InhispresenteditionRenanadmitstheinsuperableforceoftheseobjections，andabandonshistheoryoftheapostolicoriginofthefourthgospel。Andasthishasnecessitatedtheomissionoralterationofallsuchpassagesasrestedupontheauthorityofthatgospel，thebookistoaconsiderableextentrewritten，andthechangesaresuchasgreatlytoincreaseitsvalueasahistoryofJesus。Nevertheless，theauthorhassolongbeeninthehabitofshapinghisconceptionsofthecareerofJesusbytheaidofthefourthgospel，thatithasbecomeverydifficultforhimtopassfreelytoanotherpointofview。Hestillclingstothehypothesisthatthereisanelementofhistorictraditioncontainedinthebook，drawnfrommemorialwritingswhichhadperhapsbeenhandeddownfromJohn，andwhichwereinaccessibletothesynoptists。Inaveryinterestingappendix，hecollectstheevidenceinfavourofthishypothesis，whichindeedisnotwithoutplausibility，sincethereiseveryreasonforsupposingthatthegospelwaswrittenatEphesus，whichacenturybeforehadbeenJohn’splaceofresidence。ButevengrantingmostofRenan’sassumptions，itmuststillfollowthattheauthorityofthisgospelisfarinferiortothatofthesynoptics，andcaninnocasebeveryconfidentlyappealedto。ThequestionisoneofthefirstimportancetothehistorianofearlyChristianity。IninquiringintothelifeofJesus，theveryfirstthingtodoistoestablishfirmlyinthemindthetruerelationsofthefourthgospeltothefirstthree。Untilthishasbeendone，nooneiscompetenttowriteonthesubject；anditisbecausehehasdonethissoimperfectly，thatRenan’sworkis，fromacriticalpointofview，soimperfectlysuccessful。
Theanonymousworkentitled“TheJesusofHistory，“whichwehaveplacedattheheadofthisarticle，isineveryrespectnoteworthyasthefirstsystematicattemptmadeinEnglandtofollowinthefootstepsofGermancriticisminwritingalifeofJesus。Weknowofnogoodreasonwhythebookshouldbepublishedanonymously；forasahistoricalessayitpossessesextraordinarymerit，anddoesgreatcreditnotonlytoitsauthor，buttoEnglishscholarshipandacumen。[19]Itisnot，indeed，abookcalculatedtocaptivatetheimaginationofthereadingpublic。
Thoughwritteninaclear，forcible，andoftenelegantstyle，itpossessesnosuchwonderfulrhetoricalcharmastheworkofRenan；anditwillprobablyneverfindhalfadozenreaderswherethe“ViedeJesus“hasfoundahundred。Butthesuccessofabookofthissortisnottobemeasuredbyitsrhetoricalexcellence，orbyitsadaptationtotheliterarytastesofanuncriticalanduninstructedpublic，butratherbytheamountofcriticalsagacitywhichitbringstobearupontheelucidationofthemanydifficultanddisputedpointsinthesubjectofwhichittreats。
Measuredbythisstandard，“TheJesusofHistory“mustrankveryhighindeed。TosaythatitthrowsmorelightuponthecareerofJesusthananyworkwhichhaseverbeforebeenwritteninEnglishwouldbeveryinadequatepraise，sincetheEnglishlanguagehasbeensingularlydeficientinthisbranchofhistoricalliterature。WeshallconveyamorejustideaofitsmeritsifwesaythatitwillbearcomparisonwithanythingwhichevenGermanyhasproduced，saveonlytheworksofStrauss，Baur，andZeller。
[19]“TheJesusofHistory“isnowknowntohavebeenwrittenbySirRichardHanson，ChiefJusticeofSouthAustralia。