87 
In conclusion, we must remember that in heathen mythology such truth as 
it contains consists, as I have already presupposed, not of tradition only, but 
also of the developments of traditional or other knowledge. And while, in 
the case of Revelation, all development, as regarded both its nature and the 
rate of its progress, kept always the end in view, those developments which 
took place among the heathen, —and even among the chosen people, in so far 
as they were left to themselves, — went forward both at the rate and in the 
manner which the minds and the surroundings of their authors suggested ; and 
hence, if the aim, in itself considered, was laudable, the results, of necessity, 
were of a very mixed character. The study, however, of the process which 
was thus, from age to age, in different races and under different circumstances, 
being carried on, is of course highly instructive; and accordingly, as an 
important contribution to this study, we cannot but be greatly obliged by the 
very valuable paper with which Mr. Cooper has supplied us this evening. 
Rev. J. J. Coxhead. — We should be very cautious when advancing theories, 
that the facts upon which we ground them are true and authentic. This paper 
advances a theory, according to which we are to explain the existence of those 
remarkable coincidences between the character and position of Homs and the 
acts attributed to him, and certain doctrines in our own belief. The point we have 
to determine is, whether Egyptians held these beliefs from some primeval 
revelation. But before we go into this, we should consider the nature of the 
facts with which we deal. These are in the hands of persons who have a special 
knowledge of the subject, and the interpretation of Egyptian inscriptions and 
writings rests with a very few persons ; and it seems to me that, at the present 
stage of our knowledge, we should be very rash if we accepted all the conclu- 
sions and interpretations which they offer us. We have heard many most re- 
markable coincidences between what is said about Horus, and the relations 
between him and his father ; but before we can believe that they are to be 
interpreted in the same way as we speak of Christ as Light of lights, Lord of 
lords, the Son of the Eather, and so on, we must have a more satisfactory 
faith in the Egyptologists than we have at present.* There are, no doubt, 
in the Greek myths, also, very remarkable coincidences between what 
is attributed to our Saviour and what is said of certain heroes in Greek 
mythology. Eor instance, the labours of Hercules bear remarkable points of 
comparison with the works of Christ ; remarkable stories are told of the doings 
of Hercules ; and it might be said that those stories must result from some 
revelation given to the Greeks. Prometheus stole fire from the gods, and 
came to earth as the friend of mau, and was exposed to the greatest tortures ; 
and many have supposed that there is here a certain correspondence with the 
work of Christ, by reason of His sufferings for the sake of man, and on account 
of the knowledge that He brought to the human race. We should, however, be 
* In some cases interpolations have been discovered to have been made in 
Egyptian records ; and in many cases the hieroglyphics have been explained 
to have very opposite significations. — Ed. 
