New-York tribune., 1866-05-04
FROM PARIS.
Ernest Bennn's New Book-A sypopsis-FHis
Nexu voIume-The Attacks of His Critics-
An Arabic Conmeninry-Thc Preparation
for the Work.
From Our Own Correspondsn,.

An Arabic Conmentnry-Thc Preparation
for the Work.
From Our Own Correspondsn,
PARIS, April II, 1866.
The second book of Renans Historic des Ongnes du
Chrisansme published last Saturday Il is entitled
Les Ap6tres( The Apocs) 1t begins with the coming
of the mourning jewish the empty tomb in the
garden by Gogoha the ith of April, 33 and goes
the sol moment twelve years later when Paul and
Barnabas setting from the church first
called sf,an at Antioch to convert the world. The
noipal .hemes of the frs portion of the work the
ton of Jesus, his appearance to the disciples, and
tue formation in their souls of the belief in the Resurec
tion the influence of the Holy Spirit the Git of Tongues
and the Power Of the Churchtreatcd, with the fullest
recognition of their peculiar importance problems and
facts of history and human nature, of which tho solution
and explanation sought by purely scientific methods
Next follows account OF the Church az Jerusalem, It's
first trials and c0nquests aid is social or rather soci-
tie constitution THIS leads most interesting study
Of the state of society IN that time and country the cor
relation Of 1t 70 the church and the modifying influences
NJ each the other For instance, the elevation Of
by the church and the bcnehcent power of the
church through woman; the cenobc tendency as i were
ID ,ewish society AID iis Development by the church
We are then shown the npd progress Of Christianity
through Syria 10 Antioch where the religion inst dis
nctiyely separated from Judaism and took the name Of
Christen .-Aatoch It's second metropolis destined to
suppant Jerusalem, ard pregnant mother OF al Foreign
Missons.
Here Renan interrupts the narration, 10 review the
missionary field that Is nearly The whole Roman Empire
the political social mo.al, intellectual and religious
of the countries where Jewish prosel ytism bed
opened we're the fumes that Christian preaching
10 fecundae. III the composition aud coorlng Oi tins
admirable se chthe chief objection TO which Is that the
hundred pages he allows i !; alv vv narrow canvass
the artist displays his various talents AT their best-lho
eruditon accumulated by thirty years study OF books,
personal observation Of ancient sites and modern matters
in all the countries spoken Of poets Imagination en-
rchcd and sObered by this requirement, great human
sympathy and charity scientific method, OF style
The volume closes as follows But il is time 10 return 10
81. raris.- ID4r1 Rarp
whom left at the moment whore they going ont of
Antioch by the gate that leads to Seencia In my third
shall attempt follow the of these bearers
good tdings By land and sen IN calm and storm,
rough good and evil days. l an eager 10 naraie this
comparable epopce, to depict those inteTminable routes
though Asia and Europe along which they owcd the seed
the Gospe-those they Tayersed so often IN such
diversity of circumstances The great Christian odyssey
is about to begin Already the apostolic bark spreads i
sails the wind is swelling ana only aspires 10 bear upon
its wings the words Of Jesus
And who indeed more ht to tell the story OF these
wanderers which their snglcness of high purpose leads
epic unity than Ernest Renan, who with his single lur-
pose Of seeking truth, has seen by the scholars lamp and
by sunlight with the travellers eye the cities and the man
ners of the many Paul saw For II Is moi more by
his book kearned familiarity with the language and htea-
tre Of the Semitic and Greek and Roman peo les than by
his personal acquaintance with ther descendants sun
occupying the ancient sites and nheTtng much OF The
ancient manners and customs well the raceype, the
intimate nature of their ancesys that be Will revive IN
his next volume " ST. Paul. the lie ana times oi ihe
Apostle TO the GentleS. .
Whatever may be thought OF Renan principles OF crti-
csm Of their application IN this book 10 The Acls ana GER
tain Of Pauls Epistes as the Gospel in his Vcde Jc4,
and hshereica conclusions orthodox Of us should
recognize nav safely admire and might pIoht ty certain
Of his qualities as historian and gentleman His graphic
description of the material magnihcence, and beauty ana
social corruption OF the great City OF Antioch Is master
piece historical restoration. His survey OF tine state o
the Roman Empire referred 10 above Is are ,h r1,ae %
agnation, alive with sympathy IT, IN the philosophca
part be shocks cherished associations and sacred beliefs
he does without intention. he attacks no person OF
faith for the of combat. he hits you YOURS II le
in passing what he believes Is the way 10 truih he
gardng Christ only man, but AS the Only man DeheVcf
degraics him. as some learned doctors do not hesitate to
degrade the sacred person Of their trinity to an anio
pomorphzcd partisan OF their quarres Not only docs
he not provoke but he quietly declines 10 De Po'ote 10
contrOversy The remarkable Introduction 10 ies ApOe"
contains among other things what may be styled keah
confession OF faith me best abused
of any writing in the last three years. he refers 10 te
numerous generally abusive, often violent attacks mace
on him and his book not angry, not coneiptuOusy o'
pifvingly even but with genial philosophical consider
ateness and 30 to speak, HnctuOus b0Hh0mmse As my
elbow friend Bunce says, that part OF the introduction
reads as If Fenelon and Ben Franklin had employed
Charles Lamb revise Henry Jamess original report oil
their views IN the case.
Mention was made this correspondence, two years
ago Of little Bibiogaphy OF publications relative 70
the book Of Mr. Renan We dc Jt,n', IRON Jly iooo 10
Juue 1861 that contains 2ll titles. That tie number
las considerably increased since you may well suppose
some among them, like prepenses Life Of Christ ana
The Abbe Mchons Life OF Jesus WIN new tfahsauoh
OF the four gospels and learned commentary are worm
uersa OF consultations But there IL one crque on ta'
work not vet published that might be- better worth PRINT
g ard readine than most have been oppressed with.
Alher, Wolf tells US its existence Ia The course OF M
entertaining scrappy biographical article on Keenan, pub
sle1 here in IL recent number OF the Erenemei news
noner When Renan WAS in the East, toward tie close
~ 1864 he came to Damascus where he received the nos
uitelty Of the Algerne EmT, Abd-e-kader lhe con-
rorsoou carried OF in Aabic,ran tor while pu tAs 70
- al Ill The descendant of the Prophet interrupted "Hh
B1, LEI Us say q word of YOU and your Lie ol jesus
" Have ron read H. then > asked kcnan something t-
,-scd Abl-e adcr ordered The volume 70 be brought
And oucnng its peges, said: Yes, Sir have ho' oH
read bgt annotated H. ,.,.,l.,1i.
n was during previous voyage IN syia iAai he losl m
sister ifuc guardian angel, whom with 90 muc lhsoi
Lo n9cd az uch She was OF the quite superior OH ui
od vomcn both On the moral ard intellectual s'de-s
n,e,or ami sympathizcr in the Work that he delca,u
o hn memory She died of yer peculiar 10 Lc c"th,
nv fn Simultaneous attack Of which he barely eseapeo
wish H. That bitter experience o the Iasi aso' ~
turned TO INGENIOUS explanatory ana FooN' "aeS '' NJ ~
count of the conversion Of ST. faui. e.,.,..
II is well enough 20 mention, IN PROOF u ."o ae.oi
nsp-alne fidelity to his work. tLat tLe lFos. W NI'
ng the History OF the Origin and Larry CROWN o.
Cbistiauity" was conceived more thah e'gh' e"s ~"
fat tiomcI a his studies mp TO that time were bt"e II
he devoted five years Of specal study 10 te
ronrefion of the first volume; that acI 'Ais se.o-
roIinc les Ay0frcs was blocked and NANNY ~isie. -
ont Renan made second voyage 10 Greece ana 'ne I'm IN
for ,.ts and local inspiration Complementary 10 's
mont and las revised and amended IL, PAgc Z ~ ~
still The last past eight months tlai II mas p'- s''"s
through the press.
Other books must wait.