Author Description

FROM the earliest times, among all nations, man has sought to recognize his God; to define that inscrutable Providence which rules the world. Like the successive changes of the forests, the infinite variety of the harvests, the differing notes of the birds, the opposite languages of men, the varied fragrance of the flowers, such is the contrast of religious belief which man's spirit brings, as its first fruits, to its Creator.From Constantinople to the shores of India, China, and Japan, four great world-religions meet in conflict. Each asserts its claims to be regarded as the civilized and saving religion of mankind. Brahmanism has an antiquity of more than three thousand years, Buddhism of twenty-three hundred, the Christian religion of eighteen centuries, the Mahometan of twelve. The number of Christians is perhaps two hundred and fifty millions; that of the Mahometans, Brahmans, and Buddhists united, may be set down as not far from eight hundred millions. This enormous mass of human beings, whom we call pagans, are adherents of systems which are founded on the religious convictions of many centuries, and are improvements upon former modes of worship that have long since passed away. The Christian religion holds possession of Europe and America; the Mahometan, of North Africa, Turkey, Lesser Asia, Palestine, Arabia, Mesopotamia, Persia, and even Northern India; the Brahman holds Hindustan, and some isles; Buddhism predominates in Ceylon, Thibet, the countries north-east of the Ganges, the Birman Empire, Siam, China, Japan, and the Indian Archipelago; also in Russian and Chinese Tartary.