ledge, ethical reforms and regulations
established for the welfare of humanity, mysteries of nature explored,
invisible forces brought into visibility and subjection, a veritable
wonder-world of new phenomena and conditions heretofore unknown to man now
open to his uses and further investigation. The East and West can
communicate instantly. A human being can soar in the skies or speed in
submarine depths. The power of steam has linked the continents. Trains
cross the deserts and pierce the barriers of mountains; ships find
unerring pathways upon the trackless oceans. Day by day discoveries are
increasing. What a wonderful century this is! It is an age of universal
re-formation. Laws and statutes of governments civil and federal are in
process of change and transformation. Sciences and arts are being moulded
anew. Thoughts are metamorphosed. The foundations of human society are
changing and strengthening. Today sciences of the past are useless. The
ptolemaic system of astronomy, numberless other systems and theories of
scientific and philosophical explanation are discarded, known to be false
and worthless. Ethical precedents and principles cannot be applied to the
needs of the modern world. Thoughts and theories of past ages are
fruitless now. Thrones and governments are crumbling and falling. All
conditions and requisites of the past unfitted and inadequate for the
present time, are undergoing radical reform.

It is evident therefore that counterfeit and spurious religious teaching,
antiquated forms of belief and ancestral imitations which are at variance
with the foundations of divine reality must also pass away and be
re-formed. They must be abandoned and new conditions be recognized. The
morals of humanity must undergo change. New remedy and solution for human
problems must be adopted. Human intellects themselves must change and be
subject to the universal reformation. Just as the thoughts and hypotheses
of past ages are fruitless today, likewise dogmas and codes of human
invention are obsolete and barren of product in religion. Nay, it is true
that they are the cause of enmity and conducive to strife in the world of
humanity; war and bloodshed proceed from them and the oneness of mankind
finds no recognition in their observance. Therefore it is our duty in this
radiant century to investigate the essentials of divine religion, seek the
realities underlying the oneness of the world of humanity and discover the
source o