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THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE.
altogether. The illusion will persist, if only to accentuate the sense of freedom and to give a meaning to the joy of the Saved Ones.
Early Christianity seems to have followed the teach: ing of Jainism, at least in respect of the idea of Redemption. The similarity of thought between the two creeds is too remarkable to be ignored. We have the same rule of confession * in the primitive Church as in Jainism (see. The Sacred Books of the East,' Vol. XLV. p. 168), the same notions of Redemption and Nirvana, the same sort of aristerities, and last but not the least, a marvellous concurrence of thought about the number of the Spiritual Leaders, called Tirthamkaras by the Jainas, and Spiritual Elders, or Kings, by the author of the Apocalypse. Perhaps some day when the tenets of mysticism are better understood than to-day, we shall have an explanation of all the other problems which are involved in obscurity at the present day.
It will be seen that true religion aspires to make men jivan-muktas in this life, and lias little in common with the idea of salvation subsequent to a general resurrection of the dead on a suppositional Judgment Day. The idea of such a post mortem salvation is incompatible
* Confession is the surest means of self-improvement. When the impulse to lay bare one's evil thoughts originates in the heart, it cannot but elevate the soul. At all other times, however, it is idle to talk of its utility. The abuses which it gave rise to in the Christian Church only show that Christians failed to understand its application. Here, also, clear thinking reveals that where the priest and the parishioner are moved, not from true religious motives, but from social compulsion and ignorant superstition, nothing but abuse is to be expected.
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