OF CHRISTIANITY UPON OTHER RELIGIOUS SYSTEMS. 



53 



women as well as for men. They maintain schools and hospitals ; 

 their women are given almost as much liberty as is enjoyed by 

 Europeans, and though apparently careless about religious 

 matters, except perhaps regarding funerals and other cere- 

 monies, they are otherwise the most progressive people in 

 India. 



Conclusion. 



We have now briefly studied the influence exerted by 

 Christianity upon other religions, whether extinct or still 

 existent. Quite apart from that influence which has resulted 

 in the conversion of multitudes, in ancient and in modern 

 times, from such religions to full faith in Christ, it is evident 

 that the effect of the preaching of the Gospel upon those who 

 have not accepted it as " the power of God unto salvation " has 

 already been immense, and is still growing. Even many of the 

 bitterest opponents of our faith have borrowed much from its 

 teachings, have admired (as the Emperor Julian the Apostate 

 did) its fruits, and have paid it the compliment of imitating its 

 methods of working. Yet no weapon forged against Christi- 

 anity has prospered. Truly the words of our Divine Lord are 

 in process of fulfilment : " The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto 

 leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, 

 till it was all leavened." 



Motto :— 



" Xa canyaduhkhe sati me'sti saukhyam." 



(Jataka-Mala I, 23.) 



Discussion. 



The Chairman said that the Meeting had listened with great 

 interest to the extracts which Dr. Tisclall had read from this most 

 important paper. The subject was a very large one, and Dr. Tisdall 

 had confined himself to a few of the principal religions. Many new 

 religions had arisen in the Christian Era : some in our own time, and 

 most of them had borrowed to a greater or less extent from 

 Christianity, but had left out its great essential fact. One example 

 of the influence which Christianity had had upon the world was 



