, 1881-12-11

~
AN INTERESTING PApEtt iY AUSTIN n1EnBowEls-
Tho regular meeting ot tho ChtcnYo Philo-
soph!cal Society was held last evening in Apollo
Hall, Central Music Hall Building. Mr. Austin
Bierbower read an interesting paper On "Para-
eis Between Christ and the Alleged SayIors of
Other Religions" The attendance wis quite
lnrge There were, said the speaker, compara-
lively few forms into which thought fell, few
lines in which the mind ran; SO that the number
Ut ldeas' fancies theories, systems, institutions.
ana other products of tho mind were limited and
to te'>' think that ali resenbaace III tue
opinions, legends aud life OF different people
wus due 10 d borrowing Or satneness Ut historic
origin, it wAs usually cxniainablc hy the fact
thai nj men. matter bow isolated, thought
stiIuuon OF their minds, they produced miIur
mental products. We were nut required iu nc
counting for the rescmonnces between the
Chinese and Christian religions, between the In
dian and European civilizations, between tho
phlosuphies and =cieuces of different nations. to
assume Il contact Or mutual influence. There
WIS snncncsl enough in tho human mind with
It's common cuIeaories TO account for all the re-
sembIances which were now asitAttng the think.
logic showed us what we must think
and how we must think it,. and in
philosophy tho systems were few and run IN IL :
liked circle. The speaker then proceeded to
demonstrate how It was that Il santness existed
u different institutions, and held thnt there
was not much chnnce for any great deviation 10
modelled on one form; there were but few fori'5
of architecture, music. puntlun. sculpture. and
poetry pusse5scu tho SAME clements and the
same ideals; there were just few pUssibie plots
in HcEon: and the same principle might be mp
piled in all departments ot thought. The gem
eral aspects Vf religion everywhere were the
same-God. immortality worship. u,ld morality.
And this because there were just these subjects
on which the mind must think in relation to
the cause and mems Of life us it touched
the other worlds Tho speaker illustrated his
theories hy referring to stories in the Scriptures.
| ideal-nnmcly: Savior, the speaker sud It
would t,e found that the mind hid but few pDs-,
sible ideals OF Il Savi0r-in fact but one, With
Il very few yertcnuons In the details; so tint
the saviors Of the world appeared much the
same under all circumstances. They were all
virgin. descended from Kings, announced
hy stars, aud born in humble circumstances.
The ideas OF different philosophers OF snvior
were given ut length, and tho so-Calied savinrs
OF the world were named and sketches Of
them we're given The speaker held that
they ail bore strong resemblance
to one another in many why's, rs the Legends
and stories about them wero based upon
similar ideals. The prominent incidents related
in connection with Cbrist's life would be- found
IN the stories OF tho lives Of tho sr-cailed
snvinra Of the world, and parallels III the names
OF thcse sayiors would be fund to exist The
sdeakcr said he might show natural and obvt-
in the parallels be husl mentioned and. that
without surprising any community OF origin Ut
historical connection between them. Christ had
inherited the Savior love OF all Western civiEiZa-
tions, and Buddha Of All Eastern civilization.
and it would not be remarkable IL We found
them possessed t>t like efforts
The usual criticisms followed the reading IF
the paper.