The story
enables us to understand the way in which many of the beliefs of
Christendom have been developed, especially how they have been
influenced from the seats of older religions; and it throws much
light into the character and exercise of papal infallibility.
Early in the seventh century there was composed, as is now
believed, at the Convent of St. Saba near Jerusalem, a pious
romance entitled _Barlaam and Josaphat_--the latter personage, the
hero of the story, being represented as a Hindu prince converted to
Christianity by the former.
This story, having been attributed to St. John of Damascus in the
following century became amazingly popular, and was soon accepted
as true: it was translated from the Greek original not only into
Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, and Ethiopic, but into every important
European language, including even Polish, Bohemian, and Icelandic.
Thence it came into the pious historical encyclopaedia of Vincent of
Beauvais, and, most important of all, into the _Lives of the Saints_.
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