140 SHEMITIC CIVILIZATION. 



exceptions of minor importance, the world 

 in a manner has been entirely subdued by 

 the spreading of Shemitic Monotheism. 



Are we to admit, then, that the Indo- 

 European nations have completely renounced 

 their individuality in adopting the Shemitic 

 creed ? By no means. While adopting the 

 Shemitic religion, we have greatly modified 

 it. Christianity, in its usual acceptation, is 

 in reality our own work ; Primitive Chris- 

 tianity, consisting essentially, in the apoca- 

 lyptic belief, of a kingdom of God yet to 

 come, Christianity such as it appeared to 

 the mind of a St. James, a Papias, was 

 very different from our Christianity, overlaid 

 with metaphysics by the Greek Fathers, 

 and the Scholastic teaching of the middle 

 ages, reduced to a system of morality and 

 charity by the enlightenment of modern 

 times. The victory of Christianity was 

 only secured when it completely cast aside 

 its Jewish clothing ; when it became again 

 what it had been in the lofty conception 

 of its Founder, a creation divested of 



