, 1874-11-22
THE LIFE OF DAVID STRAUSS.

i
THE LIFE OF DAVID STRAUSS.
| DAVID FRIEDRICH STRAUSS. Won EDwAa1
zElIR. Bonn, 1871
] STRAUSS was one Of thu representative men OF
our tiu.e, It has been said Of him that he in the
Luther Of the nineteenth century, and that there
| are many REASONS why this ago may be named by
the. future historians Of theology after Strauss,
| ~ the sixteenth century "as after the great Re-
former. Certain 1t is, that there is 1t the pres-
| ent day, movement In progress in tho religious
! world as significant Il the Reformation was iu
| the sixteenth century. Certain it is, too. that
leaders OF that movement, il not the most prom
inent, is David Friedrich Strauss. Il is given to
BONE men to live, in tho brief space Of fifty or
sixty 5ea1s. the life OF many generations. It Was
given to Strauss 50 to live All Europe. Strauss
thought. is destined to 20 through the stages OF
thought through which he passed b+tween youth
and age.
Few unless On theological subjects havs beop
more extensively read during the last forty
years than Strauss Spite OF this fact. however.
Strauss had fev friends. Many read bis
books; few cared for: the man He was
dreaded By thousands loved by very few. He
stood SOLITARY Ill his life, saying just what hs
thought, caring little whether his views were
accepted OF rejectad whether he Was popular
or unpopular. Always bold, always true to his
convictions, hs never hesitated to express the
conclusions hia Investigations had led him to- in
order to spare the feelings Of tho public, or to
allow the consciences OF the non-thinking to rest
and sleep. he found no favor among any class
Of people, because he chose to stand delAntly
alone Ill his life. He found no favor with the
Orthodox, because ho attacked their most cher
ished beliefs. He found more with tho Liberals.
because they wese not willing to recede as
far from Christianity as he had done.
Living IN period OF transition. be Taa
the '' evil conscience Of thousands, who. less
earnest, but not less fsithl ess. moved over the
path At 4 snail's pace. He pulled the veil from
: the eyes OF many soi-disant Christian, tnd held
up to him the mirror that showed him to bs =
covert disbeliover in Christianity. In his owu
NAV, Strauss was great preacher. He did not.
especially during the last years Of his ife pre-
tend to bo Christian At ali but he insisted
that there were Thousands who professed to bo
Christians who believed in Christ Is l1ttte as he
did. These did not thank him for tho news he
conveyed to them illusion is often cherished
mole than truth, and there are those who find it
convenient to live the life Of the non-christfan.
and still lay to their souls the sweet uncsion that
they aro WALKING in the footsteps Of Jesus Of
Nazareth.
4 writer in the Contemporary Recie1o for July
has remarked that Strauss has been the moet
popular man in Europe, for the same reason as
the conscience is the least amiable and esteemed
Of all the human faculties, because He has
spoken when men would willingly have kept
silence; divided what successive schools have
1abored to unite; ripped up every compromise;
.11 %r1 vk,hs 4n1 Ill
the uakedness and deformity OF the Christian
spirit during period OF decay" Nor WAS it
only the Orthodox and Liberals in religion that
rere tho enemies Of Strauss. Governments
could not patronize him. or put him On any
position Of emo1ument or honor, because the
people we're opposed to him Conservatives
shnnned him, becauso of his religious riews;
Radicals, because Of his political. Hence the
ir1itablenesB, soreness, and explosions Of dis
pleasure to be found in his latest works. Life
bad souzed bis disposition, and it 1u not al
WAYS possible for him to hide his disappoint-
ment.
Strauss was Bwabian by birth. Ho Was born
Jan. n, 1908. at Ludwiasbarg. His father
was = small merchant OF the place. nsver re-
markAble for. his business-tAlent. and fonder
Of tbs cultivation Of his mind than careful OF
tho goodwill Of his customers. Horace, Virgil,
and Ovid, he found moro congenia1 than his
country-patrons; and he Was always ready to
neglect the latter for the former, NTH whom hs
Tas able to hold converse In their own tongue;
and, vhen be did not neglect his business for
bis faYo1ite poets, he did for hin pet bses and
plants. Mysticism had always charm for him.
and books on mysticism we're hin constant COM
panions. His temperament was irritable. With
his son he had little in common Not so Strauss
mother,-s woman Of the most practical good
seuse,-plain. SIMPLE gentle, stem when neces-
sary, and far removed from the mysticism and
attachment to dogma which characterized her
husband Strauss always said TINT he owed much
more to her than to his father. From her he In
harited his finely -proportioned head, his chieeled
features and expansive brow, bis humor and love
Of tho simple and beautiful in Nature. The
father's violent temperament and iron will we're
transmitted 70 the son also. his love OF art and
esthetic culture, Of music, poetry, and the drama
Strauss gave early EVIDENCE OF good poettcal
talents, and there is no doubt that, had he culti
rated tho Muses., he would have left \ permanent
name as poet David was the third child OF
his pareura, Tho two elder child1en-oue boy.
the other girl-had died before he Was born.
After him two other children we're born,-one OF
whom died in infancy, the other in 1868. The
future writer WAS exceedingly delicate when 3
child, and his lack Of robust health excluded
him from the manlier sports Of boys Of his age.
From tho very first he gave evidence OF poetic
temperament, grea. receptive powers, soidity Of
attainment. and remarkable industry.
In the fall Of 1921, when Il years old, young
Strauss was sent to Blaubouren, to begin his
studies in the Preparatory Evangelical Sentna~
~ 1t that place Hero he 1emAiued for four