The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-01-27
THEOLOGY rs GERMANY.


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unique and instructive, and 1t present.
such startling contrasts of opinion tina
the attention OF the ordinary reader, n
well as that Of the scholar, Is challenged
The Americans are perhaps more thar
others interested in this subject, partl,
because the stern spirit Of Professionalism
which was the characteristic OF our earlier
colonial life was encouraged by the equal
ly stern and successful Professionalism o
Germany, and partly because so many o
our citizens emigrated from that land O
logic and have brought with them the
modes OF thought in which they were ed
ucated. Those OF us also who are native
and to the manner born recognize the fac
that Germany has projected herself into
the intellectual and theological life OF the
world and had a marked influence on oul
religious opinions and progress. A casual
glance at the past and present Of Germany
Is sufficient to show that she has both in.
creased and decreased, in different epochs,
the faith and the infidelity OF modern
times.
In the first place, it was she who mate.
rally helped to vindicate the right OF per-
sonal judgment, aud was o true and help
full yokefellow to England when, In the
sixteenth century, the tide of battle was
turned in the great conflict with ecclesias-
teal depotism. In the second place, IL
was she who, in later times, did more than
any other nation toward undermining the
foundations ofall possible religious belief,
leaving vast proportion OF the worlds
thinkers on the edge Of an abyss OF unbe-
lief and despair. In the third place, it is
she who, with Titan's energy, is work
ing to rebuild on the old foundations a
faith without superstition and system OF
theological thought at once conservative
and radical, which will bear the tests Of
the most scru pulous scholarship.
Let us look at this matter little more in
Detail. Through what are popularity known
DIS the Reiormers Germany openly resist
ed the entertainments Of a church which In
growing old grew also somewhat conspici-
Gus and despotic, and gave unspeakable
encouragement to that longing for religi-
Gus liberty which had already manifested
itself in France and England. That the
energy and fearlessness OF some OF her
gifted men had much to do with the estab-
iishment OF new order OF things in the
Christian Church goes without saying.
Since the beginning OF this century,
however, some OF the most powerful and
influential thinking OF Germany has been
in the direction OF q blank denial OF the
most sacred and solemn truths which
mankind in all ages has held so dear.
This epoch oil doubt was inaugurated by
startling assertion, or rather by series OF
assertions so conspicuously bold, and
maintained with such yigor, that certain
class OF scholars were ut once captivated
by the apparently unrivalled research
which they exhibited, and by the iascina.
ting, II not binding rhetoric, with which
they were displayed. Men were left in
possession OF a greatly priced and greatly
exaggerated individualism, which tended
to make the world intellectually top
heavy, which constituted each man the
maker OF his own creed, which blotted
out all authority except that OF logic and
argument, but which, in due process OF
time, by following its own fatal logic,
came very near destroying the individual
himself. Instead OF acknowledging a
supernatural standard OF morality 1t com.
PEELED each man 10 be revelation unto
himself, and the result was a series OF hon.
est but hurtful vagaries, which nearly
drove the world into an utter indifference
toward all morality.
The reason for this mad rush to ex.
tremes is not far to fetch. German thought
has always been vigorous and independ-
ent, and consequences have had no intiu-
ences in holding 1t back. 1t has certainly
not been US reverent assone could wish
and never hesitated to attack the gravest
matters and to subject them to the same
philosophical and scientific tests which
were applied to truths OF a different and
lower order. Strauss and Bauer were in.
tellectual iconoclasts OF the most daring
kind. They came into the field at a time
when Germany had grown somewhat in
different to religious concerns,and at once
captiyated thousands OF scholars and hall
scholars by the novelty Of their methods
the startling character OF their denials
and the FEASIBILITY OF their logic. They
founded school OF rationalism which at
tempted to rob Christianity OF its super
natural element and TO reduce Its origina.
tors to the level OF thoughtful, well mean.
ing, but greatly overestimated and in ma
nv respects greatly mistaken teachers. So
great was the influence OF this rationalism
and so cogent were its arguments
that a new impulse was given 10
the philosophy OF doubt in England, and
for time 1t seemed as though the Book
from which the world has for centuries
drawn It's inspiration was about TO be re.
legated to the dusty alcove TO take 1ts
place by the side Of the writings OF Plato
and Socrates. In America Theodore Par
ker, Emerson and Charming sprang from
the head OF German philosophy as Miner
va from the head OF Joye. Each oil these
scholars, in his own peculiar way, gave
expression TO the general doubt which
began to be felt In all communities, and
which is easily traced 10 German writer's
The rationalism which found its profound
est expression in Parker and Emerson, II.
feebler expression in the Unitarianism OIL
New England, and which still finds an in
ane expression in whole army OF bittel
malcontents and vagarists throughout tht
length and breadth OF our land, was ant
is but the feeble echo OF the commanding
voices which were heard in Halle ant
Zurich. 49,
During the last twenty years, however
a very decided change has come over tn,
i religious CSuNlCtlVnb VI tho eS.H r.
Pile. We can plainly see the progress Of
reaction toward belief from this reaction
toward unbelief. The reaction from n
extreme conservatism, not wholly un
mingled with superstition, drove the na
ton to intidelity; and the reaction iron
that intidelity Is gradually leading ther
back to Christian faith corroborated b
scientific investigation. 1nfdelity, as
dominating order Of thought, has lost 1t
, crown and its throne, and q rational cor
seryatism, freely conceding the superni
tural as a component part OF Christianity
Is gradually taking possession oil the nj
tional mind and heart Not only q
: Strauss and Bauer dead, but their init
' ence, ifnot quite dead, Is SO weak that
0 need awaken no alarm. Parker Is ais
dead, and be left so little behind him !