M. Renan is publishing a new book, the first part
of a "Histoire d'Israol," intended to form an introduction to his " Origines du Christianisme," and the Globe of Tuesday gives us large extracts from his preface, from which it would appear that that accomplished litterateur has almost surpassed himself in combining a piquant patronage of religion with a thorough-going contempt for faith. In reproving Radical attacks on the Church, he says :—" If the Radical Party among us were less ignorant of religions history, it would know that religions are like women, from whom it is very easy to obtain anything if one knows how to take them, but impossible to take anything by violent means." A more skilful mixture of scorn for women with scorn for definite creed, was perhaps never before conceived than is expressed in this sentence. M. Renan's religion, which he upholds as against "the religions," which, "like the philo- sophies," are, he says, "all vain," is purely subjective. "In the infinite, there is room for everybody to shape his romance," and each man's romance of the infinite is his religion. "The Elohim do not reside in the eternal snows," —we wonder who ever imagined that they did,—" they are not met with, as in the time of Moses, in the depths of the mountains ; they inhabit the heart of man." Rather say that God controls the heart of man, and pats his stern yoke open it.
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