307 
e “ d,,sion «“ "“twith wtici he to favoured us, and I 
in which T b “T , my Sttictures “ the S P W ‘ of co “ ttes y *”<> kindness 
in which I have intended to give them. 
stndv ,S7 BB J °T~} am S0 " 7 th ' lt 1 h “ ve «* ^n able thoroughly to 
h Tde T’ n T “ k lhe auth0r wllet ber he could favour us with 
to J J h / a Zoroaster r eally lived ? The last speaker has referred 
cal ell h° n 'h h 6 h6 SP ° ke ’ 1 ^ “ mj mind the fact tLat ^ere is a book 
therefor. 1 7n ^ “ to the Great God, and 
therefore I felt anxious to know whether Job was first or Zoroaster 
sitin' fT N p~;? n 2 f 1 SiVe 88 8 C0n0lusi0n that as to date, the compo- 
sition of the Gathas may be fairly placed at some time prior to B 0 1200 
and Zoroaster may be put from 1500 B.C. to 1200 B.C 
ii l| Mr : J °f Ea 7L h ?, 3eemaat , a " J t0 be ° Va S" eness “bout the date, 
whereas if we take Job, as a hook of itself, it has a dear and definite idea 
given m it of the Creator 2,300 B.C.-say one thousand years before 
incideutT ' I ,1 a ' ,vmta « e . ‘bat it contains a series of historical 
incidents I think it is very important that in searching amongst the 
ancients for the philosophy of the ancients, we should not forget the vital 
and'the g riT e i « gh ^ Scri P tures - We ha ™ the Jewish Scriptures 
and the Christian Scriptures ; and they both certainly teach us that there 
not n o e nlv°of’ H He 18 *^ 0ne G ° d ’ the Creator > the Preserver, and Governor, 
not only of all the countries of this world, but of the universe. I must say 
i struck me that in the history we call our Scriptures, we have a much 
clearer narrative there of the workings of the Deity in nature than we have 
m Zoroaster or m any other teacher. I think that the principles which have 
guided the Institute ought to be kept clearly before our minds 
to lb 1 "; J ' E f 7 ° W T’ F f*r T Sh ° Uld Hke t0 raake a ^ observations as 
to the age of Zoroaster and his religion. I do not wish to put aside the very 
well-intentioned observations of those who have preceded me ; but I think 
there is another aspect of the question, to which they have not perhaps given 
as much attention as they might have done. I refer to the very interesting 
abstract which this paper contains of the doctrines of Zoroaster. And suggest 
that it becomes the duty of our missionaries and those who are in contact 
i h the Parsees m India, to make themselves acquainted with the religion 
which they have there to combat ; otherwise they might be placed under a 
„rea c isa van age Perhaps it may be known to some here, that a areat 
controversy took place on the occasion of one of the Parsees being converted 
ait ’ W T the ParSeeS t0 ° k Up man y Popular ideas, and 
showed that theirs verged very much on the Zoroastrian religion. For 
instance that popular hymn-well, I cannot call it that, -but that trans- 
lation of an old Koman verse 
“ Vital spark of heavenly flame ! 
Quit, 0 quit, this mortal frame.” ■ 
That is entirely , though unintentionally, Parseeisra. This controversy shows 
that, at all events, the Christians who come in contact with these doctrines 
VOL. XIII. Y m es 
