Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-11-26
Al&fan0ria 6az&tte
MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER EG.
German EaGiOnaIisnl.

The Rev. Joseph Cook lectured in New York
Saturday night on the sub ect of German Rs.
tionalism." The foundation of the new German
Empire, be said, marked the close of a great
period of it's philosophy as we'll as Of its history.
For education aud advanced research one was
never outside of the German universities. Tor
they irfi ,med the whole field of culture. Ger
many was the central point 10 the commerce OF
ideas. There were ten plloclpai causes OF ta
former prevalence of rationaism in Germany.
The fragmeutaFy presentation OF Christianity
was the first of these causes. There was earn
cstness without science, and science without
caruestnes;;; together they would have been
very good, but separately they wero OF 10
avail. The average German nature was
not as we'll balanced as the EagllSh, and
this gave rise to the most eccentric theo.
res Another fruitful source OF ratlonalsu
in Germany was the absence o! distinction
between the converted and unconVcrtcd In
Germany Christian meaut any one who had
been confirmed, whether believers or not, aud
if one wero to ask whether person were
Christian 10 the American sense Of the word
he would have to add some explctiVc such as
'if he we're good Christian" or siacera
Christian. The establishment of State churches
was another source of ratlonalsm, the minis
ters of the Gospel coming to be looked upon az
merely agents or the government. 1he III
hueDcs OF France and the French writer's was
another clement 10 the spread OF ratlonallsm.
French decentralization Was spread throughout
Germany, and it was thought iashlonaoe to
follow French ideas, custom which has but
lately been abandoned. The decentralization
caused bv successive wars was another cause CT
the destructive inidclity and ratlonallsm.-
During the Thirty Years War, he said.
Germany was o bowling hunting ground
for the rabble of all nations. One half OF
her population were killed in that time,
and the State was split up into petty polltl-
cal fragments. For two centuries after that war
Germany founded 10 colony and her flag was DOT
visible on any ocean. The support given by the
State churches to absolutsm in politics also
aided rationasm. Red rcpublicaDlsni was yet
such terror to Europe that white republican,,
ism cot no hearing except with those who had
listened to America with great advantage. AS
late as 1S4S both State and Church 10 Germany
united in resisting republlcanlsm: 1t was iounu
that inidelity grew strong under oppressive
and weak under just regulations. German uol'
yersity life was next dWelt UPON by the speaker
as the inspiration Of all her thought and as a
type of the prevailing opinions. Very little
evangelical doctrine was taught prayer meet
inps and church methods generally were negtc.
ted. Individual opinion which was hlnderod
10 expression 10 the direction of political or re.
lipious systems found vent 10 the most absurd
and varying philosophical tenets. Again, the
professors were very fond Of attracting crowds
to their lecture rooms by the ncwncss or cecon-
tricty of their doctrines. America was govern
ed by maiorites, Eogland by the arlstocracy
and Germany bv her universities. Ihore "sre
seven parts to German soclcty-the great inc
civil service, the army, the universities tho
nobility, the tradesmcn aud the peasants.
Another source Ct ratonallsm was inc over
throw of systems of philosophy on which paris
of Christian doctrine had uuWlscly been oasod.
At the present day there was tendency to re-
turn to the hristotelian methods, and nearly az
much attention was paid to the history of phil
osphy as to philosophy itself The strength OF
rationaism was also partly due to the aid 1t re-
oeived from tho State. II the members OF
church wanted ratonalistic preacher all they
would have to do would be TO vote for one, and
thew could have him without losing apy OF their
emoluments derived from the State. linus ra
tionalism helped itself from Wthlo the Church.
Tn this country rationalism would be too poor
m nav lis own eXpcnsts. but 10 Germany the
government loavcs aad fishes kept it together.
There were three ways OF supporting churohcs
Church aud State separate, each tor itself, as
10 America one exclusive State Church as 10
Eogland, or the concurrent c6tabi5hmcnt OF d't,
ferept ORGANIZATIONS, as in Germany The last
cause of ratioualsm enumerated by the speak
or was Romabism. It prevented half tho Ger.
m man ~, pecplo from seeing what Church can ao
complish, and made the lite Of the German
peasaotry prolonged childhood. ltsought to
destroy the Empire, whose presence was the
best guarantee of peace 10 Europe. The !ectu'
rcr concluded by tracing tho decline of ratlopal'
ism ia Germany aud expressing his hopes OF n n
glorious future for that favored country.--N.
Y. Herald.