"We were all brothers, because we had one work, and one hope, NEW YORK: D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, 549 & 551 BROADWAY. 1877. PREFACE. IN a little book entitled 'The Childhood of the World,' which was received by the public with unlooked-for favour, an attempt was made to convey to young persons the knowledge concerning man's early condition which has been gathered during recent years, and it is to the Second Part of that work, which treats of his advance from lower to higher stages of religious belief, that the present volume, which deals mainly with the expression and embodiment of that belief in certain great religions of the East, is intended to be supplemental. The question which forces itself upon all who are interested in the education of the young, is what they shall be taught regarding the relation of the Bible to other sacred scriptures, and to the declarations of modern science where they fail to harmonise with its statements; and it is as a humble contribution to the solution of that question, that the present and preceding volumes have been written. In an age which has been truly characterised by a leading thinker as one of weak convictions,' it seems to me incumbent on those who, in accepting the conclusions to which the discoveries of our time point, regard the inevitable displacement of many beliefs without fear, because assured that the great verities remain, to be faithful to their convictions, and to show that the process of destruction is removing only the scaffolding which, once useful, now obscures the temple from our view. In the absence of any like elementary treatise upon subjects regarding which much ignorance and apathy prevail, and the treatment of which is at present confined to works for the most part high-priced, and not always accessible, I hope that this book may not be regarded as needless, however far it falls short of the requirement which appears to me to exist, and which it ventures to temporarily supply. The mass of material at one's disposal renders its clear presentment within a moderate compass somewhat difficult, but I have been at pains to select the essential portions, and, in view of those to whom the body of the work is addressed, to choose the simplest language which the several subjects permit. If the style is thus more familiar than dignified, I hope it may with greater success attract the ear of the youthful reader. The Notes which are placed at the end of the book may be found useful to parents and teachers, as well as to those who may hereafter desire to pursue the matters to which it is designed to serve as a simple introduction, while the references affixed will indicate some of the authorities to whom I am under obligation. The number of these prevents specific acknowledgment, but I cannnot omit expressing much indebtedness to Profs. Max Müller, Whitney, and De Gubernatis, and to Drs Muir, Tylor, Legge and the lamented Dr Deutsch, for the aid afforded by their works in the preparation of this book. The contributions of Professor Max Müller and Dr Muir to the subject of Comparative Theology are of the highest value to the student, while in all |