Renan's works pretty well, but I have contrived to miss
this "practical" (I wish Dr. Wace had defined the scope
of that useful adjective) surrender. However, as Dr.
Wace can find no difficulty in pointing out the passage
of M. Renan's writings, by which he feels justified in
making his statement, I shall wait for further
enlightenment, contenting myself, for the present, with
remarking that if M. Renan were to retract and do
penance in Notre-Dame to-morrow for any contributions
to Biblical criticism that may be specially his
property, the main results of that criticism, as they
are set forth in the works of Strauss, Baur, Reuss, and
Volkmar, for example, would not be sensibly affected.

[54] See De Gobineau, _Les Religions et les Philosophies
dans l'Asie Centrale_; and the recently published work
of Mr. E.G. Browne, _The Episode of the Bab_.

[55] Here, as always, the revised version is cited.

[56] Does any one really mean to say that there is any
internal or external criterion by which the reader of a
biblical statement, in which scientific matter is
contained, is enabled to judge whether it is to betaken
_au serieux_ or not? Is the account of the Deluge,
accepted as true in the New Testament, less precise and
specific than that of the call of Abraham, also
accepted as true therein? By what mark does the story
of the feeding with manna in the wilderness, which
involves some very curious scientific problems, show
that it is meant merely for edification, while the
story of the inscription of the Law on stone by the
hand of Jahveh is literally true? If the story of the
Fall is not the true record of an historical
occurrence, what becomes of Pauline theology? Yet the
story of the Fall as directly conflicts with
probability, and is as devoid of trustworthy evidence,
as that of the creation or that of the Deluge, with
which it forms an harmoniously legendary series.

[57] See, for an admirable discussion of the whole subject,
Dr. Abbott's article on the Gospels in the
_Encyclopaedia Britannica_; and the remarkable monograph
by Professor Volkmar, _Jesus N