, 1903-01-01


similarity amounting in many cases
! TO an identify This question cannot
be evaded in any spirit of fairness. II
we take the testimony of the early
Church Fathers, we find them naive
ly accepting the fact, that such rights
as baptism and the last supper, had
been in pref Christian times and Of
ferimg as excuse for this fact that
"having heard it proclaimed through
the prophets that Christ was to come
and that the uneodly among men
were to be punished by fire, the devils
put forth many to be called IONS of
Jupiter, under the impression that
they would be able I produce in
men the idea that the things that were
said with regard to Christ were mere
tales. like the things which were said
by the posts"
1t is curious to note in the above
the idea that the tales of the poets
were copies Of what was to happen
years afterwards largely circulated
with the idea of prejudicing mems
minds against the Christ when he
would come We may believe Justin
Martyr that copies preceded originals
if we wish. We can at least take his
TESTIMONY that identities existed be-
tween the Christian teachings and
the teachings in the Pagan world, or
he would not be so hard put to to find
an explanation of their existence.
Tertullimn also said, referring to
these ideatiiies: (which fact being
acknowledged, we recognize here also
the zeal of the devil rivalling the
things of God while we find him, too,
practicirg baptism on his subjects"
Two schools of thought in modern
DAYS, ra"h offer an explanation of the
Identities. either of which can not
fail to appeal more to the reason than
that given by the reverend fathers OF
the church. These are the compare.
tive Mythologists and the compare
tive Religionists. Both admit "A com
mon basis of facts, but they reach q
very different conclusion by their
reasoning. No better proof of the
existence Of these likenesses Of teach.
ing and fact than the Christian apollo,
gists of the early centuries give in
their desire TO show that the belief OF
the church is a reasonable one.
Says Mrs. Besant, in Esoteric Chris.
t%ianity: Research has indisputably
proved that the religious OF the world
are markedly similar in their main
teachings, in their possession OF
Founders who display superhuman
powers and extraordinary moral ele.
walton. in their ethical precepts. in
their usr of means to come into touch
with invisible worlds, and in the sym.
bols by which they express their lead.
ing beliefs. This similarity amount.
ing in many cases to identity, proves
according to the above schools
common origin. Now comes in the
point of variance as to what commD
origin is. The comparative mytholo.
sists say that the common origin is
common ignorance. They contend
thai from this commo ignorance has
sprurg the Hottest religious doe.
trines that the ''splendid lily Of re.
ligion' has sprung from the primeva.
mud of animism, fetishism. nature
worship, and sun-worship. The,
hold that the highest types of men
such rs Krishna, Budha, Laotze and
Jesus are but the lineal decendents Of
the medicine men OF the savages."
To the comparative Mythologistt
Religions are branches from a com
mon truth-human ignorance"
Comparative Religionists seem tt
giev a more reasonable hypothesis
They claim that no case of the rein.
ing process can be found, but thai
many eases of OF the sinking back Of
a people and their religion can b,
proven by history. They say hal al
these founders of religion were fai
above the humanity of their time
That these founders uttered mora
precrpts, sublime ideals and poetica.
aspirations far in advance of any thai
ever followed them in the same relig
ions; that no later philosophy ha,
ever rqualled the early u~tterance o.
the philosophy. In the face of these
facts it is difficult to accept the ignor
auce theory.
Among the comparative Religion
isis, believing that all religions ar,
branches OF u common trunk-Diviut
Wisdom-are the Hindus, Buddhist,
and Theosophists, who believe thai
this Wisdom is handed down by di