New-York daily tribune., 1866-01-04


tellectua revolution. Not less superficial are tn
few meager paragraphs relating 70 Fichte, schel
ling, and Hegel, who are summarily dismissed ii
one or two pages Of tasteless and unmeaniDg The
torcal flourish.
In the theological development OF German!
since the commencement Of the present century
no name is Of more profound import than that o
SchlecrInacher. In the region Of pure thought, M
stood almost alone, unriyaled by any contelnpo
rary in originality Of conception, priilahc! ="
genius, sub,lety OF reasoning, and force ana even
majesty of expression, welding sovereign III
fuence in the highest intellectual spheres, compare
with which the position of Goethe in the worid o
I;terature NAV be deemed Of subordinate moment
The movement, to which he gave birth, was ~hoii!
uniouc. Imbued with the ideal spirit OF Plato,
acoontine the subjective conclusions of the Kantian
phlosophy trained in the most rigid forms OF logic
combining. TO a singular degree, the power OF acute
and exhaustive analysis with that of fresh synthetic
creation, nurlurcd in the caress3ng embraces OF No.
rayan piety, but instinct with the life of free rea'
search he accepted the great task Of his fe the
problem ofharmonizing religion with humanity, OF
rescung it from the contempt into which 1t had
fallen among the educated men of his day, and re-
conciing the essential ideas Of Christianity with
the critical and philosophical, achievements Of the
age. His chief work entitled "The Christian
Faith" is founded on the thesis that the seat OF
religion is not to be found in the intellect, or in the
ethical principle, but in interior sentiment Of the
soul. The feeling Of absolute dependence, or IN
anothcrform of expression the sense Of the Infinite
is the foundation of piety. This internal conscious
ness spprchonds the beauty and glory of Christ,
bings the believer into communion with
his spirt, aid ia manifested outward
ly in the fruits and graces OF q Christ
like character. The received doctrines OF
the Church must be submitted TO the test Of this
pous consciousness, and accepted or rejected, ac-
cordiag to their agreement enlargement with It's
bchests. Schleicrmacher follows on, this idea by
q rigid examination Of tho Lutheran confessions.
Every doctrine which they teachoi is tested by its
accordance with the pious consciousness. HIS work
is marvel Of sharp analysis, deep and persistent
thought and minute raiiocinGtion, which for keen
ness and dclcacy can b. compared only with the
edge of razor or lancet. Few of the ancient dog
mas Of the Lutheran faith, as may well be supposed
came out Of this process intact. For instance,
Schlcermachcr teaches that as tho Christian
Church existed before the New Testament, the lat
ter has no claim TO ultimate authority IN matters
of faith. The piods consciousness Of The soul was
prior TO the Scriptures IL is above tie Scriptures
and explains the Scriptures, rather than
being dictated TO by the Scriptures. The
true Word Of God IS 70 be found in the law
written on the heart, not in tie pages Of the Bible
The New Testament is history Of events, no, the
vehicle of revelation. IT, inspiration consists IN q
more perfect blossoming out Of the religious CON
fciousnoss, differing not in kind, but degree ffor
TIE poetic and sanity intuitious Of holy men in
every age Of the world. Other leading doctrines OF
the Church received similar essential notifications
from the tendency Of his system 10 discriminate
between what was important and what was worth
les in tradition, in history in dogma, in Scripture,
according to It's relations with the internal tcsii-
mony of the soul. The space devoted TO sellelor-
machcr in the volume is more pToporticno;e To his
Ella ms than that which is given to many other
eminent thooogians But it lack. the essential
qualities Of unity, conference, and lucdty and fails
TO present a comprehensive Wow Of the causes
which led 10 the temporary supremacy OF his
name.
We have no room 10 do moro than me-cly allude
70 few Of the more prominent writer's who are
either passed over in silence BY Mr. Hurst OF who
receive such scanty notice shows singular want
Of appreciation Of their influence Sospccal account
is given Of Ammon although his opinions are Incl
dcntay referrcdto one ofthe leading theologiaus OF
the school Of Kant, voluminous writer in various
branche, Of theology whose progressive forms'
ion Of Christianity into the Religion Of the World
avplies the principles OF sOftenod Rationalism t.
the progrcss Of history, showing tho power Of ex-
panslon and improvement in Christianity; of Bret
schneider, by whom the doctrines OF the Lutheran
Church have bccn presented in systematic form
adopted to the Intellectual progress Of the age; Of
Siaudlin, the great ecclesiastical historian, who
represents several conspicuous tendencies Of Daub
and MGrhcineke, who reduced tho principles Of the
Hegelan philosophy TO the form of the orthodox
Lutheran dogIuas Of Hasc and Hagcnbach, whose
writings cover wide compass OF inquiry, and by
their clearncss Of statement and genia. eloquencc,
have met withunusual popular favor; nor of numor-
Gus other prominent names, who're absence in n
history Of German theology presents as lamentable
a hiatus as would that Of Emmcns, Beechcr, and
Claiming in history of American theology.
The volume also embraces the history of Ration
slsm In Holland, France, Switzerland, EnglanI, I,
aud the United States. Under each Of these di-
visions, wc Gnd no less signal deficiencies than
those already noted, with the exception Of the
pages devoted to tho theology Of Holland, a
branch OF the subject with which We are not
sufficiently acquainted 70 warrant the expression
Of an opinion. The Appendix devoted TO the
literature of Rationalsn, il an i'll digested
compilation from the catalogues Of German
L -. a -.