in Japan, India, and Ceylon especially, Shintoism, Buddhism, and Hindûism are boldly borrowing and adopting much that is Christian, often endeavouring to claim it as originally their own. It is possible, however, though by no means certain, that the practice of celebrating our Lord's birth on the 25th December is due to the desire to turn to Christian use not only the ancient Roman festival of the Saturnalia but also the Mithraic celebration of the winter solstice on that day.*

Christianity had endured centuries of danger, discouragement, and persecution. Mithraism had been favoured for centuries by the state, and had on its side the army, and many of the wealthy and powerful. More than one Emperor had either been initiated into its mysteries or had at least openly encouraged its spread. Julian did his best to make the worship of the sun, whom he identified with Mithra, the religion of the Empire. Yet, when he died and when persecution fell in turn (as, alas ! was the case) upon the Mithraic community, it showed none of the unconquerable vitality of the Christian Church. It soon vanished from the face of the earth, leaving little trace of its having existed, except the sculptures in its hidden, underground sanctuaries. Christianity had behind it the invincible might of the truth. Therefore the cosmic myth of Mithra, with all its works of darkness, its unhallowed mysteries, its alliance with the lowest and most licentious forms of heathenism and superstition, after centuries of struggle, vanished at last like a morning mist before the rays of the Sun of Righteousness.

Only after Aurelian's building of a temple to the Sun at Rome (Vopiscus, Aurel., 39), A.D. 270, does the 25th December seem to have been observed there as the Sun's "birthday," i.e., the time when the day begins perceptibly to lengthen after the winter solstice; but about A. D. 220 Hippolytus mentions it as the day on which the Western Church in his time celebrated the Nativity of Christ. Almost certainly this was the wrong date. Evidently the early church had not observed such a day at all, but when it became desirable to fix a day for the Christmas festival, it was natural to endeavour to convert to that purpose a day already religiously observed at Rome. The Roman Saturnalia under the Republic fell on December 19th. Julius Cæsar's reformed calendar fixed this festival on the 17th December. Augustus extended it over the 17th, 18th, and 19th. Later it lasted for five, and finally for seven days.

+ Openly from the time of Commodus' initiation (Cumont, Mysteries of Mithra, pp. 83, 84, 87–103), more privately long before (op. cit., p. 87).

DISCUSSION.

The CHAIRMAN.-I have followed this paper with the greatest possible interest, and it certainly is valuable that we have heard so much about Mithraism. The writer has been careful to guard against the supposition of the derivation of Christian doctrines. from this system, and his very careful statements have carried conviction.

At the same time, I cannot quite accept what he says on p. 240, viz., that "according to the latest scholarship of our day the synoptic gospels were written and published, the earliest about twenty, and the latest not more than forty years after Christ had been crucified." In the footnote he refers us to Professor Petrie's Growth of the Gospels. In this work the author states his belief that the "nucleus" of the Gospels, i.e., the portion common to the three synoptic Gospels, dates probably from about A.D. 40. But he also holds that other streams of tradition became incorporated with this nucleus, at a later period. We have no evidence that the early Christian records, such as Papias refers to in the well-known passage quoted by Eusebius, were identical with the completed Gospels, as we now have them, whose earliest MSS. date from the fourth century. This apparent assumption has always seemed to me to mar Professor Salmon's great work, and it seems to be shared by the writer of the paper to-day. With regard to the incorporation of earlier ideas into the Gospels, there is no doubt a remarkable correspondence between early Egyptian conceptions and Christian doctrines, and also between early Babylonian beliefs and Jewish ones. I think we may admit without danger of losing any really valuable truth, that in the formation of dogmas in centuries somewhat removed from Our Lord's life-time, and also in the later expression of Jewish beliefs, even within the pages of the sacred writings, there was some colouring due to surrounding influences and pre-existing religious conceptions. At the same time the author of this paper is quite right to guard us against the theory of a manufactured Christianity.

The Rev. D. MACFADYEN said: The paper contained an examination and a refutation of some of the statements that have been made in a very careless and recklessly written book called Pagan Christs by Mr. J. M. Robertson, M.P. Mr. J. M. Robertson is

carrying on work of a very dangerous character, dangerous because his intellectual eminence is admitted, and anything he says on subjects he knows very little about is accepted by large audiences. I heard him lecture yesterday and heard him describe how whereever the Bible had gone it had produced the deterioration of the people who used it. There are statements in this book referred to resting largely upon a clever imagination, but very little upon sound learning or careful examination of facts.

Dr. Tisdall, almost shall I say over-proved his case, at any rate he raised the question, how was it that Mithraism, if it were no more than he described, was a serious rival to Christianity for over three centuries as described in Sir Samuel Dill's book From Nero to Aurelius. The Mithraic priests must surely have learned a great deal from Christianity and must have incorporated much that they borrowed into their teaching. Otherwise it is difficult to understand how they were able to draw to themselves many of the best elements in Roman society. It would have been more convincing if Mr. Tisdall had explained what Mithraism became in its highest development. It is a very valuable thing to trace back a Pagan religion to its origin, because no religion can rise permanently higher that its origin. If we once know what is at the root of Mithraism we can understand why it vanished away when it came into acute conflict with Christianity, and people began to realise what they had to choose between in preferring Christianity to Paganism.

Rev. J. J. B. COLES, M.A., said: There is some underlying truth in all these ancient Mysteries; there is some connecting link, and I think that possibly in our next session a paper on the continuity and essential unity of esoteric teaching in all these rites would be helpful and suggestive.

Not until we study Ancient Mysteries and Secret Societies from an esoteric standpoint shall we be able to find the true solution of many interesting problems.

Colonel ALVES said: As I remarked on a previous occasion (p. 234), there are undoubtedly points of contact between Christianity, which is completed Judaism, and the various pagan systems of religion. To deny this is not only foolish, but mischievous.

But whilst Christian doctrine is like a clear river, the various. pagan streams are muddy and foul, and very confused.

The points of contact are easily understood. Man, by nature,

hates God, not as Creator, but as revealed in the Bible; and, as man is by nature "a worshipping animal," he will worship either that God in a forbidden manner, or some false God.

The pre-Mosaic era evidently had a Bible of some kind, oral or written; and it is only natural to suppose that, at the dispersion at Babel, the various tongues carried with them traditions which, being Divine, they would speedily corrupt. But corruption is neither absolute destruction nor denial; points of contact between the true and the false are thus easily accounted for.

One thing, however, distinguishes the true, on the one hand, from all the false on the other. It is the power of the religion believed in to change the inward desires and outward life of the believer; or rather, I should say, to give new desires and power to restrain the old desires, the new being stronger than the old; for the "carnal mind" which remains in us till death, or change at the Lord's coming, is not and cannot be, subject to the law of God. The proof of this is shown in the fact that two saints bring into the world, not a little saint, but a little sinner. It is this power which differentiates between the Christian Religion and all other religions.

If we deny points of contact, we may cause people who search for themselves and give the result to others, to think, not only what is true, that all religions start from one source, but also that Christianity is only one branch from this source, instead of being, as it is, the true original source.

(At this point the CHAIRMAN had to leave and CHANCELLOR LIAS took his place.)

Lieut.-Col. MACKINLAY said: The paper we have just heard is a most valuable contribution to the Victoria Institute. The author has well shown the immense fundamental differences between Mithraism and Christianity. The former assimilated the beliefs of many religions, the latter teaches its followers that there is none. other name given among men whereby we must be saved, Acts iv, 12. The resurrection of Christ, as proclaimed by the Apostle Paul, differed from anything known to the heathen world, for at Athens the learned philosophers mocked at the idea as quite beyond all belief, hence it was not familiar to them.

The highest morality the world has ever known is taught in the New Testament, and practised by those who are really Christians in heart. Our author tells us that the Mithraic scriptures are lost,

but all records tell us of the terrible immoralities practised by the followers of Mithraism.

The fact that some of our calendar arrangements have a heathen source is founded on convenience, and does not touch the question of any connection between the two religions. I am glad to notice that Dr. Tisdall maintains that 25th December was not the real day of the Nativity; it is doubtless to be regretted that a heathen festival has received a Christian name which is incorrect, but this does not demonstrate any connection between Mithraism and Christianity.

Our first Chairman maintained that the Holy Scriptures are coloured by the current beliefs of the days in which they were written. They were coloured by them doubtless to the extent that they refer to other religions to protest against them. In the Old Testament the prophets denounced the idolatry of the heathen nations, and in the New Testament the followers of Christ are exhorted to come out from the world and its worship and to be separate. (2 Cor. vi, 17.)

CHANCELLOR LIAS said: It is a great pleasure to me, as one of the oldest members of the Institute-my first paper was read in January, 1877-to welcome our newest recruit. We must all recognize the excellence of his paper, and the store of learning which he has opened out to us. And I may also express the pleasure I feel that this store of learning is employed in defence of the Christian position.

As a matter of fact genuine learning will always be found on the side of those who defend that position. I have noticed that in spite of the somewhat condescending attitude adopted by the modern critic towards those who take the traditional view of Scripture and the Christian scheme, his own learning is often only skin-deep. I thoroughly associate myself with Dr. Tisdall's criticism of the critics on p. 257 of his paper. I have noted how a certain type of critic ignores all that has been said for ages on the opposite side of the question to his; how often he cites no authority more than twenty-five, or at the utmost thirty, years old; how he views the question he treats from one, and only one, point of view, instead of endeavouring to approach it, as every large question should be approached, from various standpoints. I have been astounded at his large assumptions. In a question, for instance, such as the priority of Christian doctrine to that about Mithra, it is quite