THE EEY. W. ST. CLAIR TISDALL, D.T)., ON MITHRAISM. 275 



carrying on work of a very dangerous character, dangerous because 

 his intellectual eminence is admitted, and anything he says on 

 subjects he knows very little about is accepted by large audiences. 

 I heard him lecture yesterday and heard him describe how where- 

 ever the Bible had gone it had produced the deterioration of the 

 people who used it. There are statements in this book referred to 

 resting largely upon a clever imagination, but very little upon 

 sound learning or careful examination of facts. 



Dr. Tisdall, almost shall I say over-proved his case, at any rate 

 he raised the question, how was it that Mithraism, if it were no 

 more than he described, was a serious rival to Christianity for over 

 three centuries as described in Sir Samuel Dill's book From Nero to 

 Aurelius. The Mithraic priests must surely have learned a great 

 deal from Christianity and must have incorporated much that they 

 borrowed into their teaching. Otherwise it is difficult to understand 

 how they were able to draw to themselves many of the best elements 

 in Roman society. It would have been more convincing if 

 Mr. Tisdall had explained what Mithraism became in its highest 

 development. It is a very valuable thing to trace back a Pagan 

 religion to its origin, because no religion can rise permanently 

 higher that its origin. If we once know what is at the root of 

 Mithraism we can understand why it vanished away when it came 

 into acute conflict with Christianity, and people began to realise what 

 they had to choose between in preferring Christianity to Paganism. 



Rev. J. J. B. Coles, M.A., said : There is some underlying truth 

 in all these ancient Mysteries ; there is some connecting link, and I 

 think that possibly in our next session a paper on the continuity and 

 essential unity of esoteric teaching in all these rites would be help- 

 ful and suggestive. 



Not until we study Ancient Mysteries and Secret Societies from 

 an esoteric standpoint shall we be able to find the true solution of 

 many interesting problems. 



Colonel Alves said : As I remarked on a previous occasion (p. 234), 

 there are undoubtedly points of contact between Christianity, which 

 is completed Judaism, and the various pagan systems of religion. 

 To deny this is not only foolish, but mischievous. 



But whilst Christian doctrine is like a clear river, the various 

 pagan streams are muddy and foul, and very confused. 



The points of contact are easily understood. Man, by nature. 



