The New York herald., 1879-12-29

under the title of 1.-The Christian Church. has now
been published. 1t rehearses the fortunes and par
ticularly the qusrres, of the Church between the
years III and 16i. and it is the only work in the
French. language which analyses the prin-
cipal Christian documents of that epoch.
The epoch ITSELF NJ Renan says pos
sesses far more serious interest than does that
OF the apostolic fathers who figured SO conspicu-
ously in the preceding volume. During this half
century, in fact Christianity had taken on the form
in which we see it at the present day. and which
differs widely from that which it bore during the
generations Immediately following the death of
Christ The presbyters from which title We derive
that of priest) had little by little established spe-
cfal and permanent order in the Church, and their
president had risen by degrees to tho dignity
or bishop. Before long thore was complete
falling out with Judaism. The Church no longer
momentarily awaited the end Of tho world, which
had been eagerly looked forward to by the Chris
tans Of the first and second generations. 1t
had renounced that feverish hope and ceased to
dream Of material reign of Christ, who.
descending again from heaven. should insure
to has elect life Of perfect happiness on EARTH 1t
had moreover. Invested itself of superstitous at
tachment to tho old FORMS the old feasts. the old
traditions. The Sabbath had already been replaced
by Sunday. the day Of the resurrection But it was
necessary to 60 still further-to substitute for the
Jewish Christian Passover.
While seeking thus sto divest itself of these
remnants of Judaism. NJ. Renan continues,
Christianity under the influence Of the
Greeks who sought to appropriate and transform it,
At Alexandria the result was o singular union of
Greek philosophy with Oriental theologies and the
peculiar doctrines Of Christisnity Though bitterly
opposed this Gnostcism at last obtained ascendancy
in the Church. The transcendent idealism Of the
udrio m Tho
Of st. John. We ind there tho same pre-eminence
accorded to knowledge. the same contempt for the
material world. the ssme doctrine Of emanation.
though reduced to two beings-to Christ. who
cometh from the Father and the Holy Ghost. the
Comforter. which proceedeth out OF Christ. Butby
the boldest Of fctions Jesus Himself Ia made to
teach this Gnosticismi By the introduction into
the Church Of the fourth Evangel Christianity
profoundly altered Ceasiny to be q disposition Of
the heart. belief in God enjoned by Jesus, or in
the divinity OF Christ enjoined by st. Paul.
sisted thenceforth in the knowledge Of metaphysi-
cal doctrine. knowledge accompanied. OF course.
by adherence. This doctrine is the Trinity. He
who knows it not who rejects 1t must bo forever
damned. Henceforth there is something incompati-
bic between Christianity and the human spirit. Tho
religion has become obstacle, barrier, q
prison. This is not felt ut once but by degrees
its doctrines grow old. For the moment ravishes
the mind" When II. Renan composed his Life of
Christ" he evidently believed. in common with the
whole Christian Church, that the fourth Evangel
was written by the Apostle John. He believes
longer; but he still holds" that tho book
contains. in respect to material details. the
life of Jesus as John wont to
relate IT. he recognizes the tone Of the apos-
ties conversation And he declares that the Gospel
OF St John was not accommodation of Gnosti-
cism the wants of the Church 1t was. in reality.
''the father of Gnosticsm." Yet strangely enough.
though written in the year 126 sit lay in the dark
for nearly fifty years." Possibly ahuding to his
own experience; M. Rensn exclaims. zone
touch this subject without falling into contra
dictionsl''
Still another volume will be needed to complete
the history Of the origins of Christianity. The
reason may be beyond the extent and Importance
Of the subject) that the author wishes to close his
work With one Of those portraits in painting which
he excels the portrait OF imposing fgure-that Of
Marcus Aurelius-"a pagan Christ. seated on the
throne Of the C@sars who, had he been but little
less Of arstocrat might have founded a religion
as lasting Christianity" M. Renan has intrusted
the publication Of his latest work to the house OF