SospoketheItalian。ButaProtestantministerwhohappenedtobepresent，growingpale，turnedtotheCatholicmissionaryandexclaimed:
’Howcanyousaythatsalvationbelongstoyourreligion？Thoseonlywillbesaved，whoserveGodaccordingtotheGospel，inspiritandintruth，asbiddenbythewordofChrist。’
ThenaTurk，anoffice-holderinthecustom-houseatSurat，whowassittinginthecoffee-housesmokingapipe，turnedwithanairofsuperioritytoboththeChristians。
’YourbeliefinyourRomanreligionisvain，’saidhe。’Itwassupersededtwelvehundredyearsagobythetruefaith:thatofMohammed！YoucannotbutobservehowthetrueMohammedanfaithcontinuestospreadbothinEuropeandAsia，andevenintheenlightenedcountryofChina。YousayyourselvesthatGodhasrejectedtheJews；and，asaproof，youquotethefactthattheJewsarehumiliatedandtheirfaithdoesnotspread。ConfessthenthetruthofMohammedanism，foritistriumphantandspreadsfarandwide。NonewillbesavedbutthefollowersofMohammed，God’slatestprophet；andofthem，onlythefollowersofOmar，andnotofAli，forthelatterarefalsetothefaith。’
TothisthePersiantheologian，whowasofthesectofAli，wishedtoreply；butbythistimeagreatdisputehadarisenamongallthestrangersofdifferentfaithsandcreedspresent。TherewereAbyssinianChristians，LlamasfromThibet，IsmailiansandFire-worshippers。TheyallarguedaboutthenatureofGod，andhowHeshouldbeworshipped。EachofthemassertedthatinhiscountryalonewasthetrueGodknownandrightlyworshipped。
Everyonearguedandshouted，exceptaChinaman，astudentofConfucius，whosatquietlyinonecornerofthecoffee-house，notjoininginthedispute。Hesattheredrinkingteaandlisteningtowhattheotherssaid，butdidnotspeakhimself。
TheTurknoticedhimsittingthere，andappealedtohim，saying:
’YoucanconfirmwhatIsay，mygoodChinaman。Youholdyourpeace，butifyouspokeIknowyouwouldupholdmyopinion。
Tradersfromyourcountry，whocometomeforassistance，tellmethatthoughmanyreligionshavebeenintroducedintoChina，youChineseconsiderMohammedanismthebestofall，andadoptitwillingly。
Confirm，then，mywords，andtellusyouropinionofthetrueGodandofHisprophet。’
’Yes，yes，’saidtherest，turningtotheChinaman，’letushearwhatyouthinkonthesubject。’
TheChinaman，thestudentofConfucius，closedhiseyes，andthoughtawhile。Thenheopenedthemagain，anddrawinghishandsoutofthewidesleevesofhisgarment，andfoldingthemonhisbreast，hespokeasfollows，inacalmandquietvoice。
Sirs，itseemstomethatitischieflypridethatpreventsmenagreeingwithoneanotheronmattersoffaith。Ifyoucaretolistentome，Iwilltellyouastorywhichwillexplainthisbyanexample。
IcameherefromChinaonanEnglishsteamerwhichhadbeenroundtheworld。Westoppedforfreshwater，andlandedontheeastcoastoftheislandofSumatra。Itwasmid-day，andsomeofus，havinglanded，satintheshadeofsomecoconutpalmsbytheseashore，notfarfromanativevillage。Wewereapartyofmenofdifferentnationalities。
Aswesatthere，ablindmanapproachedus。Welearntafterwardsthathehadgoneblindfromgazingtoolongandtoopersistentlyatthesun，tryingtofindoutwhatitis，inordertoseizeitslight。
Hestrovealongtimetoaccomplishthis，constantlylookingatthesun；buttheonlyresultwasthathiseyeswereinjuredbyitsbrightness，andhebecameblind。
Thenhesaidtohimself:
’Thelightofthesunisnotaliquid；forifitwerealiquiditwouldbepossibletopouritfromonevesselintoanother，anditwouldbemoved，likewater，bythewind。Neitherisitfire；forifitwerefire，waterwouldextinguishit。Neitherislightaspirit，foritisseenbytheeye，norisitmatter，foritcannotbemoved。Therefore，asthelightofthesunisneitherliquid，norfire，norspirit，normatter，itis——nothing！’
Soheargued，and，asaresultofalwayslookingatthesunandalwaysthinkingaboutit，helostbothhissightandhisreason。Andwhenhewentquiteblind，hebecamefullyconvincedthatthesundidnotexist。
Withthisblindmancameaslave，whoafterplacinghismasterintheshadeofacoconuttree，pickedupacoconutfromtheground，andbeganmakingitintoanight-light。Hetwistedawickfromthefibreofthecoconut:squeezedoilfromthenutintotheshell，andsoakedthewickinit。
Astheslavesatdoingthis，theblindmansighedandsaidtohim:
’Well，slave，wasInotrightwhenItoldyouthereisnosun？Doyounotseehowdarkitis？Yetpeoplesaythereisasun……Butifso，whatisit？’
’Idonotknowwhatthesunis，’saidtheslave’Thatisnobusinessofmine。ButIknowwhatlightis。Here，Ihavemadeanight-light，bythehelpofwhichIcanserveyouandfindanythingIwantinthehut。’
Andtheslavepickedupthecoconutshell，saying:
’Thisismysun。’
Alamemanwithcrutches，whowassittingnearbyheardthesewords，andlaughed:
’Youhaveevidentlybeenblindallyourlife，’saidhetotheblindman，’nottoknowwhatthesunis，Iwilltellyouwhatitis。Thesunisaballoffire，whichriseseverymorningoutoftheseaandgoesdownagainamongthemountainsofourislandeachevening。
Wehaveallseenthis，andifyouhadhadyoureyesightyoutoowouldhaveseenit。’
Afisherman，whohadbeenlisteningtotheconversation，said:
’Itisplainenoughthatyouhaveneverbeenbeyondyourownisland。
Ifyouwerenotlame，andifyouhadbeenoutasIhaveinafishing-boat，youwouldknowthatthesundoesnotsetamongthemountainsofourisland，butasitrisesfromtheoceaneverymorningsoitsetsagainintheseaeverynight。WhatIamtellingyouistrue，forIseeiteverydaywithmyowneyes。’
ThenanIndianwhowasofourparty，interruptedhimbysaying:
’Iamastonishedthatareasonablemanshouldtalksuchnonsense。Howcanaballoffirepossiblydescendintothewaterandnotbeextinguished？Thesunisnotaballoffireatall，itistheDeitynamedDevawhoridesforeverinachariotroundthegoldenmountain，Meru。SometimestheevilserpentsRaguandKetuattackDevaandswallowhim:andthentheearthisdark。ButourpriestspraythattheDeitymaybereleased，andthenheissetfree。
Onlysuchignorantmenasyou，whohaveneverbeenbeyondtheirownisland，canimaginethatthesunshinesfortheircountryalone。’
ThenthemasterofanEgyptianvessel，whowaspresent，spokeinhisturn。
’No，’saidhe，’youalsoarewrong。ThesunisnotaDeity，anddoesnotmoveonlyroundIndiaanditsgoldenmountain。IhavesailedmuchontheBlackSea，andalongthecoastsofArabia，andhavebeentoMadagascarandtothePhilippines。Thesunlightsthewholeearth，andnotIndiaalone。Itdoesnotcircleroundonemountain，butrisesfarintheeast，beyondtheIslesofJapan，andsetsfar，farawayinthewest，beyondtheislandsofEngland。ThatiswhytheJapanesecalltheircountry“Nippon，“thatis“thebirthofthesun。“Iknowthiswell，forIhavemyselfseenmuch，andheardmorefrommygrandfather，whosailedtotheveryendsofthesea。’
Hewouldhavegoneon，butanEnglishsailorfromourshipinterruptedhim。
’Thereisnocountry，’hesaid，’wherepeopleknowsomuchaboutthesun’smovementsasinEngland。Thesun，aseveryoneinEnglandknows，risesnowhereandsetsnowhere。Itisalwaysmovingroundtheearth。Wecanbesureofthisforwehavejustbeenroundtheworldourselves，andnowhereknockedupagainstthesun。Whereverwewent，thesunshoweditselfinthemorningandhiditselfatnight，justasitdoeshere。’
AndtheEnglishmantookastickand，drawingcirclesonthesand，triedtoexplainhowthesunmovesintheheavensandgoesroundtheworld。Buthewasunabletoexplainitclearly，andpointingtotheship’spilotsaid:
’ThismanknowsmoreaboutitthanIdo。Hecanexplainitproperly。’
Thepilot，whowasanintelligentman，hadlistenedinsilencetothetalktillhewasaskedtospeak。Noweveryoneturnedtohim，andhesaid:
’Youareallmisleadingoneanother，andareyourselvesdeceived。Thesundoesnotgoroundtheearth，buttheearthgoesroundthesun，revolvingasitgoesandturningtowardsthesuninthecourseofeachtwenty-fourhours，notonlyJapan，andthePhilippinesandSumatrawherewenoware，butAfrica，andEuropeandAmerica，andmanylandsbesides。Thesundoesnotshineforsomeonemountain，orforsomeoneisland，orforsomeonesea，norevenforoneearthalone，butforotherplanetsaswellasourearth。Ifyouwouldonlylookupattheheavens，insteadofatthegroundbeneathyourownfeet，youmightallunderstandthis，andwouldthennolongersupposethatthesunshinesforyou，orforyourcountryalone。’
Thusspokethewisepilot，whohadvoyagedmuchabouttheworld，andhadgazedmuchupontheheavensabove。
’Soonmattersoffaith，’continuedtheChinamanthestudentofConfucius，’itispridethatcauseserroranddiscordamongmen。Aswiththesun，soitiswithGod。EachmanwantstohaveaspecialGodofhisown，oratleastaspecialGodforhisnativeland。
EachnationwishestoconfineinitsowntemplesHim，whomtheworldcannotcontain。
’CananytemplecomparewiththatwhichGodHimselfhasbuilttouniteallmeninonefaithandonereligion？
’Allhumantemplesarebuiltonthemodelofthistemple，whichisGod’sownworld。Everytemplehasitsfonts，itsvaultedroof，itslamps，itspicturesorsculptures，itsinscriptions，itsbooksofthelaw，itsofferings，itsaltarsanditspriests。Butinwhattempleistheresuchafontastheocean；suchavaultasthatoftheheavens；