The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-21

to the year 1870 A. D., to the Roman Church
| and the Muratorian Fragment (sinoe, in Its
original form, assigned to Hippolytus OF
Porto,, as the time and place where the New
| Testament was closed against additions.
His early admiration Of Rome never died
out. The Catholic Church, he declared,
was the saving of Christianity from Gnostics,
! Oriental and Greek, who would have turned
il with host of wild fances into q con-
ventcle Of madmen.
Convinced Christian az he La, DR.. Barry
comedies that the contrast between Marcus
Aurelius, who wrote his own gospel, and
Another whose writing was the Cross,
affords such theme as grandly to sum up
the long debate OF Church and empire,
| il not to bring about a reconciliation in
which reason and faith might embrace.
It is frankly ackno wledged that "the manner
Of this concluding volume lof the Origins
OF Christianity is exceedingly fine where
ever it touches on the 'Meditations,' that
sad and subduing book not rightly termed
by Renan the 'Layman's Wade Mecum.'
for all its grace flows from submission
| to the divine will as revealed in the nature
Of things DR.. Barry holds that Marcus
huTtAub WOultl udNc SoAhiAAoAA
| cause with Renan, though Renan strives
! to be at one with Marcus. what fellow
ship has the Stole with the dilet tante? Who
could he less Of Puritan than our saunter-
ing professor, led by lively curiosity
as he tells us, to consider the ways Of men?
| And who could be more 30 than the En-
peror, absorbed in his own spirit, eaten
up with scruples. always alone, signing
= H. Avuif
Of human naturep'
| 1t is we'll known that Remains History
Of Israeli has already become obsolete
amid the light cast by psychologists upon
the origins OF Judaism. An exception must
| be made, however, for the chapter OF that
history contributed by his version OF
| -Koheleth,' or Ecclesiastes. Certain pages
| OF this paraphrase have attained great
celebrity an betokening the attitude which
this veteran at udent OF Hebraism took up
toward the Israeltes now welcomed within
our gates. The present biographer recog-
nizes that in this book Renan portrays
over against the enthusiast or fanatic who
| heads revolut ions-Lasalle. Karl Marx and
their kind-the Sadducee. or man Of the
world, animated, like his prophetic brother.
with unbounded confidence in himself,
the mood which implies trust in destiny,
yet which is careless about the coming
of the Messiah. In this triumphant
money changer who has inherited what
ever his people could grasp, Koheleth
lives again He is identified by DR.. Barry
with the modern jew Between him
and Heinrich Heine. says Renan. there is
but a door to open. After 1000 years
behold him an accomplished wording;
he has no prejudices either feudal or dynas-
tic; he takes possession of universe which
be has not made 1t is for him that Clovis
and the Franks have conquered. He is.
indeed, no democrat. His smooth skin.
nervous susceptibility, scorn OF manual
labor, make of him noble, yet he is not
given to warlike feats Though he carries
an air Of distinction. he can stoop to the
ground. and therein he stamps himself
of the middle class" Chivalry and ascot
icism are alike far from the modern Jew as
Renan saw him In Paris. He has reached
the perfect WISDOM concludes this por-
trait painter in a half hooking aside,
which is to enjoy peacefully. amid works
Of delicate art and images of exhausted
pleasure, the fruit for which he has abored.
Surprising proof that all is vanity! Go to-
them trouble world, compel your God
to expire on a cross, brave all fortunes,
set your country on fire half dozen times
insult tyrants, throw down idols-that you
may die OF spinal disease. in luxurious
mansion of the Champs Elysees lamenting
that life is short and pleasure fugitive.
Vanity Of vanities!'