t the _Vedas_ are of very high antiquity is unquestionable; but
however remote we may place the period when they were written, we must
necessarily presuppose that the Hindostanic race had already attained
to a comparatively high degree of civilization, otherwise men capable of
framing such doctrines could not have been found. Now this state of
civilization must necessarily have been preceded by several centuries of
barbarism, during which we cannot possibly admit a more refined faith
than the popular belief in elementary deities.

We shall see in our next chapter that these very ancient Vedic hymns
contain the _origin_ of the legend of the Virgin-born God and Saviour,
the great benefactor of mankind, who is finally put to death, and rises
again to life and immortality on the third day.

The _Geetas_ and _Puranas_, although of a comparatively modern date,
are, as we have already seen, nevertheless composed of matter to be
found in the two great epic poems, the _Ramayana_ and the _Mahabharata_,
which were written many centuries before the time assigned as that of
the birth of Christ Jesus.[451:1]

The Pali sacred books, which contain the legend of the virgin-born God
and Saviour--Sommona Cadom--are known to have been in existence 316 B.
C.[451:2]

We have already seen that the religion known as Buddhism, and which
corresponds in such a striking manner with Christianity, has now existed
for upwards of twenty-four hundred years.[451:3]

Prof. Rhys Davids says:

"There is every reason to believe that the _Pitakas_ (the
sacred books which contain the legend of 'The Buddha'), now
extant in Ceylon, are substantially identical with the books
of the Southern Canon, as settled at the Council of Patna
about the year 250 B. C.[451:4] As no works would have been
received into the Canon which were not _then_ believed to be
very old, the _Pitakas_ may be approximately placed in the
_fourth century_ B. C., and parts of them possibly reach back
very nearly, if not quite, to the time of Gautama
himself."[451:5]

The religion of the ancient _Persians_, which corresponds in so very
many respects with that of the Christians, was established by
Zoroaster--who was undoubtedly a Brahman[451:6]--and is contained in
the _Zend-Avesta_, their sacred book or Bible. This book is very
ancient. Prof. Max Mueller speaks of "the sacred book of the
Zoroastrians" as being "older in its language tha