History of Free Thought in Reference to The Christian Religion Part 4

(1) The dogmatic and scholastic, science without earnestness (p. 212). (2) The pietistic, earnestness without science (p. 213).

In the first half of the eighteenth century, three new influences are introduced (pp. 213, 214), which are the means of creating rationalism in the latter half: viz.

(a) The philosophy of Wolff, explained to be a formal expression of Leibnitz's principles; and the evil effect of it, accidental and indirect (pp. 214-216). () The works of the English deists (p. 216). (?) The influence of the colony of French infidels at the court of Frederick II.

of Prussia (p. 217).

The subsequent history is studied in three periods (p. 218); viz.

PERIOD I. (1750-1810).-Destructive in character, inaugurated by Semler (pp. 218-234). PERIOD II. (1810-1835).-Reconstructive in character, inaugurated by Schleiermacher (pp. 239-261). PERIOD III. (1835 to present time)-Exhibiting definite and final tendencies, inaugurated by Strauss (Lect. VII).

PERIOD I. (1750-1810), is studied under two Sub-periods:

Sub-period I. (1750-1790, pp. 219-228), which includes three movements; (1) Within the church (p. 219 seq.); dogmatic; literary in Michaelis and Ernesti; and freethinking in Semler (pp. 221-224), the author of the historic method of interpretation. (2) External to the church (pp.

224-226); literary deism in Lessing, and in the Wolfenb.u.t.tel fragments of Reimarus (p. 225). (3) External to the church; practical deism, in the educational inst.i.tutions of Basedow (p. 227).

Sub-period II. (1790-1810, pp. 227-234); the difference caused by the introduction of two new influences; viz,

(a) The literary, of the court of Weimar and of the great men gathered there (p. 228). () The philosophy of Kant, (the effect of which is explained, pp. 229, 230); the home of both of which was at Jena.

As the result of these new influences, three movements are visible in the Church (p. 230); viz,

(1) The critical "rationalism" of Eichhorn and Paulus, the intellectual successors of Semler (pp. 231, 232). (2) The dogmatic, more or less varying from orthodoxy, seen towards the end of this period in Bretschneider, Rohr, and Wegscheider (pp. 233, 234). (3) The supernaturalism of Reinhardt and Storr (p. 231).

PERIOD II. (1810-1835.)-Introduction of four new influences (p. 235), which completely altered the theological tone; viz. (a) New systems of speculative philosophy; of Jacobi, who followed out the _material_ element of Kant's philosophy (p. 235); and of Fichte, Sch.e.l.ling, and Hegel, who followed out the _formal_ (p. 238). () The "romantic" school of poetry (p. 239). (?) The moral tone, generated by the liberation wars of 1813.

(p. 240.) (d) The excitement caused by the theses of Harms at the tercentenary of the Reformation in 1817. (pp. 240, 241.)

The result of these is seen (p. 241) in

(1) An improved doctrinal school under Schleiermacher (pp. 241-250), (description of his _Glaubenslehre_, p. 245 seq.); and under his successors, Neander, &c. (pp. 250-252.) (2) An improved critical tone (p.

252 seq.) as seen in De Wette and Ewald, which is ill.u.s.trated by an explanation of the Pentateuch controversy (pp. 254-258).

Concluding notice of two other movements to be treated in the next lecture (p. 259); viz.

(1) an attempt, different from that of Schleiermacher, in the school of Hegel, to find a new philosophical basis for Christianity; and (2) the return to the biblical orthodoxy of the Lutheran church.

Remarks on the benevolence of Providence in overruling free inquiry to the discovery of truth. (pp. 259-261).

Lecture VII.

_Free Thought in Germany subsequently to 1835; and in France during the present century._

FREE THOUGHT IN GERMANY (continued).-History of the transition from Period II. named in the last lecture, to Period III. (pp. 262-274.)

Explanation of the attempt, noticed pp. 242, 259, of the Hegelian school to find a philosophy of Christianity. Critical remarks on Hegel's system, (pp. 263-267-267); its tendency to create an "ideological" spirit in religion (p. 264):-the school which it at first formed is seen best in Marheinecke. (p. 265.)

The circ.u.mstance which created an epoch in German theology was the publication of Strauss's _Leben Jesu_ in 1835 (p. 266). Description of it (a) in its critical aspect (pp. 267, 270), which leads to an explanation of the previous discussions in Germany concerning the origin and credibility of the Gospels (pp. 268, 269); and () in its philosophical, as related to Hegel (p. 270); together with an a.n.a.lysis of the work (p.

271). Statement of the effects produced by it on the various theological parties. (pp. 272, 273.)

PERIOD III. As the result of the agitation caused by Strauss's work, four theological tendencies are seen; viz.

(1) One external to the church, thoroughly antichristian, as in Bruno Bauer, Feuerbach, and Stirner. (pp. 274-276.) (2) The historico-critical school of Tubingen, founded by Chr. Bauer. (pp. 277-279.) (3) The "mediation" school, seen in Dorner and Rothe, (pp. 279-282.) (4) A return to the Lutheran orthodoxy, (pp. 282-285,) at first partly created by an attempt to unite the Lutheran and Reformed churches, (p. 282); seen in the "Neo-Lutheranism" of Hengstenberg and Havernick, (p. 282), and the "Hyper-Lutheranism" of Stahl and the younger members of the school. (pp.

283, 285.)

Mention of the contemporaneous increase of spiritual life in Germany. (p.

285.)

Concluding estimate of the whole movement, (pp. 286, 287); and lessons for students in reference to it. (pp. 288, 289.)

FREE THOUGHT IN FRANCE during the present century (pp. 290-305), (continued from Lect. IV. p. 194.)

In its tone it is constructive of belief, if compared with that of the eighteenth century.

From 1800-1852.

The speculative thought has exhibited four distinct forms. (p. 290.)

(1) The ideology of De Tracy, in the early part of the century. (2) The theological school of De Maistre, &c. to re-establish the dogmatic authority of the Romish church. (3) Socialist philosophy, St. Simon, Fourier, Comte. (4) The Eclectic school (Cousin, &c.)

Remarks on the first school.-The recovery of French philosophy and thought from the ideas of this school, partly due to the literary tone of Chateaubriand. (pp. 290, 291.)

Influence of the Revolution of 1830 in giving a stimulus to thought. (p.

291.)

Remarks on the third school.-Explanation of socialism as taught by St.

Simon (pp. 292, 293); as taught by Fourier (pp. 293, 294); and difference from English socialism. (p. 294.)

Positivism, both as an offshoot of the last school, and in itself as a religion and a philosophy. (pp. 295, 296.)

Remarks on the fourth school.-Eclecticism as taught by Cousin, viewed as a philosophy and a religion. (pp. 297-299.)

Remarks on the second school; viewed as an attempt to refute the preceding schools. (p. 300.)

From 1852-1862.

New form of eclecticism under the empire (p. 302), viz. the historic method, based on Hegel, as Cousin's was based on Sch.e.l.ling.-E. Renan the type. (pp. 302-304.)

Free thought in the Protestant church (pp. 304, 305) regarded as an attempt to meet by concession doubts of contemporaries.

Lecture VIII.