Religious Systems Of The World - National, Christian And Philosophic

EELIGIOUS SYSTEMS OF THE WOKLD Rational, Pi ilo0op ic ADDRESSES DELIVERED AT SOUTH PLACE INSTITUTE IN REVISED, AKD IN SOME CASB BJ5ffiITTEN BY THE AUTHORS LONDON SWAN SONSTENSCHEIN CO. PATERNOSTER SQUARE 1890 PEE PACE. In proportion as wa love truth more and victory 2m, w shall become anxious to know what it is which leads our opponents to think as they do. We shall bqjin to suspect that the pertinacity of belief exhibited ly them mt remit from a psrception of something we haoe not perceived And we ahull am to supplement the portion of inith m haoe found with the portion found 1 thm- HBBBEBT SMNCEU, KM I nwiples, part of 3. THIS volume is published in response to requests from numerous friends who desired to have, in a permanent form, the Lectures delivered on Sunday Afternoons at South Place Institute, during 1888-89, on Centres of Spiritual Activity and Phases of JReligious Development 7 These Lectures were first designed to explain and illustrate the different Religious Movements of the day, for though most thinking persons are fully persuaded of their own belief they are often unable to understand the standpoint of others equally earnest, and thus fail to do justice to men of different creeds. After the current divisions of Christianity and Modern Ethical Philosophies had been treated, it was thought that Ancient Keligious Systems might also be profitably studied In the same manner, especially as the general public have very little opportunity of becoming acquainted with them, and not unfrequently mistake their mere accidents, or outward observances, for their spirit and substance. It has not been possible, unfortunately, to reproduce the whole of the Lectures, some having beengiven extempore and the publication having only been decided upon towards the close of the series, Some of the lecturers have been so kind as to re-write their VI PREFACE. Lectures expressly for this volume, whilst, in the case of one or two, recourse has been had to The Inquirer report, for the substance of the Lecture. The article on The Quaker Refor mation has been specially written for this publication and thanks are due to Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton for permission to use Canon Rawlinsons Lecture. Mr. B. F. C. Costelloe wishes it to be understood that he had not the opportunity of revising the final proof sheets of The Mass and that in consequence certain errors have crept in. A note of these will be found in the Appendix, p. 561. The willingness with which the . various lecturers came forward, without fee or reward, to speak on his or her special topic, to audiences not always sympathetic and in some cases at the risk, almost certainty, of offending their own co-religionists and the sympathy expressed by several eminent men, who from various causes were unable to take a personal part in the course, have been very encouraging to those who made the arrangements. It is hoped that the larger reading public to whom this volume is now offered will appreciate as highly as the audiences to whom the Lectures were originally addressed the catholic spirit which devised the scheme, and the ability with which it was carried out. WILLIAM SHEOWRING, 1 Son CONRAD W. THIES, SOUTH PLACE INSTITUTE. CONTENTS. THE COMMON GROUND OF THE RELIGIOUS f J dwawv Cloacl, . 1 SENTIMENT . c . . THE RELIGION OF THE ASSYRIANS . . George Rawhmu . 9 THE RELIGION OF BABYLONIA . . . W, St. Chad Boscawm 27 CONFUCIUSTHE SAGE AND THE RELIGION JiMMftJ JWWtf . 40 OF CftlNA ...... j JJ TAOISM ........ F. IT. Balfmw . . . 55 THE ORIGIN OF THE SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY DEVELOPED IN BUDDHISM AS IT EXISTS Sawud B al ., 73 IN CHINA ....... SHiNidiSM ....... Isabella Bird Mrs. Bi 1nty 89 THE RELIGIONS OF JAPAN .... 7. Pfonndes ., ,101 HINDUISM ....... Sir Alfred 0. LyoXl, 108 OLD INDIAN POETRY AND RELIGIOUS, ., n. mmM Macdonald. 112 THOUGHT ....... J BUDDHA AND BUDDHISM .... Mr. Fredwifa Macdmdd . 130 BUDDHISM IN CHRISTIANITY . . . Arthur Little . .,147 THE PARSI RELIGION .......