The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-05-09


ttrom Correspondence of Neo York Tribunal
PARIS, April H.-The second book OF Remains
"Histoire des origines do Christianisme" was pub;
Ished @ last Saturday: 1t is entitled "Les Apotres"
(The Apostlesl. 1t begins with the coming Of tho
mourning jewish women to tho empty tomb in the
garden by Gogoths, on the 4th Of April, 49, and
goes on to tho solemn moment, twelve years later,
when Paul and Barnabas are setting out from the
numerous church, first called Christian, at Anti
och, to convert the world. The principal thomos
OF the first portion of the work the Rcsurrec,
ton OF Jesus his appearance to the disciples, anu
the formation in their souls OF the belief in the
resurrection, the influence Of the Holy Spirit, the
Glft OF Tongues, and the Power Of the Church.
treated with the fullest recognition of their pecll-
nad as an ana fSUt? OF anS
PLANTATION are sought by pulely scientific methods.
Next follows an account Of the Church at Jerusa;
or rather sooaIistio a Constitution. This leads to
most interesting study OF tho state OF society IN
that time and country, the correlation Of it to the
tho other For instance, the elevation Of woman
by the church aud the benefcent power OF the
church through woman; the cenobitio tendency as
II were in Jewish society, and its development by
the church. We are then shown the rapid pro-
gress OF Christianity through Syria to hnsioch,
. where the new religion first distinctive sepsra-
ted from Judaism and took the name OF Chris
ttdn Antioch, its second metropolis, destined to
supplsnt Jerusalem, and pregnant mother OF all
Foreign Missions
Here Renan interrupts the narration to review
" the missionary field, that is, nearly tho whole Ro-
man Empire-the political, social, moral, intelec-
tusl and religious state OF the countries "where
Tunes that Christian preaching was to fecundate"
In the composition and coloring Of this admirable
sketch-the chief objection to which is that the
hundred pages he allows for 1t are too narrow
canpass-the artist displays his various taleuts at
their best-the erudition accumulated by thirty
years study Ut books, personal observation OF an
cient sites and modern matters in oil the coun-
tries spoken of, poets imagination enriched and
sobered by this requirement, great human SYM
pathy and charity, scientific method, grace of
style. The volume closes rs follows
,'"But it ie time to return to the three mission
aries-Paul, Barnabas, John Mark-whom We left
at the moment, whero they are going out Of An-
tioch by the gate that leads to Selencia. In my
third book shall attempt to follow the traces of
these bearers of good tidings by land and sea, in
calm and storm, through good and evil days. 1
am eager to narrate this incompatible epopee, to
depict those interminable routes through Asia
and Europe, along which they eowed the seed OF
the Gospei-thosc ways they travcrsed so often in
tian Odyssey is about to begin: Already the
apostolic barque spreaks its sails; the wind is
swelling and only sspiros to bear upon Its wings
And who, indeed, more fit to tell the story OF
those wanderers, 10 which their siDgleness OF high
purposes leads epic unity, than Ernest Renan,
seen by the scholars lamp and by sunlight with
the travellers eye the cities and the manners OF
the many men Paul saw? For it is not more by
his book learned familiarity with the language
and literature of the Semitic and Greek and
Boman peoples, than by his personal acquaint-
anee with their descendants, still occupying the
ancient sites and inheritinS much Of the ancient
manners and customs, as well as the race-type,
the intimate nature of their ancestrys, that he
VII revive in his next volume, 49,. raui," "the
LIE and times" Of the Apostle Of the Gentiles.
OF criticism, Of their application in this book to tho
Acts and certain Of Paul's Epiatles IA to the
Gos2sl in his Viede Jesus, and his heretical con-
pize, may safely admire and might profit by cef.
tain OF his qualities as historian and gentleman.
His graphic description Of the material magnifi-
cence' ana peauty, and social corruption Of the
great City OF Aptlbch is masterpiece OF histori-
Cal restofanon. His survey of the state OF the
Roman Empire, referred to above, is large in
stance OF q similar kind, eolid with erudition,
In the philosophical part, he shocks cherished a.
eociations and sacred beliefs, he does so without
Intention He attacks no person or faith for the
love OF combat Khe hits you yours, it is in pass
ing on what he believes is the way to truth. Re
Eardiue Christ only as man, but as the only man,
ne never degrades him, as some learned doctors
their trinity to an nanthropomorphized partisan Of
their quarrels. Not only does lie not provoke, but
ne me quiet deeiiHes to be provoked to controversy.
tains, amoi other things, what may be styled
Kenah's philosophico-religious confession of faith
Ihe best abused of any writing man in the last
three years. he refers to the numerous, generally
abusive, often violent attacks made on him in his
book not angrily, not contemptuously not pity
ing oven, but with genial philosophical consider
ateness, and, so to speak, unctuous bonhon,mie.
AS my elbow friend Buncle says, "that part of tn
introduction reads as if Fenelon and Ben. Frank
lin had employed Charles Lamb to revise Henry
James original report OF their views Of the case
Mention was made in this correspondence two
years ago, Of little autobiography Of publca-
tions relative to the book Of MIR. Renan, Vie de
Jesus from July, 1868, to JUICE, 1864" that con.
tains 2l4 titles. That the number has considera.
bly, increased since, you may we'll suppose. Some
among, them, like Pfepenses Life q Christ. and
the Abbe a. Mlchon's Life OF Jesus, with new trans
1ation OF the four gospels, and learned commen-
tary, arew rth perrsal or consultation. But there
is one critique on that work, not yet published,
that might be better worth printing and reading
than most we have been oppressed with. Albert
Wolfe tells us OF it's existence in the course Of an
entertaining, sorapPy biographical article on Re.
nan, published here in recent number Of the
EUenenent newspaper.
When Renan was in the East, toward the close
OF 1864, ne came to Damascus, where he received
the hospitality Of the ex-Algerine Emir, Abd-el-
ran for while from this to that, till the descend
ant OF the Prophet interrupted with: "But let us
e say q word Of you. and yonr life OF jesus
th;n yr;s you read It, then p asked Renen some.
ume to be brought, and opening its pages, said :
"Yes, Sir; have not only read, but annotated it.
Iva lf was during previous voyage in Syria that
with so much reason, he loved 80 much. She
was OF the quite superior order of good women,
both on the moral and intellectual side-his cola.
potoI anu oy"PathiHrr III lne WOrk t1at he dedi.
Gated TO her memory. She died Of fever pecu-
liar TO the country, from simultaneous attack
of which he barely escaped with life. That bit
Ter experience OF the East. also, he turned to
ingenious explanatory and poetic uses in his ac-
connt OF the conversion OF 1t. Paul.
It is well enough to mention, in proof OF the
authors painstaking fidelity to his work, that the
purpose Of writing the "History of the Origin and
Early Growth OF Christianity" was conceived more
than eight years ago; that though all his studiet
up to that time were general preparation, he de.
voted five of snncinl ut " 10