Millspresentedaseriesofstrikingcoincidenceswithourownlateraccount。Astoitsmainfeatures，heshowedthattherehadbeendevelopedamongthePersians，manycenturiesbeforetheChristianera，thelegendofavaineffortofthearch-demon，oneseatofwhosepowerwasthesummitofMountArezura，totemptZoroastertoworshiphim，——ofanargumentbetweentempterandtempted，——andofZoroaster’srefusal；andthedoctorcontinued：
　　“NoPersiansubjectinthestreetsofJerusalem，soonafterorlongaftertheReturn，couldhavefailedtoknowthisstrikingmyth。”Dr。Millsthenwentontoshowthat，amongtheJews，“thedoctrineofimmortalitywasscarcelymootedbeforethelaterIsaiah——thatis，beforethecaptivity——whiletheZoroastrianscripturesareonemassofspiritualism，referringallresultstotheheavenlyortotheinfernalworlds。”Heconcludesbysayingthat，asregardstheOldandNewTestaments，“thehumble，andtoacertainextentprior，religionoftheMazdaworshipperswasusefulingivingpointandbeautytomanylooseconceptionsamongtheJewishreligiousteachers，andinintroducingmanyideaswhichwereentirelynew，whileastothedoctrinesofimmortalityandresurrection——themostimportantofall——itpositivelydeterminedbelief。”[498]
　　[498]ForthepassagesintheVendidadofspecialimportanceasregardstheTemptationmyth，seeFargard，xix，18，20，26，also140，147。VerystrikingistheaccountoftheTemptationinthePelhaviversionoftheVendidad。ThedevilisrepresentedassayingtoZaratushtZoroaster：“Ihadtheworshipofthyancestors；dothoualsoworshipme。”IamindebtedtoProf。E。
　　P。Evans，formerlyoftheUniversityofMichigan，butnowofMunich，foratranslationoftheoriginaltextfromSpiegel’sedition。Foragoodaccount，seealsoHaug，EssaysontheSacredLanguage，etc。，oftheParsees，editedbyWest，London，1884，pp。
　　252etseq。；seealsoMills’sandDarmesteter’sworkinSacredBooksoftheEast。ForDr。Mills’sarticlereferredto，seehisZoroasterandtheBible，inTheNineteenthCentury，January，1894。ForthecitationfromRenan，seehisHistoireduPeupleIsrael，tomexiv，chap。iv；seealso，forPersianideansofheaven，hellandresurrection，Haug，asabove，p。310etseq。
　　ForaninterestingresumeofZoroastrianism，seeLaing，AModernZoroastrian，chap。xii，London，eighthedition，1893。FortheBuddhistversionofthejudgmentofSolomon，etc。，seeFausboll，BuddhistBirthStories，translatedbyRhysDavids，London，1880，vol。1，p。14andfollowing。ForveryfullstatementsregardingtheinfluenceofPersianideasupontheJewsduringthecaptivity，seeKahut，UeberdiejudischeAngelologieundDaemonologieinihrenAbhangigkeitvomParsismus，Leipzig，1866。
　　EvenmoreextensiveweretherevelationsmadebyscientificcriticismappliedtothesacredliteratureofsouthernandeasternAsia。TheresemblancesofsundryfundamentalnarrativesandideasinourownsacredbookswiththoseofBuddhismwereespeciallysuggestive。
　　Here，too，hadbeenalongpreparatoryhistory。ThediscoveriesinSanscritphilologymadeinthelatterhalfoftheeighteenthcenturyandthefirsthalfofthenineteenth，bySirWilliamJones，Carey，Wilkins，Foster，Colebrooke，andothers，hadmetatfirstwithsomeoppositionfromtheologians。ThedeclarationbyDugaldStewartthatthediscoveryofSanscritwasfraudulent，anditsvocabularyandgrammarpatchedtogetheroutofGreekandLatin，showedthefeelingoftheolderraceofbiblicalstudents。
　　Butresearcheswenton。Bopp，Burnouf，Lassen，Weber，Whitney，MaxMuller，andotherscontinuedtheworkduringthenineteenthcentury。Moreandmoreevidentbecamethesourcesfromwhichmanyideasandnarrativesinourownsacredbookshadbeendeveloped。StudiesinthesacredbooksofBrahmanism，andintheinstitutionsofBuddhism，themostwidespreadofallreligions，itsdevoteesoutnumberingthoseofallbranchesoftheChristianChurchtogether，provedespeciallyfruitfulinfactsrelatingtogeneralsacredliteratureandearlyEuropeanreligiousideas。
　　NoteworthyintheprogressofthisknowledgewastheworkofFathersHucandGabet。In1839theformerofthese，aFrenchLazaristpriest，setoutonamissiontoChina。HavingpreparedhimselfatMacaobyeighteenmonthsofhardstudy，andhavingarrayedhimselflikeanative，eventothewearingofthequeueandthestainingofhisskin，hevisitedPekingandpenetratedMongolia。Fiveyearslater，takingGabetwithhim，bothdisguisedasLamas，hebeganhislongandtoilsomejourneytothechiefseatsofBuddhisminThibet，and，aftertwoyearsoffearfuldangersandsufferings，accomplishedit。DrivenoutfinallybytheChinese，HucreturnedtoEuropein1852，havingmadeoneofthemostheroic，self-denying，and，asitturnedout，oneofthemostvaluableeffortsinallthenobleannalsofChristianmissions。Hisaccountsofthesejournevs，writteninastylesimple，clear，andinteresting，atonceattractedattentionthroughouttheworld。ButfarmoreimportantthananyserviceshehadrenderedtotheChurchheservedwastheinfluenceofhisbookuponthegeneralopinionsofthinkingmen；forhecompletedaseriesofrevelationsmadebyearlier，lessgifted，andlessdevotedtravellers，andbroughttothenoticeoftheworldtheamazingsimilarityoftheideas，institutions，observances，ceremonies，andritual，andeventheecclesiasticalcostumesoftheBuddhiststothoseofhisownChurch。
　　Buddhismwasthusshownwithitshierarchy，inwhichtheGrandLama，aninfalliblerepresentativeoftheMostHigh，issurroundedbyitsminorLamas，muchlikecardinals；withitsbishopswearingmitres，itscelibatepriestswithshavencrown，cope，dalmatic，andcenser；itscathedralswithclergygatheredinthechoir；itsvastmonasteriesfilledwithmonksandnunsvowedtopoverty，chastity，andobedience；itschurcharrangements，withshrinesofsaintsandangels；itsuseofimages，pictures，andilluminatedmissals；itsservice，withastrikinggeneralresemblancetotheMass；antiphonalchoirs；
　　intoningofprayers；recitalofcreeds；repetitionoflitanies；
　　processions；mysticritesandincense；theofferingandadorationofbreaduponanaltarlightedbycandles；thedrinkingfromachalicebythepriest；prayersandofferingsforthedead；
　　benedictionwithoutstretchedhands；fasts，confessions，anddoctrineofpurgatory——allthisandmorewasnowclearlyrevealed。Thegoodfatherwasevidentlystaggeredbytheseamazingfacts；buthisrobustfaithsoongavehimanexplanation：
　　hesuggestedthatSatan，inanticipationofChristianity，hadrevealedtoBuddhismthisdivinelyconstitutedorderofthings。
　　ThisnaiveexplanationdidnotcommenditselftohissuperiorsintheRomanChurch。InthedaysofSt。AugustineorofSt。ThomasAquinasitwoulddoubtlesshavebeenreceivedmuchmorekindly；
　　butinthedaysofCardinalAntonellithiswashardlytobeexpected：theRomanauthorities，seeingthedangerofsuchplainrevelationsinthenineteenthcentury，evenwhencoupledwithsuchdevoutexplanations，putthebookundertheban，thoughnotbeforeithadbeenspreadthroughouttheworldinvarioustranslations。FatherHucwassentonnomoremissions。
　　Yettherecameevenmoresignificantdiscoveries，especiallybearingupontheclaimsofthatgreatbranchoftheChurchwhichsupposesitselftopossessadivinesafeguardagainsterrorinbelief。FornowwasbroughttolightbyliteraryresearchtheirrefragableevidencethatthegreatBuddha——SakyaMunihimself——hadbeencanonizedandenrolledamongtheChristiansaintswhoseintercessionmaybeinvoked，andinwhosehonourimages，altars，andchapelsmaybeerected；andthis，notonlybytheusageofthemedievalChurch，GreekandRoman，butbythespecialandinfalliblesanctionofalongseriesofpopes，fromtheendofthesixteenthcenturytotheendofthenineteenth——asanctiongrantedunderoneofthemostcuriouserrorsinhumanhistory。ThestoryenablesustounderstandthewayinwhichmanyofthebeliefsofChristendomhavebeendeveloped，especiallyhowtheyhavebeeninfluencedfromtheseatsofolderreligions；anditthrowsmuchlightintothecharacterandexerciseofpapalinfallibility。
　　Earlyintheseventhcenturytherewascomposed，asisnowbelieved，attheConventofSt。SabanearJerusalem，apiousromanceentitledBarlaamandJosaphat——thelatterpersonage，theheroofthestory，beingrepresentedasaHinduprinceconvertedtoChristianitybytheformer。
　　Thisstory，havingbeenattributedtoSt。JohnofDamascusinthefollowingcenturybecameamazinglypopular，andwassoonacceptedastrue：itwastranslatedfromtheGreekoriginalnotonlyintoLatin，Hebrew，Arabic，andEthiopic，butintoeveryimportantEuropeanlanguage，includingevenPolish，Bohemian，andIcelandic。ThenceitcameintothepioushistoricalencyclopaediaofVincentofBeauvais，and，mostimportantofall，intotheLivesoftheSaints。
　　Hencethenameofitspiousherofounditswayintothelistofsaintswhoseintercessionistobeprayedfor，anditpassedwithoutchallengeuntilabout1590，when，thegeneralsubjectofcanonizationhavingbeenbroughtupatRome，PopeSixtusV，byvirtueofhisinfallibilityandimmunityagainsterrorineverythingrelatingtofaithandmorals，sanctionedarevisedlistofsaints，authorizinganddirectingittobeacceptedbytheChurch；andamongthoseonwhomhethusforeverinfalliblysetthesealofHeavenwasincluded“TheHolySaintJosaphatofIndia，whosewonderfulactsSt。JohnofDamascushasrelated。”
　　The27thofNovemberwasappointedasthedaysetapartinhonourofthissaint，andthedecree，havingbeenenforcedbysuccessivepopesforovertwohundredandfiftyyears，wasagainofficiallyapprovedbyPiusIXin1873。Thisdecreewasdulyacceptedasinfallible，andinoneofthelargestcitiesofItalymayto-daybeseenaChristianchurchdedicatedtothissaint。OnitsfrontaretheinitialsofhisItalianizedname；overitsmainentranceistheinscription“DivoJosafat“；andwithinitisanaltardedicatedtothesaint——abovethisbeingapedestalbearinghisnameandsupportingalargestatuewhichrepresentshimasayouthfulprincewearingacrownandcontemplatingacrucifix。
　　Moreover，relicsofthissaintwerefound；bonesallegedtobepartsofhisskeleton，havingbeenpresentedbyaDogeofVenicetoaKingofPortugal，arenowtreasuredatAntwerp。
　　Butevenasearlyasthesixteenthcenturyapregnantfactregardingthiswholelegendwasnoted：forthePortuguesehistorianDiegoContoshowedthatitwasidenticalwiththelegendofBuddha。Fortunatelyforthehistorian，hisfaithwassorobustthathesawinthisresemblanceonlyatrickofSatan；
　　thelifeofBuddhabeing，inhisopinion，merelyadiaboliccounterfeitofthelifeofJosaphatcenturiesbeforethelatterwaslivedorwritten——justasgoodAbbeHucsawintheceremoniesofBuddhismasimilaranticipatorycounterfeitofChristianritual。
　　Therethewholemattervirtuallyrestedforaboutthreehundredyears——variousscholarscallingattentiontothelegendasacuriosity，butnonereallyshowingitstruebearings——until，in1859，LaboulayeinFrance，LiebrechtinGermany，andothersfollowingthem，demonstratedthatthisChristianworkwasdrawnalmostliterallyfromanearlybiographyofBuddha，beingconformedtoitinthemostminutedetails，notonlyofeventsbutofphraseology；theonlyimportantchangesbeingthat，attheendofthevariousexperiencesshowingthewretchednessoftheworld，identicalwiththoseascribedintheoriginaltotheyoungPrinceBuddha，thehero，insteadofbecomingahermit，becomesaChristian，andthatfortheappellationofBuddha——“Bodisat“——issubstitutedthemorescripturalnameJosaphat。
　　Thusitwasthat，byvirtueoftheinfallibilityvouchsafedtothepapacyinmattersoffaithandmorals，BuddhabecameaChristiansaint。
　　Yetthesewerebynomeansthemostpregnantrevelations。AstheBuddhistscripturesweremorefullyexamined，thereweredisclosedinterestinganticipationsofstatementsinlatersacredbooks。ThemiraculousconceptionofBuddhaandhisvirginbirth，likethatofHorusinEgyptandofKrishnainIndia；thepreviousannunciationtohismotherMaja；hisbirthduringajourneybyher；thestarappearingintheeast，andtheangelschantingintheheavensathisbirth；histemptation——alltheseandamultitudeofotherstatementswerefullofsuggestionstolargerthoughtregardingthedevelopmentofsacredliteratureingeneral。EventheeminentRomanCatholicmissionaryBishopBigandetwasobligedtoconfess，inhisscholarlylifeofBuddha，thesestrikingsimilaritiesbetweentheBuddhistscripturesandthosewhichitwashismissiontoexpound，thoughbythishoneststatementhisownfurtherpromotionwasrenderedimpossible。
　　FausbollalsofoundthestoryofthejudgmentofSolomonimbeddedinBuddhistfolklore；andSirEdwinArnold，byhispoem，TheLightofAsia，spreadfarandwideaknowledgeoftheanticipationinBuddhismofsomeideaswhichdowntoarecentperiodwereconsidereddistinctivelyChristian。Imperfectastherevelationsthusmadeofanevolutionofreligiousbeliefs，institutions，andliteraturestillare，theyhavenotbeenwithoutanimportantbearinguponthenewerconceptionofourownsacredbooks：moreandmoremanifesthasbecometheinterdependenceofallhumandevelopment；moreandmoreclearthetruththatChristianity，asagreatfactinman’shistory，isnotdependentforitslifeuponanyparasiticgrowthsofmythandlegend，nomatterhowbeautifultheymaybe。[498]