Hence  I  do  not  see  how  we  are  to  discuss  the  sacred  records
of  any  religion,  without  first  laying  a  sound  historical  foun-
dation." "But  why  is  that  so  important?"  asked  Saddnanda;
"  for  if  the  books  are  good  they  will  teach  us  of  themselves."
"  Perhaps  they  may,"  replied  Blancombe,  "  if  we  give  them
an  opportunity  of  doing  so  by  taking  them  fairly  in  our
hands.  But  if  we  set  out  with  a  prejudice  that  one  set  of
books  is  as  good  as  another,  and  read  false  rather  than  true
ones,  or  if  we  accustom  ourselves  to  say  there  is  no  more
confirmation  in  the  outward  world  for  a  Koran  than  a  Purdna,
or  for  a  Bible  than  a  Koran,  the  best  books  in  the  world  may
then  have  no  chance  of  teaching  us.  Hence  it  may  be  very
important  for  us,  and  especially  for  learned  inquirers,  to  have
some  knowledge  of  history,  and  not  to  mix  all  nations  and
generations  into  a  confused  mass,  but  to  know  what  came
before,  and  what  after,  and  who  lived  in  countries  where
sacred  events  are  said  to  have  happened,  as  well  as  who  lived
in  other  countries  at  the  same  time.  For  thus  we  may  acquire
tests  of  natural  probability,  and  be  able  to  say  whether  events
are  in  themselves  credible,  whether  the  persons  recording  them
were  true  witnesses,  and  whether  any  collateral  testimony  can


236  USE  OF  EXTERNAL  HISTORY.
