New Interest in Old Controversies Concerning Buddhism—Max Müller's Reply to the Alleged Influence of the System on Christianity—The Distinction to be made between the Credible History of Gautama and Later Legends—The Legends of the Pre-existent States and the Wonders Attending the Earthly Life—The Northern and the Southern Buddhism—The Sources of the Principal Legends—The Four Principal Doctrines of Buddhism, Skandas, Trishna, Kharma, and Nirvana—Difficulties in the Doctrines of Kharma and Nirvana—Various Opinions of Scholars in Regard to the Nature of Nirvana—Buddha's Final Reticence on the Subject—The Real Goal at which the Average Buddhist Aims—The Need of a Careful Estimate of the Merits and Demerits of Buddhism, and of the Hold which it is likely to have on Western Minds—Its Points of Contact with Western Errors—The Fact that Modern Buddhism, like many other False Systems, Claims Christ as a Believer in its Principles—The Theory that the Life of Christ is Modelled after that of the Buddha—The Superior Authenticity of the Life of Christ—The Unreliable Character of Buddhist Legends—The Intrinsic Improbability that a Religion claiming a Distinct Derivation from Jewish Sources would Borrow from a far-off Heathen System—The Contrast of Christ's Loving Recognition of the Father in Heaven with the Avowed Atheism of Buddhism—The General Spirit of the System Forbids all Thought of Borrowing from it—Points of Contrast.

LECTURE VI.

MOHAMMEDANISM PAST AND PRESENT 178

Posthumous Legends of Mohammed; how they were Produced—Ancient
Arabia and its Religious Systems—The Vale of Mecca and its Former
Uses—The Birth of Mohammed, and his Religious Associations—His
Temperament and Character—The Beginnings of his Prophetic
Mission—Jews and Christians in Arabia and their Influence on
Mohammedanism—Their Errors and Shortcomings a Help to the
Reformer—Strange Doctrines of the Christian Church in Arabia—The
Lost Opportunity of the Early Christian Sects and the Fatal Neglect
of the Surrounding Nations—The Nomads of Arabia specially Prepared
for Conquest by their Manner of Life and their Enlistment as
Mercenary Soldiers—The Question of Mohammed's Real Character—The
Growth of his Ambition and his Increasing Sensuality and
Cruelty—Blasphemous Revelations in Behalf of the Prophet's Own
Lust—Discriminating Judgment Required on his Career as a
Whole—Mohammedan Schools—Noble Characters the Exception—General
Corrupting Influence of the System—Its Conquests in Northern
Africa and in the Soudan—The Early Races of Northern Africa, and
the General Deterioration of the Country—The Piracies of the
Barbary States—Civilization in Modern Egypt Due to Foreigners—The
Bloody Ravages of El Mahdi in the East and the Fanatic Samadu in
the West—The Testimony of a Secular Newspaper
Correspondent—Professor Drummond and Henry M. Stanley on the Slave
Traffic and Mohammedan Civilization—The Alleged Missionary
Operations of Mohammedans in West Soudan—The Account Given of Them
by Bishop Crowther, Schweinfurth, and Others—Canon Taylor and the
Egyptian Pashas—The Effects of European Education—Palgrave on
Mohammedan Intolerance of To-day—Mohammedanism and Temperance;
Exaggerated Accounts of it; Proofs to the Contrary—R. Bosworth
Smith's Protest against Canon Taylor's Extravagant Glorification of
Islam—His Plea for Missions.

LECTURE VII.

THE TRACES OF A PRIMITIVE MONOTHEISM 222

Two Conflicting Theories on the History of Religion—That of the
Old and New Testaments—That of Modern Evolution—The Importance of
this Question—Professor Henry B. Smith's Estimate of Ebrard's
Discussion of it—Ebrard's Summing-up of the Argument—Professor
Naville's View of the Subject—Conclusions of Rev. W.A.P. Martin,
D.D., and Max Müller—How far May we Attempt to Establish the Fact
of an Early Monotheism from Heathen Traditions?—Conceptions
Differing in Different Nations—Evidences of Monotheism in the
Vedas—Professor Banergea's Testimony—The Views Held by the Modern
Somajes—Monotheism in China—Monotheistic Worship in the Days of
Yao and Shun, 2300 B.C.—The Prayer of an Emperor of the Ming
Dynasty Quoted by Professor Legge—Remarkable Monument of
Monotheism in the Temple of Heaven—A Taouist Prayer—Zoroaster a
Monotheistic Reformer—The Inscription at Behistun—Testimony of
the Modern Parsee Catechism—No Nation without some Notion of a God
Supreme over All—Buddhists in Thibet—Egyptian Monotheism—The
Greek Poets—Old Monotheism in Mexico and Peru—Evidences of
Ramification and Decline in Polytheism—Egypt and India Give
Abundant Proofs—Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taouism all Show
Degeneration—Mohammedan Corruption since the Days of the Early
Caliphs—The Religions of Greece and Rome Became Effete—Even
Israel, in Spite of Instruction and Reproof, Lapsed into Idolatry
again and again—Even the Christian Church has Shown Similar
Tendencies.

LECTURE VIII.

INDIRECT TRIBUTES OF HEATHEN SYSTEMS TO THE DOCTRINES OF THE BIBLE 266

The Universality and Similarity of Race Traditions—Their General
Support of the Old Testament History—Traditions of the Creation
Found in India, China, among the Northern Turanians and some
African Tribes—The Fall of Man as Traced in Assyria and among the
Hindus—The Buddhists of Ceylon, Mongolians, Africans and Tahitans
had Similar Traditions—The Flood—Traditions of the Chinese, the
Iranians, Greeks, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Peruvians—The
Prevalence of Piacular Sacrifice and Tokens of a Sense of
Guilt—Traditions or Traces of Substitution Found in the
Vedas—Faint Traces in the Religion of the Egyptians—Traditions of
the Iroquois—Prophecies Looking to Divine Deliverers—The Tenth
Avatar of Vishnu yet to Come as a Restorer of Righteousness—The
Influence of the Tradition as Utilized by a Missionary—A Norse
Deliverer and Millennium—The Prediction of the Cumæan Sibyl Forty
Years before the Birth of Christ—Prevailing Conceptions of some
Mediator between God and Man—The Hindu Krishna as an
Example—Changes in Buddhism from the Old Atheism to Theism, and
even to a Doctrine of Salvation by Faith—A Trinity and at last a
Saviour—All the False Systems Claiming the Teachings and the
Character of Christ.