Heathen religions have often been described as they are found in their sacred books or in the teachings of their founders. This is not as it should be. They should be studied from these sources, but not from these only. These show the religions, not as they are, but as they were intended to be. The test of time which has been applied to them, their after-growth and their effect upon their followers should be carefully studied. It not seldom happens that the religion as its founder taught it, and the religion of later days which was built up on his teachings are very different. Take Buddhism for an example. How widely different is the Buddhism of Burmah from that established by Gautama! What vast changes has the system undergone during the centuries that have passed since Gautama’s death! Or take Mohammedanism, which was, as Mohammed taught, a crusade against the idolatrous reverence for relics, images, sacred places and sacred things generally. To-day, in one of the most famous of Mohammedan mosques--that at Delhi, India--_a hair from Mohammed’s beard, a part of his garments and his sandals_, are exhibited to the devout worshipers in the mosque. The Brahminism of the Vedas, the sacred Hindu books, differs greatly from the Hindu worship of to-day with its myriads of idols and its great system of caste. The same religion often differs in different lands. The Buddhism of Ceylon and the Buddhism of Burmah and Siam are different, and they together (often called by way of distinction, Southern Buddhism), differ very greatly from the Buddhism of China and Japan (called Northern Buddhism). The same religion has a still different form in Thibet. It is a part of our plan to look into these religions as they existed in their beginnings and in their growths, and so to present a complete picture. The life of a religion is not to be found in its sacred books only, but in the life, worship and habits of thought of its followers. From the idols, temples, worship, festivals and religious customs of the every-day life of the household or business circles, we can gain a yet more perfect picture. The traditions, legends and superstitious practices of the people generally contain those facts which are most widely accepted. The folk-lore, fireside stories, children’s tales, the myths and songs of any people contain the principal ideas of their religion. Thus we propose to try to present as perfect a picture as possible of the various heathen religions of the past and present, and we trust the effort may succeed. A CONCISE VIEW. Let us take a glimpse of the roads over which we shall now travel. Heretofore we have followed but _one_ wide road. From this other roads begin to branch off, and by-roads in turn occasionally. It will not be difficult to follow these paths, however, if at the outset we place ourselves where we can take a bird’s-eye view of the whole and pursue our way steadily to the end.