[M] "Neither history nor more recent experience can furnish any example of the long retention of pure Christianity by a people themselves rude and unenlightened. In all the nations of Europe, embracing every period since the second century, Christianity must be regarded as having taken the hue and complexion of the social state with which it was incorporated, presenting itself unsullied, contaminated, or corrupted, in sympathy with the enlightenment or ignorance or debasement of those by whom it had been originally embraced. The rapid and universal degeneracy of the early Asiatic churches is associated with the decline of education and the intellectual decay of the communities among whom they were established."--_Tennent's Christianity in Ceylon_, p. 273. For the influence of Mohammedanism on the revival of letters in Europe, see Andres, Origine di ogni litteratura. Jourdain, Recherches critiques sur les traductions latines d'Aristote. Schmölders, Ecoles philosophiques entre les Arabes. Forster, Mohammedanism Unveiled. Urquhart, Pillars of Hercules. Lecky's Rationalism, II., 284. [N] "Quid igitur nos antecellimus? Num ingenio, doctrina, morum moderatione illos superamus? Nequaquam. Sed vera Dei agnitione, invocatione et celebratione præstamus."--_Melancthon_, quoted by Feuerbach, Essence of Christianity (Eng. tr.) p. 284. He also cites the passage from Luther. [O] Rabbi Wise's remarks may be found in the Report of the Free Religious Association for 1869, p. 118. For Swaamee Narain, see Heber's Journal, II., 109-121 (Am. ed.). For Ram Mohun Roy, see his translation of the Sama Veda (Calcutta, 1816), his two tracts on the burning of widows (Calcutta, 1818, 1820), and other pamphlets. Victor Jacquemont wrote of him from Calcutta in 1830, "Il n'est pas Chrétien, quoi qu'on en dise.... Les honnetes Anglais l'exècrent parce que, disent-ils, c'est un affreux déiste."--_Letters_, I., 288. Transcriber's Note The following amendments have been made: Page 4--Budhhism amended to Buddhism--"... read Buddha, and you have Buddhism; ..." Page 4, footnote B--valuble amended to valuable--"The Parsee creed is given as above in a valuable article ..." Page 9, footnote D--omitted closing bracket added--"... (tr. by Goodwin, I., 293)." Page 13--omitted opening quote added (cross-checked against a different edition)--"... description of Patroclus furnishes "language which might convey ..."" Page 15, footnote J--Mohamedanism amended to Mohammedanism--"... fails to check theft, but Mohammedanism stops it entirely ..." Page 15, footnote J--s amended to is--"... is at hand, when the white curs shall pass away, ..." Page 20--omitted closing quote added (cross-checked against a different edition)--""... has always been accustomed," says the Roman Catholic Digby, ..." Page 23--gorgeeous amended to gorgeous--"The priests kneeled in gorgeous robes, ..."