as was exhibited in Germany in the latter half of the last century. The Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible, is the Shibboleth of all Protestants; yet what Protestant teacher puts the Bible into the one hand of his scholar, without at the same time putting the Church Catechism into the other? A book of statutes only serves to confound the ignorant, unless he receives certain rules and prin. ciples of interpretation along with them; how much more are such rules and principles necessary in the Bible, which is not an orderly fabric of systematic theology, nor a formal decalogue of human belief, but a miscellaneous collection of histories, explicable only as they form a part of the great ethico-religious institution, the Church of Christ? But the rule of private judgment is evidently no such principle; being indeed only another name for every man's individual whim, and fancy, and presumption But the fact of the matter is, that there is, after all, not near so much of the devil in German theology as people are apt to imagine; -a proposition which might sound strange after what we have said above, did we not know very well that in this world, so full of multitudinous and inextricable folds, the best things are often strangely mingled up with the worst. The French Revolution was at once the most energetic assertion of the moral liberty of men, and the most humiliating manifestation of the use he makes of that liberty. The history of Christianity in Germany presents a spiritual revolution of similar character, and similar aspects; and as we have shown the one side of the picture sufficiently black, it is but fair that we should look for a moment upon the other. Let us, therefore, inquire a little more particularly what this phenomenon called German Neology, or rather more at large German Protestantism, really is-whence, and how it Instead of one Universal Church, the arose-what the manner of its working- Reformation, misunderstood, made every what have been, so far as yet discernible, its man a Church to himself; and in what a effects—and what are likely to be its future Babylonish hubbub and confusion, and anniresults. And, in the first place, they appear hilation of all religious reality, this has to us to err egregiously, who look upon Ger- ended in Germany, we all know. In the man Rationalism as something peculiarly primitive ages of Christianity, when some German, something of which the origin and wise respect was paid to tradition, it was a causes are to be sought for within the nar- comparatively easy matter to settle the row limits of the Augsburg Confession, or ological controversies. « Τὰ τοιαῦτα γὰρ οὐ the Heidelburg Catechisin. It is not a Ger- apexaßuev," We know no such tradition, man, but a European fever, that here dis- was the plain concurrent testimony of every turbs the calm flow of the vital humours; father in God to his inquiring flock; and nay more, that which we denounce and ana- this answer was considered sufficient, or at thematize as the most insidious foe of our least allowed to weigh nine-tenths in the common Protestantism, is neither more nor balance, and justly so. For the Catholic less (as has been often remarked) than that Christian tradition was then an atmosphere same Protestantism run to seed. We do which all breathed; and heresies were not mean by this to defend the maxim, that smoke, and cloud, and meteors that every religion, like chemistry, or any of the one could perceive and distinguish. But experimental sciences, is a thing that now the silver chain is broken: every man must grow and expand with the times, and stands on his own legs as well as he can with the development of the human mind stand, and no man knows a spiritual atmos (though certainly religion will always be one phere to live in, wider than the atmosphere thing to an enlightened, and another thing to of his own brain. There is no bosom of a a darkened intellect): we do not mean to say Universal Church in which all Christians that the Reformation in the mind of M. Lu- delight to repose. We believe in no tra ther, was merely the commencement of a se- dition: we study theology and systems of ries of changes destined to progress onwards theology, and set these battling against each to that happy period when the Bible shall be other, like a Roman mob, estimating the stripped of everything that now distinguishes quality of our intellectual enjoyment by the it from the Enchiridion of Epictetus, or number of gladiators that we see bleeding. Adam's Smith Theory of Moral Sentiments. This is one of the consequences of the ReBut we do say that the principle of individual formation; and it requires not that a man judgment, apart altogether from the tradition should be a Papist, but merely that he should of the Church, arrested by the early reform. keep his eyes opeu, and love truth, and ers, though not applied to that effect by them speak it out plainly, in order to see that it is has nevertheless, if rigorously carried out, the so. The Anglican Church, indeed, has alnecessary tendency to produce, when external circumstances are favourable, exactly such a state of things in the Christian Church Letter of Serapion to the Church at Antioch. -Eusebius. and ways consistently maintained the sanctity | out of the depths of human thought. No of ecclesiastical tradition, and the absurdity one willingly brings upon himself the daily of every man's building up, or attempting to disagreeable "monstrari digito" of heresy; build up, a creed for himself, begotten be- and it is of the very nature of a true Cathotween his own brain and the naked Bible, lic Church to allow every possible scope to apart altogether from the atmosphere of a the free activity of the individual that is concommon tradition, in which primitive sistent with the existence of the community Christianity lies embosomed. With these as an organic whole. This is a truth deepviews we shall certainly see much ground ly founded in the very nature of all human for the exercise of Christian charity in judg. associations; and yet it is impossible to say ing of German Rationalism. In that phe- how much harm may have been done by its nomenon, however much noise it may have notorious neglect in public councils and asmade, there is in reality nothing that can semblies. Not how much they might emsurprise a reflecting mind. The principle brace, but how much they must exclude, of freedom of investigation, and independent seems to have been the question with those inquiry common to all Protestantism, found who drew up the creeds of our zealots; in Germany more profoundness of philoso- while with a most marvellous inconsistency phical investigation, more rich abundance each proclaimed itself aloud as the only of academic erudition to work upon; and true Church of Christ, (assuming thus to the natural and necessary consequence of itself the Popish quality of infallibility) they the fermentation thereby occasioned was were all sufficiently consistent in this, that German Rationalism. Mr. Rose has taken they excluded from salvation those not witha very narrow view of the case indeed, when in the pale of their self-constituted infallibilihe ascribes that great revolution of religious ty, and denounced all others, without cereopinion principally, or in a great measure, mony, as "enemies to the Christian relito the vagueness and looseness of the sym- gion."* And thus it may have happened bolical books of the Lutheran Church. too that councils assembled together ostenThe Westminster Confession is tight enough sibly for the purpose of suppressing heresy, certainly; but that did not hinder many have, for want of a proper spirit of modera"new lights" from wandering into Scotland, tion and humility, been its strongest uninabout the middle of the last century; nor did tentional support, and the means of establishthe great "Mystery of Moderation" less ing and perpetuating it. * The first ecclesitriumphantly lift up its head out of the very astical council that with rash dogmatism deepest bosom of Calvinistic orthodoxy. Hu- presumed to fix down the generality of the man reason, when the fit of free inquiry is on Catholic Christian tradition to a system of it, is in truth like a wild beast; the smaller the dogmas left by Sacred Writ in wise indeficage in which you confine it the more fierce. niteness, was, if not the author of the first ly will it rage. To allow a certain latitude heresy, at least the first to put heresy into of speculation within the bosom of a Church stereotype. Babbling voices of fools have is the sure way to prevent the public promi- oftentimes spoken foolish opinions to the nence and noxious working of any secret wind, and with the wind they have also heresy that ever and anon may, and from been carried away; but an œcumenic counthe constitution of human nature must, arise cil has power to give an abiding habitation to a floating cloud, and confer immortality upon a whim. That the Lutheran Church, in particu lar, has suffered more from this ancient itch "Ecclesiastical Characteristics, or the Arcana of Church Policy, being a humble attempt to open the Mystery of Moderation, wherein is shown a plain and easy way of attaining to the character of a Moderate Man, as at present in practice in the Church of Scotland." Wither- "Papists, Anabaptists, Arians, and other such spoon's Works, vol. vi. edit. 1805. One of the finest enemies to the Christian religion."-First Book of pieces of Christian satire that ever was written. Discipline of the Church of Scotland, c. iv. § 3. It were an interesting problem to inquire how far" Against the holy communion war two raging the Moderation of the Church of Scotland, whose armies of the incarnate devil; on the one side palmy days are now gone, was not a sort of con- the ungodly Papists; on the other, the over cucealed Rationalism, only prevented from break-rious and conceited Calvinists. The wretched ing out into full manifestation by the natural conservatism of the British character, and the salutary terror of the French Revolution. Certain it is, that the peculiar doctrines of Christianity were then as slanderously kept in the back ground, as they are now most irreverently brought forward on every vulgar occasion, and converted into a squeaking pig for every fool to ride on. But this subject were well deserving of a separate and a sifting inquiry. heathen Ovid is a better theologian than our Cal- "Kai των of theologians to put their creeds into im- | world in the process of creation, and to taste, moveable stereotype, than from any loose- as it were, in spirit the clear and sweet wine ness of faith, such as that of which Mr. Rose that is gradually working itself out of the complains, has been already so fully eluci- yeasty troubles of the past, is a very different dated by Mr. Pusey in his excellent work on affair, and not certainly every man's busiGerman theology, that it would be idle for ness who, in this paper age, can write a us to do any thing else than allude to it here. book that shall be read. But there are The assertion of intellectual independence some truths with regard to this matter that by the first Reformers was, in all the Pro- are more evident, and will be recognized at testant countries of Europe, followed by an once by the liberal mind as belonging to age of polemics and formal dogmatism, and that favourable aspect in which the true phia cleaving to the letter of the Church creed losopher desires habitually to look upon all -an age of true Protestant Popery, that in things. In the first place, if we have any no country attained to such perfect develop faith in truth at all, we may easily see that ment as in Germany. What shall we think in the long run it can only be the gainer by of the Christianity of a time (the latter part deep and searching investigation into its of the 16th and the whole of the 17th century) first principles. We may here be allowed when one theologian was imprisoned for to use the words of a man who fought an maintaining that man is not entirely passive unwearied champion for Church orthodoxy in the work of redemption, another banished in the very heat of the great battle of neologfor maintaining that Christ died for all men, ic scepticism-Henry Stilling. "Whether and a third deprived of the just rites of such a state of things," says he, "can conChristian burial for addressing the Almighty sist with the kingdom of Truth, is a question in prayer Unser vater, &c. instead of Vater which the great Apostle of Truth answers Unser? That these things, however, took in the affirmative, when he says- There place in Germany during the high and must needs be division among you, that the palmy days of Lutheran orthodoxy, is mat- truth may be made manifest.' When every ter of undeniable historical fact; and truly one is at liberty to think as he pleases, mil. it is extremely difficult to say whether the lions of doctrines appear which every one tyranny of this formal dogmatism, or the may test; hence a general ferment arises, anarchy of the subsequent formless resolu- which gives the spirit more lightness and tion of all dogmas and of all facts, be more purity: This is spoken like a calm rainconsistent with the spirit of true Christian liberty. tional man, and not in that mad spirit of sweeping condemnation, in which Stilling himself too often, and our British theologians generally, delight to discourse of German neology. If, to the action of these two great causes, the principle of dissolution inherent in Pro. testantism consistently carried out, and the reaction on the barren formalism that en- We fix our eyes upon the stable statutory crusted itself on the Lutheran Church very rule of orthodoxy, and plume ourselves besoon after the death of its great founder, we fore God upon our Sabbath Bills, and our add also the influence of the godless French decent and respectable Church-goings, and literature, and the deep movement of Euro- our abstaining from theatres and operas, as pean intellect that everywhere preceded the also from cricket playing and dancing breaking out of the French revolution, we (though not from gin-drinking and riotous shall be at no loss to see what the real living,) on Sabbath afternoons; and we look causes and organizing principles of German down with pious complacency upon that poor rationalism were: and what its real character and worth in the intellectual development of Europe are, or may prove to be, is a matter concerning which it is by no means so easy to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion. To perceive that the troubled fermentation of German religious thought, is a very different thing from the square crystal of English orthodoxy requires no very peculiar gift of insight; to bawl aloud and anathematize a whole people, because we find it somewhat difficult to lay hold of their magnificent volumes of thought, and mould them into a British brick, is also no trick of a great prophet; but to cast a sympathetic glance into the secret organism of a new German publican, who is groaning in spirit through much tribulation of metaphysics. and biblical criticism, saying, Surely in the sight of God I am holier than thou. But did it never occur to us that a regular observance of the outward forms of religion is one thing, and a deep yearning of the soul after its high and ennobling truths is another? Did it never occur to us to ask, whether, though there is less of the former, there may not perhaps be more of the latter in Germany than among ourselves? Do we imagine that the vital energy of the chafing soul within is always John Christian Stahlschmidt, a German Missionary. London, 1837. From Jackson's translation of the Life of in direct ratio to the distinctness of the con- himself over with a more deceitful oil of selftour, and the solidity of the material that is complacency. We state it as a notorious observable in the outward body? Or does fact of which no student of German literanot the soul rather oftentimes withdraw itself ture can be ignorant, that there is infinitely into inertness, in proportion as the body shapes more of a deep, earnest, searching spirit of itself into a stony architecture that stands true piety in that literature than in our own; against the storms of time unmoved? These are that though it may sometimes be difficult to questions which are well deserving that every state in so many words wherein the exact British Christian should ask themselves, and creed of each pious German man consists, still answer them seriously. Our excellent es- his piety is there, feeling and felt, colouring, tablishments keep the outward form and interpenetrating, informing all things; you architecture of Christianity steady; but in cannot touch it, but you feel sensibly that themselves and in their own proper character there is a soul present, that you are not far as establishments, they have no necessary or from the influence of God and good things; direct tendency to preserve the vital spirit of whereas our literary men and our great devotion, or diffuse the Catholic atmosphere writers do too generally keep studiously of Christian love. All Church-establishments aloof from all mention of religion. We de. are not equally favourable to the free deve-sire also to mention another thing as an unlopment of natural and healthy views on disputed fact, of which no person even superpoints of doctrine, and matters of theological ficially acquainted with German philosophy disputation. Over these things the mitre and and theology can be ignorant, viz. :—that in the crosier have no control, any more than a the same proportion that the outward and provost's wig, or a magistrate's mace; out of historical evidence of christianity has been the depths of the human soul the question discredited in Germany, its inward divinity comes, and out of these depths God sends and sanctifying influences have been recog. forth the answer. A Church may ordain, nized. This is a great achievement; and and Churches have always been in the laud. it is fit that it should be publicly mentioned, able practice of ordaining, a form of sound and that the Germans should be publicly words; but so far as an act of parliament or- thanked for what they have done in this most dains this, it is a form only. A church-es- fruitful vineyard of spiritual activity. Kant's tablishment has power to make a mummy of celebrated book, Religion within the a dead body, filling it with sweet spices, hav- Bounds of Pure Religion," was at once the ing some resemblance to the odour of life, most subtle and curious undermining of the swathing it round with fine linen, and mark- Christian religion as a historical faith h; ing it with curious cabalistic phrase in Latin, and, at the same time, the most sublime Greek, and Hebrew; but to put the regen- and glorious apotheosis of the same reerated soul of true piety into that which hath ligion as a means of moral purifica. a name to live while it is dead, this is beyond tion, that the world ever saw, or as we the power of any church: a vital emotion can proceed only from a principle of vitality; the free glance of a heaven-ward looking intellect can alone create that which is worthy the name of theology; the free uprising of a God-moved heart can alone create that which is worthy the name of re-heaven!" This great truth, which only the ligion. 66 may say with confidence-ever will see "Ver shallow and superficial understand not, the We desire that these remarks may be philosopher of Königsberg preached with taken in no respects as hostile to the general sacred solemnity to the German people as it principles of religious establishments, but was preached to Nicodemus. And since his merely as an answer to those blind and bi- time, Lord Shaftsbury has never been able to goted people, living in the letter only (if it be obtain a decent hearing in Germany; for all a life) and not in spirit, who imagine that be- rational people in that quarter of the world cause the churches are not so fully attended are now convinced, that whatever may be in Germany as in Britain, and because the the state of the case as to the historical basis Augsburg Confession is not of such omnipo- on which the Christian religion rests that tent authority there, as the Thirty-nine Arti- religion, so far as it goes to regenerate hucles are here, that therefore the spirit of true man nature, and sanctify the human soul, piety and the life of religion in the soul are dead is indeed a faithful saying and worthy of all and defunct in that part of Christendom. Ne- acceptation; and as for the miracles, they ver was a more false and one-sided proposition have at least not been performed, or alleged expressed; never did the most vulgar and to have been performed, in support of an unnarrow-minded Englishman even, smooth worthy cause: for even if the miracles be denied altogether as historical facts, there is name of bigotry is a Legion. We certainly no necessity for denying a secret extraordi. had some right to expect that here too in ennary working of God in favour of the author of lightened Britain, the nineteenth century Christianity, and the exertions of his mes- should have seen the sacred hatred of theolosengers; in which view the growth and gians laid low in the dust. It might now be spread of the Christian religion may almost the season, we imagine, for thoughtful men to appear more miraculous without the mira- look into the creeds of their neighbours, not cles than with them. for the sake of cursing that which is bad in Besides this most universal appreciation them, but of blessing that which is good. of the internal worth and dignity of Chris. We remain far however, it is to be feared tianity, the Neologic ferments have also led very far, from this devout consummation. to another result, if not in itself a positive The political devil has in this country assogain in the matter of religious truth, at least ciated himself with the ecclesiastical one; a necessary preliminary to the admission and when purse and piety draw together, the and profitable reception of all truth-we latter is always invincible. Can we conceal mean a spirit of love, and mutual forbear- from ourselves the lamentable fact? How ance, and an enlarged tolerance; founded, many of us are employed daily in the igno. not (as religious tolerance too often is) upon ble occupation of literally throwing dirt, one absolute indifference to all creeds, or Christian man upon his brother, because he positive hatred to all genuine piety, but the differs in opinion from us, or because he faithful exercise and training of an inward cannot be brought to believe that it is consense to love truth wherever it is found, be- trary to Holy Scripture that the Bishops cause it is divine, and to sympathise with should have a seat in the House of Lords? error because it is human. No one can It is a matter of daily occurrence with us hold converse with such men as Tholuck for respectable people to have their names and Neander, without being made pleasingly bandied about in the public prints as blas sensible that these men are not Lutherans phemers and infidels for matters of less merely, but Christians, not Christians mere. importance than even these. If so, are ly, but also men; whereas among ourselves we to wonder that intelligent foreigners it is but too common that Christian theolo- should often be at a loss to find in what vital gians, instead of having their sympathies ex- function that much-vaunted British religiosity panded by riper knowledge, systematically is manifested? If so, may there not be reacontract them; they allow their humanity to son to fear that in respect of the true living be swallowed up by their Christianity (as if spirit of Christianity, we, with all our these two things were inconsistent ;) their Church-orthodoxy, still remain in the gall of Christianity dwindles down to sectarianism: bitterness and in the bond of iniquity? and is it and then the ossification of their inner man becoming in us, among whom such things wax takes place, so that you cannot with the ut- rank, and show themselves unblushing to the most diligence discover a single trait in the broad eye of day, to institute a crusade of hard character that distinguishes this Christian names and anathematizings against the hofrom the Pharisee. No greater monster nest, inquiring, truth-loving Germans, who, walks the earth than that which is begotten if they do quarrel among themselves at least between the selfishness of religious bigotry quarrel like men, and not like dogs. But, in and the selfishness of political partisan- truth, we sit here in a corner of Europe, ship; and the Germans, with all the anarchy from which we have, by the blessing of Pro. and the confusion of their neologic specu- vidence, long been permitted to command lations, are happily freed from the presence the material world, and vainly imagine that of this curse. The prayer of Melanchthon from the same position we can command the has at length been granted-" ex contentario spiritual world also; but the light that illutheologo libera nos, Domine!" The Ger- mines that world comes from another quarter, mans contend, indeed, and labour earnestly, and many of its latest and most refreshing but they contend with honest doubt, not with rays have not yet reached the Ultima Thule, presumptuous dogmatism; the Church or where we are dwelling in dark caves, and thodoxy of the old Calors and Queens- worshipping dumb idols. This is a hard taedts (whom Mr. Rose lauds so much) was thing to say, and a yet more hard thing to a thing of a very different complexion from believe; but it can do no harm to make it a the Catholic Christianity of Tholuck and matter of self-examination to see if it is so. Neander; the odium theologicum, that old serpent in his most deceitful avatar, has been partially if not wholly subdued in one province of Christendom. We let Hengstenberg pass, for he is but one; but with us the In regard to German theology, at least, we must give up our habit of railing, and take to a sober, serious, and profitable study of it, not fighting with barren strokes in the cold region of negation, but stretching forth, |