way, in the support of the authority of re-i felt the want of himself. "In studying the critical philosophy the Critique of Pure Reason' was of course the first work that Stilling read; he found no found himself at once freed from the incu difficulty in making out the drift of it, and bus of determinism that had weighed him down so long. In this work Kant proves, by the most irrefragable arguments, that human reason can boast no knowledge beyond the limits of the sensible world; that in supersensible things it no sooner begins to argue from its own princi ples than it stumbles on contradictions, i. e. contradicts itself. Kant's Critique is in short a commentary on the words of St. Paul.The natural man understandeth not the things which are of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him,' &c. "This discovery lifted Stilling's soul as on wings. Hitherto he had laboured in a thousand ineffectual ways to reconcile reason, this divinest gift of God, with religion; now the dif ficulty was removed, reason was confined within its proper province, and revelation appear ed to be the only natural and true source of all supersensible knowledge. Stilling took an early opportunity of communicating with Kant himself on this subject; and in a letter received from the philosopher, there were the following remarkable words: "Herein also you act wisely to seek your only solace in the Gospel, for it is the inex haustible fountain of all truths, which, after human reason has measured out its whole do. main, are to be found there and there only.' "Afterwards Stilling read Kant's 'Critique of Practical Reason,' and then his 'Religion within the bounds of pure Reason;' and in these works he at first imagined he had found something like the truth; but on more min ute inspection he perceived that Kant placed the source of all supersensible truth, not in *This is distinctly admitted by the most able the Gospel, but in the moral principle. The and energetic, and at the same time the most deficiency of this principle might seem to honest translator that the Königsberg philosopher has yet found in this country, Mr. Semple. In appear sufficiently from the uncertainty of the appendix to the Metaphysic of Ethics, trans- its application, and the great variety and lated by that gentleman (Edinburgh, 1836), we even contrariety of its development among find the following passage. Kant was a Ra- different individuals and races of men; and tionalist; he invariably admitted the possibility if it be said that the pure, not the corrupt, of a revelation, but maintained that such historic- moral principle is to be taken as the source of al belief could be nothing more than a mere ve- moral and religious truth, then I answer that hicle towards the ethical. As a rationalist in- the pure moral principle is the mere form, the deed he was, by his very assuming of such a bare capacity of knowing good and evil; but name, compelled to abide within the bounds of where can you point out to me any mortal all rational insight. Hence he never did, as the naturalists do, deny and dispute the possiman whose concrete existence I may take as billity of revelation, nor yet the necessity of such the living type of this pure moral princi a thing as a divine means towards the introduc-ple? We are all equally the children of ertion of a true religious faith. He left, on the ror; we all equally mistake, as lust or whim contrary, ample room for super-naturalism, and may seduce, evil for good and good for evil. even said, the ethical faith leaves a man always If the moral principle is to be in any wise open for the historical, in so far as he may find practically useful as a guide of human acthis last conducive to the enlivening of his pure tions, then the true, the good, and the beautimoral and religious sentiments, which belief ful must be presented to our minds ab extra can only in this way have any inward moral from a pure infallible source, otherwise it reworth, as it is then free, and unextorted by any mains for ever what it is, a mere undefined threat." The meaning of which in common English is this: that if Christianity be nothing capacity to be; and it is sufficiently manifest more than a republication of the religion of na- that the history of man exhibits nothing that ture, or rather a public authoritative proclama- can come up to the demands of this postulate, tion of the moral law, Immanuel Kant has no ob- unless it be the BIBLE," &c.-—Stilling's Lejection to believe in it, if he finds it convenient.ben, 5ter Thiel. Upon the same foundation of Kantian phi- [over the whole world. One of the princi. losophy the following short appeal proceeds. pal seats of the Pietists has long been Elberfeld, in Westphalia; not far from this "Awake! open your eyes, and see the Stilling was born, and here he spent ten abyss that lies before your feet. Consider seriously that to cure that unnatural disease painful years of an existence, curiously which eats up the vitals of humanity, a su- swinging (as the existence of sensitive peopernatural remedy-revealed religion-is ne-ple is apt to do) between the ecstacies of cessary!! Cease at length to put questions heaven and the torments of hell. Stilling's to your reason that your reason can never father was half-tailor, half-schoolmaster in answer, for the answer to these questions is to a small country village of Westphalia; and be found not in speculation, but in history; he himself was now a tailor, and now a -rests not upon thoughts, but upon facts, schoolmaster, as the necessity of bread and which only a madman can doubt, for their the disposition of circumstance compelled. immediate consequenees lie before every man's eyes!"-Das Heimweh, 2ter Band. To set forth how the poor, weak, unfriend. Werke, v. 243. ed, pietistical tailor-boy, led by strange jumps, and curious cross-ways of provi This appeal to fact and history recals to dences, rose from one degree of dignity to our mind a doctrine many years ago pro-another, till at last he became Aulic counpounded by Dr. Chalmers, that in preach- cillor to the Grand Duke of Baden, operator ing Christianity the external evidence alone of cataract to all the blind of Germany, and is to be built upon, the appeal to the inter-worshipful Father in God and writer of nal having no other effect than to make a apostolic epistles to all the pious Herrnhujudge of him whose only duty is to listen. ters and Moravians in Christendom; and It is much easier, argued the reverend doc- how he achieved all this through the course tor, to convert an Atheist than a Deist, be- of a long life (from 1740 to 1817) without cause the mind of an Atheist is blank, and losing one pleasant line of that primitive you may write what you please upon it. simplicity of character, the great virtue of This is somewhat in the spirit of Cardinal the pious race from which he sprung; such Bellarmine, who would not allow Plato to is the simple purport of one of the most sinbe read in the schools, in case some dream-gular auto-biographies that the history of wrapt student should mistake the Phædrus literature can boast. No mere Englishman for the Gospel of St. John. But the doc can have any idea of the transcendent simtrine of a supernatural revelation is a theory plicity of this book. A German Methodist, which then only comes into existence, when living exclusively among Methodists, reada combined view of the inward spiritual ne- ing Methodistical books, dreaming Methocessities, and the outward spiritual history distical dreams, seeing and hearing nothing of man, renders it necessary to assume it. but Methodism during the first twenty years We have allowed ourselves to take for of his life, is a phenomenon of a very pecugranted, in the preceding observations, that liar kind, worthy to be taken notice of by such of our readers as may honour these all thinking men. An inhabitant of Venus, pages with a passing glance have already or any other blessed planet, suddenly transformed the personal acquaintance of Jung Stilling, from Mr. Jackson's English translation of his auto-biography. It does not fall within our province to expatiate upon a theme that has already become the common property of the English reading public. To those, however, who have not seen Mr. Jackson's work, the main line of the pious tailor's terrestrial Fates may be easily indicated. Stilling was a shoot of that pious "Henry was about eight years old. He race called in foreign phrase, Pietists; who sat on a chair and read a book, looking, as from the days of Jacob Böhme up to the was his fashion, very serious; and I believe most recent fanaticism of the Prussian in honesty that up to that time of life he had Muchers have been peculiarly abundant in never yet indulged in any thing worthy the the North of Germany. The student of name of a laugh. Stähler looked him in Church history will at once bethink himself the face and said, 'Henry, what are you doing here of Arndt and Spener, Francke and the there so seriously?' Halle school of theologians. The names of Dippal, Hochmann von Hohenau, Tier. stegen, &c., are of a more narrow reputation. Count Zinzendorf, however, is known ported into the British House of Commons in the midst of a debate upon the Irish Tithe-question, could not be more completely confounded by the jabber of parties, than the commonest voices proceeding from a world that lieth in wickedness startled the pious hearing of the boy Stilling. Where, for instance, shall we find a sancta simplicitas equal to the following? "I am reading.' 66 "Have you learned to read so young?' Henry looked him in the face, expressed surprise, and said: That is surely a foolish question; am I not a man?' And straight way he began to read aloud, with great flu- [ of an insatiate selfishness, is, and must re. ency, giving at the same time the proper em- main, the only true wisdom of man.† phasis and expression to every word. Stäh- Except a few edifying tales, Stilling's biler was astonished. May the devil take ine,' said he, if I ever saw the like of that!ography is, we believe, the only work of this When Henry heard this oath he sprung sud-author that is known to the English reader. denly up, trembled, and looked fearfully There is however another very singular volaround. When, however, he saw that the ume, into which no German scholar will for. devil did not make his appearance, he said, get to look, who wishes to obtain any insight 'God! how gracious art Thou!' Turning then round to Stähler he said, Man! hast thou seen Satan?' 'No' replied Stähler. 'Then never call on him again,' said Henry, and went into another room."-Stilling's Jugend. 6 Truly the hero of this tale is a very German of the Germans; and shall we wonder that when such a guileless simple soul as this, remaining guileless and simple to the end, overcame the world and the wickedness of the world by the sheer might of this honest simplicity, he was irresistibly compelled to attribute his own advancement to the special guardianship of a benevolent providence? Our profane modern speech, indeed, would prefer to ascribe all dispositions of the inward as of the outward world to a strange concatenation of circumstances; but the ela rúxn of old Herodotus sounds as well, and we have no objection to the term special providence if wisely used.* Let a man beware, however, how he comes to look upon himself as the pet-lamb of the Almighty. This can only make himself vain, and religion ridiculous. We do not conceal our opinion that there is a considerable leaven of this silliness in Stilling's autobiography, especially in the latter part of it, which we wish sincerely had never been published; but then Stilling is a Ger. man, and we have experience enough in the character of that truly honest and most loveable people, to know that a German may both say and do many things that have the air of foolishness and yet not be a fool. We do not pretend to explain all the strange things that are set forth in Stilling's life; the wonderful interpositions of which he makes so much parade seem, for the most part, to prove more of his own folly than the wisdom of God; but we are willing to be taught one important lesson from the spirit that pervades this, as indeed it does all the works of this pious German. To wait upon Providence, to receive humbly and improve wisely those good gifts of God which the heaven-storming Titan demands as a right and uses merely as the nutriment * "When I make an axe, I make it to cut, and I cut with it; and when God makes a man for any purpose, for that purpose he uses him."Stilling's Grandmother. + Though somewhat lengthy, we think ourselves bound here to insert, for the sake of completeness, Göthe's characteristic of Stilling, as it is found in the 9th book of the Dichtung und Wahrheit. Göthe became acquainted with Stilling as Strasburg, when the hitherto tailor, at the age of thirty, was preparing himself, by a regular course of medical study, for the celebrity he afterwards acquired as an oculist. "Among the new arrivals," says Göthe, "was a man who particularly interested me. His name was Jung, the same who afterwards became known under the name of Stilling. His figure, notwithstanding a certain antiquated appearance, and a bluntness of manner, was delicate. A bag-wig was not able to disfigure his significant and pleasing countenance. His voice was soft without being weak, and when he was moved by enthusiasm (which often happened), full and strong. On nearer acquaintance I perceived in him a man of sound, clear understanding, based upon emotion, (ein gesunder Menschen-Verstand der auf dem Gemüth ruhte), and liable to be influenced by inclination and passion; but this same preponderance of the emotional in his character, was the origin of an enthusiasm for the good, the true, and the right in all possible purity. His life had been singular, simple, yet crowded with events and manifold activity. The element of his energy was an indestructible faith in God and a divine assistance flowing immediately from him, and manifesting itself in an uninterrupted guarfrom impending evil. Jung had had experiences dianship of the individual, and open deliverance of this kind not a few, both previous to his arrival in Strasburg, and recently, since commencing his medical studies; and to such a degree did this living faith operate, that, though at no one time has he had security of subsistence from one quarter to another, he nevertheless continued to devote himself to his studies with the utmost earnestness, and lived in a manner as cheerful as it was moderate. In his youth he had well nigh been a charcoal-burner, but he followed the vo cation of tailor, till the knowledge which he acquired for himself in leisure hours enabled him to try the more dignified employment of a schoolmaster. This attempt miscarried, and he returned to the trade, from which, however, he was once and again called away by different persons, to whom his engaging character had recommended him as a fit person to perform the duties of a family tutor. But for his essential education and the formation of his character, he was indebted to that race of men who seek salvation at their own hands (auf eigne Hand ihr Heil suchen), and by the reading of the Scripture and and pious exercises, attain to a grade of spiritual devout books, as well as by mutual exhortations culture truly wonderful. For inasmuch as the religious interest by which they are led, rests upon a foundation of the purest morality, kindliness and benevolence, and the varieties of character among men of such limited circumstances are but few, whereby their conscience is for the most part kept pure and their spirit cheerful into the nature and character of German | authentic documents that the strange history Pietism. "Theobald, or the Enthusiast," of religious aberrations can boast. Perhaps though put into the shape of a novel, is in no man ever possessed such qualifications reality a true history of the character and for writing a book of this sort as Jung Stilldoings of the Westphalian Pietists of the lasting, for he was himself a Pietist by nature as century, with regard to which Stilling could concientiously say—" et quorum pars magna fui;" and as such it is one of the most curious, and at the same time one of the most well as by education; and when he exposed the folly and madness of their ways, he did so in the spirit of friendly warning and wise precaution, that every occasion of evil speaking might be removed, and the mouth of the in this way there arose a culture, not artificial, as gainsayer silenced. Herein he prefigured some might imagine, but truly natural; and in the policy of O'Connell, whe first taught the this respect preferable to all other sorts of culture, that it embraced all ranks and all ages, and multitudes systematically to evade the laws, was in its nature essentially social; whence it without daring the bold front of resistance. came to pass that these people in the circle that Thus Stilling taught the Pietists to separate understood them, were gifted with a natural elo-themselves from the world, without running quence, that uttered itself on all matters of the heart with the utmost propriety and grace. Such a muck against it; remarking wisely, that it was the case with Jung. In the company of those was enough for a humble-minded Christian few who could sympathize with him, this man that the light of God should shine within his was not only full of an amiable communicative soul, while the visible glory without might ness, but truly eloquent. In particular he told minister to the vanity of a saint. It was the the history of his own life in the most pleasing manner; and there was a peculiar vividness and duty of a Christian man, he said, to respect truth in his descriptions. I asked him to write even the prejudices of those whom he signifhis biography; and he seemed pleased to follow icantly called the "orthodox heterodox;" my advice. But in mixed society Stilling never felt quite at home; he was like a somnambulist much more to avoid injuring the cause of true walking upon the top of a house, whom you evangelical piety, by mixing up the practice must interrupt, or he will straightway be precip of it with childish and superstitious observ. itated to the ground; like a smooth stream, to which if you interpose any impediment it will declare against all sects and separatism of ances. Nay, the pious man went so far as to straightway roar. His faith could tolerate no doubt, his conviction no raillery. Inexhaustible whatever kind; here, in showing himself to to communicate, contradiction froze the virgin have arrived at true practical catholicity of stream of his eloquence. On such occasions I soul, and differing from the vulgar declaimwas wont to interfere in his behalf; for which kindness I received his most sincere thanks. Iers against sectarianism only in this, that he was, indeed, no stranger to the sentiments that conceived the self-styled Church to be often were the soul of his existence: I had had ample times only a great established sect, ten times experience of them in some of my own best more pernicious than any other sect, just befriends: their naturality and naïvelé rather pleased me; and in this way I of all his fellow-cause it was great and because it was estabstudents at Strasburg most easily tolerated is lished, When we add to this truly catholic peculiarities. The religious bias of his mind I spirit of mind a quiet observant eye, and a delighted to contemplate: and his belief in ex- conscientious truthfulness of character, we traordinary providential interpositions I did not contradict. My friend Saltzmann also treated him with great tenderness; and this was the more remarkable in Saltzmann, as he himself belonged to that class of rational and sensible Christians, whose religion properly consists in a rectitude of character and in a manly independence, and who have, therefore, a natural aversion to lose themselves in emotion which is apt to become cloudy, and in enthusiasm which ends in obscurity." shall see how admirably fitted Stilling was for the task which he undertook in "Theobald." This singular work-superior in interest, we think, even to the autobiography -can be designated no otherwise more fitly than as a rank fermenting bed of religious emotion, wherein many noxious weeds grow rampant, but also a few flowers of most delicate and surpassing beauty. This variety indeed, and contrast, form the true charm of the work; it gives it a peculiar character which it could only have derived from such a man as Stilling. For while the principal motive of the writer was to expose the monstrous extravagances into which a religion of mere emotion necessarily leads its votaries, This is a morceau truly Göthian in all respects; calm, clear, benevolent, with a slight amiable tinge of indifference and self-complacency. We may observe with regard to Göthe's share in the autobiography affair, that when Stilling afterwards penned the first part of it, he entrusted it to Göthe, thinking it wise to leave the publication of so singular a performance to the discretion of the world-wise young poet. Göthe, who was very fond of Stilling, took the whole responsibility upon himself. The book he is at the same time continually on his was published, the success was wonderful; and guard, lest that which was intended to warn Stilling received from Göthe an honorarium of his friends from folly, should seem merely some hundred gulden, an Elijah-morsel amid calculated to give food to the malice of his much need (he was for a long time closely pinch-enemies. Hence the beautiful traits of pure ed), and just after the pious man had been praying. to God the whole morning for relief. Christian character with which this web of 20 VOL. XXI. pietistic follies is interwoven. Take, for in- I was allowed to preach when and where he stance, the following short sketch : pleased. At length his zeal and unwearied application consumed him but his death "Hasenfeld was a long meagre man, with was more glorious than his life. He had a piercing eye; he was the son of a corn- waited several days with the utmost compo dealer, not a corn-Jew, however, but an hon-sure, expecting his dismissal from the body; est man; and by early inclination he devoted to those who asked for his health, he always himself to the study of theology. After fin- gave the same answer, My things are ishing his studies at the university, he preach- packed, and I am ready for the journey.ed with great power, not like the doctors of At length, as his pulse began to sink, he fixthe law, and filled the whole country with his ed his eyes steadily upon the window, and reputation. On one occasion the following with a hollow but strong voice, cried out remarkable circumstance occurred. The Hallelujah!'-that was his latest breath."* chief magistrate of the town where he was preaching kept a mistress, and lived in such What does the reader say to this? Is a licentious fashion as to be a cause of annoy- there not a living poetry in this methodism, ance to the whole community. Hasenfeld for which you shall search in vain even in knew this and in the middle of his sermon the pages of Wordsworth and Southey?was so carried away by a pious enthusiasm, Some people have celebrated Gothe's death, as that, turning suddenly to the magistrate, because he died as he lived, crying out he said, with a voice of thunder, And you, too, sir magistrate! it is not right that you "More light!" and others have admired the keep a mistress!' This did not cure the evil composure of David Hume who stept into certainly; but it was a noble exhibition of Charon's boat with a copy of Lucian in his moral dignity, for which the worthy licenti- hand; but here we have a poor despised ate could afford to pay. He was arrested and German Methodist looking quietly at the confined in goal twelve weeks, and fed on grandeur of the sun, and breathing out his bread and water; but his pious friends sweetened his bread of tears with many kindness- pure soul in the triumphs of a loud Hallelujah. Truly there are many beautiful scenes in the history of man's mind, that are not to be found in the orthodox chronicles of the Church, or in the pages of a fashionable nov. el. es. After his release from prison he was interdicted from preaching, at least in the pulpit; but the people dragged him out of his retirement forcibly, and would have him to preach. He consented, and went to the church, but the magistrate ordered a policeman to stand on the pulpit stairs, and not al We can afford merely to name another of Stilling's works, which we think may be able low him to enter. What did the licentiate do? He cried, with a loud voice, 'Let us go to command the attention of the English forth without the gate bearing the shame! reader. We mean his Dialogues of the dead, The whole congregation followed him, and a or "Scenen aus dem Geister-Reiche," as he more effective sermon was preached in the calls them. Besides the usual element of church-yard than ever was preached in the pure Christian feeling which ennobles all St.lchurch. Hasenfeld was a very learned man, ling's works, there is a good deal of fancy and as his honest enthusiasm had marred his displayed in this; and the student of Church prospects in the church, God provided a place history also will find there much illustrative for him, and he was made rector of a celebrated gymnasium. His love of truth, how. of the opinions and practices of the the Neoever, was the cause of much suffering to him logist and other learned men in Germany, even in this situation; he had no idea of pay- with reference to religion. Stilling's system iny any regard to symbols and confessions of punishments in a future world is extremein his study of the Bible; it never entered his ly ingenious; and his description of the dif imagination that men calling themselves ferent regions of Hades, from lowest TartaProtestant Christians should have virtually rus to highest heaven, is not less poetically imprisoned the Holy Scriptures within the beautiful than consistent with reason and the arbitrary limits of human creeds; he was accordingly discovered to be a heretic, and received opinions of a great part of the Chris castigated and scourged till the blood came from him. But all this availed nothing; Hasenfeld had a friend in high quarters, and tian Church. We must mention, however, that in all matters regarding a future state, Stilling takes the liberty of dissenting from his protestant brethren, and holds with the Roman Catholics and the Universalists; he is heretical in two regards, not only believing in pur We doubt whether to take this literally. But the stiff old orthodoxy of the Lutheran Church was capable of any thing, and the civil despotism was always at hand to second the ecclesiastical. gatory, but also denying strenuously the eter In other parts of Stilling's works there are but too nity of hell punishments. Into the service many traces of the prostration of every shape and of this double heresy he brings both Greek semblance of liberty in the German states, during the early part of the last century. The wise and Hebrew, with mnch anxious learning, for despotism of Prusia was unknown before the French Revolution: the rottenness that preceded it is almost incredible. *Theobald der Schwärmer. Werke, vi. p. 119. |