OP CHRISTIANITY UPON OTHER RELIGIOUS STSTEMiS. 21 



Aristides, and that written by Justin Martyr in Marcus 

 Aurelius' time, all helped forward the progress of Christianity 

 among the upper classes, and influenced those who did not 

 actually accept the faith. 



B. — On Two Extinct Eeligions of Persian Origin, and on 

 THE Eeligions of the Kelts, Scandinavians, and Finns. 



The Persians have always been susceptible to foreign religions. 

 Hence Mithraism, which in its day was Christianity's most 

 dangerous rival, seems to have borrowed not a few of its rites 

 from Christianity, or at least modified its own through Christian 

 influence.* 



Manichseism also, a compound of Mazdaism, Buddhism and 

 Christianity,! endeavoured to attract adherents by borrowing 

 largely from the latter. Mani (Manes) recognized a Triad 

 consisting of the Father of Light, the Son of Light, and the 

 Pure Spirit (or White Dove). He spoke of " Buddha, Zoroaster 

 and Jesus" as his predecessors in the contest between the 

 Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness, and himself 

 claimed to be the Paraclete promised by Christ. He employed 

 such Christian terms as " the old man " (by which he meant the 

 carnal body), the new man," etc. In imitation of our Lord he 

 chose twelve Disciples, or " Masters." These in turn consecrated 

 seventy-two " Episcopi," who then ordained " presbyteri." The 

 Manichaean Baptism and Sacred Meal may also have been of 

 Christian origin. Holy Scripture was boldly perverted in order 

 to support Manichaean teachiug. 



Among the Kelts, Christian influence may be traced in the 

 legends which in Brittany led the people to look for the return 

 of Lemenik (in Wales styled Lleminawg) to put an end to 

 discords and to give his people victory over their foes. The 

 Arthurian cycle contains much the same prophecy regarding 

 King Arthur's expected reappearance. The story of the Holy 

 Graal contains some Christian elements.:]: 



The Norsemen saw in their tale of the death of " Balder the 

 Beautiful "§ a great resemblance to the Gospel account of Christ's 

 character and death when they came under Christian influence 



* Vide Cumont's book, also Dr. Tisdall's "Mythic Christs and the 

 True" and "Mithraism" (Journ. Vict. Inst.^ vol. xliii). 



t Journal Asiatique, November-December, 1911, and March-April, 

 1913. 



J Villemarque, Myrdhin. 

 % Gylfaginning. 



