We
therefore behold the anomaly of a system which had almost run its race
before arriving at a formal exposition.
Rationalism never attained to the dignity of a clear and cogent
elucidation until the publication of Roehr's _Letters on Rationalism_,
and of Wegscheider's _Institutes_. It had reached the acme of its
prosperity at the beginning of the century, yet the former work was not
written until 1813, and the latter not until 1817. There was power in
both these productions. The former was bold, popular, startling, and not
without a show of learning. It was intended for the masses. The latter
was a complement of the former; more heavy, but by virtue of its weight
adapted to that class of people, everywhere abundant, who suspect either
danger or puerility in every earnest sentence. The author held that it
was the province of Protestantism to develop Christianity and Christian
theology to a pure faith of reason. Issuing his work in the year of the
Reformation jubilee, he dedicated it to the shades of Luther. But Roehr
and Wegscheider, as far as their capacity to injure Christian faith was
concerned, stood at the wrong term of the history of Rationalism.
Pages:
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398