A CONGRESS OF FAITHS
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—You will, I hope, allow me to support Miss Cunning's letter upon the World Congress of Faiths, which will be held in London between July 8rd and July 18th. For that Congress may be not only in the words of Sir Francis Young- husband, who has done so much to promote it, " a great adventure," it may prove to be, even if in the distant future, the first-fruits of a rich spiritual harvest. For the great religions of the world are in their nature not so much enemies as friends. They are all so many efforts to solve the eternal problem of the universe. A Christian, while he will resolutely maintain the unique revelation of Christianity, will yet not fail to acknowledge in other religions certain features as stepping-stones to the ultimate completeness of the one Divine Faith. Experience in the Far East has served to demonstrate the possibility that representatives of beliefs so widely remote from Christianity as Hinduism, Mohammedanism and Buddhism may still unite with Christians on rare occasions in the worship of the one Almighty Power, which rules the Universe, and that the non-Christians among them by common consent may take part in a Divine Service within a Christian Church. It seems to me that the time is favourable, as at home for a good understanding between Churchmen and Free Churchmen, between the Episcopalian and the non-Episcopalian Churches, so, only in a far less degree, between Christians and non-Christians everywhere.
My earnest hope, therefore, is that the courageous enter- prise of the World Congress of Faiths may be justified not only by the sympathetic attitude of the religious leaders themselves, but by, the mutual understanding evinced in the papers, which will be read at the Congress, and in the spirit of faith and love at all its meetings—I remain, Sir, your
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