CHAPTER XXIII.

CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS.

N concluding our review of M. Renan's work, the idea is forcibly impressed upon our mind that we

have had to do with a man about whom there is far too much intellectual pride, too much carnal philosophy to comport with the humility and lowliness which are characteristic of the true religionist, and which were a distinguishing feature in the character of Him whose life he has undertaken to write. His proud mind appears to glory in being a man of science, a philosopher, soaring in intellectual. and sceptical revelry above the generality of mankind. He is, in fact, endowed with too large a share of "the wisdom of this world which is foolishness with God," to be a Divinely accredited biographer of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The things pertaining to Christ and His Kingdom being spiritually discerned, it is impossible for a man who is destitute of spiritual discernment to be true to the original.

Renan's general idea of practical morality as taught by Christ, however, such as universal human brotherhood, the love of God, the forgiveness of injuries, etc., appears to be correct enough so far as it goes; but his great and fatal error lies in his persistently disassociating the idea of man's natural and utter inability to practise this morality in the manner and to the extent required by the teaching of Christ,

unassisted by a direct supernatural power-the influence of the Holy Ghost; thus discarding the effects of the fall, the necessity of an atonement and spiritual regeneration, and taking to himself the sole credit of elevating and perfecting his moral nature, and of thereby qualifying himself for the abode of God.

It does not, he thinks, in all

The real secret of M. Renan's enmity to the Bible as a revelation from God is evidently this, that his proud heart will not stoop to the humbling acknowledgment that he is a sinner needing pardon and purity, and that he is, and will remain exposed to the Divine wrath and the sentence of eternal death, unless in devout recognition of the saving efficacy of the atonement, the salvation which is by grace, he with a contrite heart, bow at the foot of the cross, and as a humble penitent sue for it. The Bible as a Divine revelation he refuses to receive. respects meet the requirements of man, and many of its doctrines are at variance with his philosophy. He would fain dictate to the Almighty as to what should or what should not be in a revelation from Him; but not failing to perceive the palpable absurdity of a finite, fallible being presuming to do this, he rejects it as Divine, and pronounces it human; thus placing its Author on common ground with himself, and taking to himself the right of denouncing and expunging according to the dictates and rationalistic fancies of his own proud mind. If the authors of the Gospels, to which he particularly confines himself, in his estimation, speak rationally, he adopts their sentiments as being in accordance with his creed; but if otherwise, then they must submit to his superior intellect taking the precedence of them in the formation of a religious creed, pronouncing against the narration either as being not the genuine production of its

professed authors, although historically equally well authenticated with the other parts which he receives, or that by such misunderstanding or misrepresentation of Christ's true teaching, they clearly indicate their fallibility and mental or moral inferiority to the philosopher who has thus made the discovery and exposed it to the world. And as Jesus is his adopted model of comparative perfection (although according to his fanciful religious creed, he was but human, and lacking also the eighteen centuries of unparalleled development in the world's history which his brethren of our day have the benefit of), if the authors of the Gospels make Him speak aught that philosopher Renan does not approve of, he in general either represents them as having falsified Christ by ascribing to Him a creation of their own minds, or asserts that it must have been the work of an interpolater! Such are the flagrant exhibitions of weakness even in great minds when they would fain reject truths that are distasteful to their moral natures.

M. Renan's only argument against the Divine origin of the Scriptures, and on which sceptics one and all build their visionary theories, is a stubborn and unreasoning disbelief of the supernatural. This argument, however variedly put by different infidel writers, may be summed up thus: Most absurdly assuming that the experience of the present must necessarily have been the experience of all ages, they say, "We do not see miracles performed, and therefore miracles have never been performed. We do not believe in the supernatural, and therefore nothing of the supernatural has ever occurred. We believe that the God of nature has eternally and unalterably fixed its laws, and therefore He has done so." Now if they professed universal scepticism as to all historical testimony, there would then have been a

shadow of consistency about their argument; but this they have not done, as they would then be compelled to relinquish every fact both ancient and modern that has come down to us through history. Were they to do this, it would annex something of consistency to their belief, although such belief would be none the less false. Their great inconsistency lies in this: they believe in the validity of historic testimony as to other matters, but touching the supernatural, however overwhelming the historical testimony in its favour, they reject it. History (sacred) and reason testify that God is the Author of nature; they believe it.1 History and reason testify that God is the Author of the supernatural, of which the creation itself is but an illustration; they will not believe it. History and reason assert that the Author of nature established its laws; they believe it. History and reason assert that while God, being eternal, is immutable, Law, having had an origin, is not necessarily so, and that hence God who established the laws of nature can and does suspend or counteract them at His pleasure; this they will not believe. Theirs (of the Renan school) is not reason therefore, not argument, but innate hatred to the truth they oppose. Nature's laws once established, the Almighty's presence and oversight being, in their estimation, no longer necessary, they would banish Him from the created universe, and shut Him up-they know not where !

This singular style of reasoning, which pervades the entire system of sceptical philosophy, evidently has its origin, not in the intellectual, but in the moral. Such philosophers would exclude the Deity from the throne of His natural dominion, because they are, doubtless, afraid of His associated and inseparable moral dominion. Some of such may be what the world calls moral men, but of the higher kinds

1 We speak of those who believe in a personal God.

of Christian morality they practically know nothing. They are not Christians. They have not been born again, or created anew in Christ Jesus, and hence are not among the distinguished number who will eventually "love His appearing" as the moral Governor and Judge of mankind. They may, in a certain sense, as Paul said of the Jews, "have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." And hence the Apostle further says: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." This these philosophers, with all who endorse their sentiments, do not believe; and hence, having voluntarily excluded themselves from personal participation in "the salvation which is by Jesus Christ," they cannot be among the "saved." And if not among the saved, then, despite their boasted wisdom and scientific lore, they will sink, with "IGNORANT OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS" sealed upon their brows, to the regions assigned the blind leaders of the blind.

Although Renan wholly ignores the supernatural as connected with the Volume of Inspiration, he, by simply making his usual compromise of consistency, plainly recognizes it in his dedicatory epistle. Doubless, inspired by the kindliness of true brotherly feeling, M. Renan dedicates his work to "the pure soul" of his beloved sister, who formerly rendered him assistance in it, but, who having died in a distant land, is now, as he supposes, reposing in “the bosom of God." And he concludes his dedicatory address

1 Rom x. 9.