What about his teachings? What seems to you to be the underlying principle of Confucius? Confucius conceived of humanity as a brotherhood. "Within the four seas we are

all brothers." For the realization of this he set out to work. And the beginning of such realization is filial piety. Charity, as we all know, begins at home. Therefore Confucius popularized the idea that the man who honors his father and his mother will inherit the earth. What differs from Christianity, it seems to me, in the teaching of Confucius, is the affirmation that man is born good. In Confucianism there is no idea of "the fall of man." He believes in the possibilities and potentialities of a man doing good in this world, and that a man differs or deviates from the path of good only when he thinks evil. May I be allowed to quote in Chinese a sentence which I will translate into English, which I think expresses his whole meaning? [The speaker here recited in Chinese a short quotation.] It sounds like Greek or Chinese, rather - to all of you. [Laughter.] What does it mean? means: "Rectify your thoughts; organize your thoughts. Having organized your thoughts, you will do no evil. Have no evil thoughts, and then you will do good. Your doing good will influence others. The first people you influence are those in your home. Your mother will imitate you, your

It

father will imitate you, and your wife and your children." This gives us the example of influence. "Ye are the salt of the world and a light set upon a hill." Your influence will

spread to those in the village, and from the village to the city, and from the city to the nation, and from the nation to the world.

We have the saying that a man who loves his home cannot but love the world. The central idea is, love permeates everywhere; it is like the pure air; it cannot be confined to any particular place. Its mission is to flood the world. I have often thought of this teaching. Once I was in a park, looking upon a still, smooth pond. I think of this as an illustration of what I am trying to set forth. I said, you throw a stone on that smooth pond; at first it makes a little circle, and then gradually it grows larger and larger until the whole

pond is rippled. So it is with our life. It depends a great deal upon our influence, upon the example which we set before men. If our example is for good, that ripple, which seems so small in the beginning, will widen itself until it moves the world.

We are living in an age of freedom freedom to worship and freedom to do what good we can for humanity. And here comes Confucius with recognition of the fact. He says: "The superior man in the world does not set his mind either for anything that pleases him or anything that displeases him, but it is the right that he will follow."

We are all aiming at the same goal. That is, we are all trying to understand the vital force and power in this world ; and we need the co-operation of all peoples, whatever their religions or creeds. We have seen that the central idea lies. in the fact that charity begins at home, that we must love our parents. When a man loves his parents what does he do? He gives his parents food. That is well enough, but Confucius says, If you think that your filial piety ends in giving food to your parents, even the lower forms of animals can do that. What you need to do, when you have attained to filial piety, is to show your love for all mankind, by service. You know how pleased a mother is when she knows that her son has done some good in the world, has made somebody happier and better because of his being in the world, doing the things that he is capable of doing. So it is in the Chinese philosophy. Widen your love, do good to others, and then your parents will be glorified.

How shall you accomplish this? Confucius formulates five cardinal virtues: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, knowledge, and truthfulness. These you apply to all your relations of life. Be benevolent in your doings, righteous in your actions, and proper in your conduct, have a world knowledge of the needs of the people, and then be always true to your aims.

So we have come to apply these principles to humanity. But Confucius lacks one thing. What he does lack is the love and service we ought to do in the name of God. When

he was asked by one of his disciples, " Master, what is death?" he said, "You do not know about life; why do you seek to know about death? Do all you can in this world, and then death will come as a natural thing."

But this is not sufficient. Man in the deepest part of his soul has a longing for something which is divine, which is superhuman. Here comes the connecting link between Christianity and Confucianism. Christ will not destroy what is good in Confucianism. As you remember, he came not to destroy but to fulfill the law and the prophets. What is good in Confucius, in Zoroaster, in Buddha, and all the sages of the past will be included in Christianity. And Christianity will add hope for the immortal life. This thought I want to leave with you— that Christianity will come into the homes of the people, bringing the ideal of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, which will include what is good in Confucius.

We hear much about the Chinese being a people conservative in their nature. But what do you say about the people being conservative? You say that they have not adopted your machines, they have not erected gigantic buildings, they have not amassed wealth, and so on. But may I remind you that the Chinese people are willing to live a life without wealth, without the display of money, but with contentment. They are not desirous of uprooting their own religion, but they want to bring new life into their religion. And with the fresh water that Christianity can give, they will grow as the tree by the seaside.

So I come to you this morning, being a Confucianist and also a Christian, to tell you that the Chinese people need your Christianity and need it badly. But I warn you to go. to China not to do anything destructive, but just to do constructive work. The foundation has been laid on which you can rear a structure. The foundation is Confucianism, and the structure will be Christianity. When that day comes, with the flood of life that only Christianity can give to the Chinese, we can shake hands across the sea, recognizing that we are equal brothers of the same Father. This cosmopolitan

idea of Christianity will not only be a blessing to you in America, but will also be a blessing to the people in China.

John W. Foster has well said, "The day will arrive when there will be a new element among the great powers of the earth, and new features introduced into politics and society; not for the hurt, I trust, but for the betterment of humanity." On that day we shall comprehend more fully the great truth proclaimed on Mars Hill two thousand years ago, that "God hath made of one blood all nations of men, to dwell on all the face of the earth," and that all races are entitled to equal treatment in law and in government. [Applause.]

THE PRESIDENT. While the Festival this afternoon will be informal, with a large number of short addresses, the keynote struck this morning will largely influence the afternoon meeting. I wish to say that Mrs. Howe will be present; and as this comes almost upon her birthday it will be practically our birthday celebration for one who has been so long a member of this Association.

I do not know of any one who can speak the closing word for us this morning more fittingly than Mr. Boynton, who is now settled over the Church of our Father in Buffalo, but who was formerly of Boston. In fact, I think he was in the very church out of which came the other day this book, "The Church of To-day," which we have frequently been referring to this morning. All of us who have read his religious words know what an inspiration and uplift there are in them. I present Rev. Richard W. Boynton. [Applause.]

ADDRESS BY REV. RICHARD W. BOYNTON, OF BUFFALO, N. Y.

The Free Religious Association, to-day as always, is extremely generous in its estimate of the capacity of its members to hear public oratory. Not only have you had long speeches, and a good number of them, this morning, but you are promised many short ones this afternoon. I am glad there is to be a rest of reason and a flow of things material in between!

We certainly vitiate our point of view in looking at this question of the church, when we look at it always from a position inside the church, where we feel ourselves obliged to speak as attorneys of a special interest. What we need to do is to open the windows and broaden the horizon, and see the thing not in the small but in the large. I should like to deliver myself of an extended commendation and criticism of Dr. Crooker's book, if that seemed the most pertinent thing to do on this occasion; but without stopping for the commendation, which has been spoken already in part, and which I might add to, it seems to me that one serious and radical criticism of the book is that it is written too much from the point of view of a special interest, this being shown in the, I think, unfortunate tendency to be jealous of certain other forces of the times which are not nominally in the church but which are certainly of religion and making toward a better world. It does not do for any one standing within the church to speak in deprecation of or opposition toward the labor unions, toward the social settlements, toward new forms of occultism, or toward new modes of education. [Applause.] We need a larger vision, a wider definition of the church than that.

One reason why a great many of our diagnoses are superficial is because they are exclusive. It is a simple fact that the three books which were mentioned earlier this morning say almost nothing that is true of the great Roman Catholic