Theological Seminary, Rabbi Joseph Stolz, Bishop B. W. Arnett, D. D., Rev. J. P. Hale, D. D., Rev. George Hall, Rev. D. R. Mansfield, Rev. Lee M. Heilman, Rev. Hugh Spencer Williams and Count William J. Onahan, Secretary of the Catholic Congress. These and others rendered valuable aid, and it is due to them, and a pleasure to us, to acknowledge their services.
THE PUBLISHERS.
