Having postulated the theory of accommodation by which the Old Test., and much of the New, lost their authoritative character, Semler was obliged to show what, if any, element of binding truth remains to Chris- tianity after all that is merely local and temporary has been stripped off from the Bible. He finds it in "that which serves to perfect man's moral character," but de- clares that even this cannot be comprised in any definite set of truths, since different individuals are stimulated to virtue by different portions of the Scriptures. What- ever develops a new and better principle, that leads to the veneration of God in the soul, is Christianity; and that is inspired or divine which convinces readers " that they know more respecting spiritual changes and per- fections, and are able to derive more actual profit from such changes, than before." He contends that there is such a thing as ohjectire truth in Christianity, but that there can be no definite test to indicate whether any in- dividual has apprehended it or not, since the decision can only be the expression of a moral judgment. He even thinks that nothing more than a difference in the
form of expression is involved when the higher moral' truths of Cliristianity are characterized as a revelation, or as a p?-ofpessire development of the natural reason (see Schmid, Die Theul. Senders, p. 1G7).
It is evident that Semler's theories remove the last distinctions between Christianity and Naturalism or Deism; but he nevertheless protests vigorously against being classed with Naturalists, and it was zeal against Naturalism that had led him to enter the lists against the Wolfenblittel Fragmentist and the Confession of Bahrdt, though he had previously (in 1759, in his intro- duction to Baumgarten's Gkmhenslehre, p. 51-57) re- duced the distinguishing peculiarity of Christianity to a better niorulity. The solution of this contradiction must be found in the distinction Semler made between ])rivale 7-eliffion and the publicly acknowledged teaching of the Church. He was open to religious impressions, given to prayer and the singing of religions hymns, and earnestly engaged in efforts to promote a Christian mo- rality. He assured his students that an inward power, the peculiar privilege of those who possess a Christian knowledge of God, shall be realized by those who form the habit of prayer, and urged them to make the trial. It was, doubtless, owing to these consequences of his early religious training that he condemned all inter- ference with the authoritatively established doctrines of the Church, though his sejiaration of the faith of a private person from the teaching of the Church is open to the suspicion that he was too servile to sacrifice ma- terial prosperity in order to uphold a privately recog- nised truth. He asserted that a private scholar has the right to defend new opinions in the department of his labors; but that, as a teacher appointed by superior au- thority, it is his duty to follow the beaten track, when required, or else to resign his office. And it is certain that he thus expressed his serious convictions, and that his views in this respect grew out of his religious tem- perament.
2. Semler''s Researches in Church History produ<;ed less durable results. He lacked the necessary qualities for thorough work in this field — a philosophical and pro- foundly Christian spirit, a philosophical and religious pragmatism, and especially an unbiassed judgment. He brought to light an abimdance of new material, how- ever, and became the father of the history of doctrines; while his restless scepticism contributed towards a more satisfactory settlement of many incidents, and prepared the way for more unprejudiced views respecting many historical phenomena. His faults are, that he is inca- pable of rising to the conception of a historical develop- ment, and therefore prefers the arrangement by centu- ries ; tliat he has no philosophical apprehension of dog- ma; and that he gauges past centuries by the tests of his own time — e. g. enlightenment and tolerance, liber- ality and morality. Being convinced that the charac- ter of private religion must necessarily differ with the multitudes of individuals, he is continually outraged t<) find all independence of private thought repressed by the power of the Church. Lacking a profound faith himself, he naturally stamps every appearance of mysti- cism as fanaticism ; and as he is never able to escape the suspicion of priestly cunning and despotism, the im- pression derived from his survey of Church history is but dreary at the best. The martyrs were people "whose minds were unsettled, monks and hermits were madmen, the bishops cbiefiy intriguers, Augustine keen and crafty, Tertullian highlj' odd and fanatical, Theod- oret superstitious, Bernard sanctimonious." Pelagius alone (whose Epp. ad iJemetriadeni he published with notes in 1775) meets with his approval. His method, too, was chaotic and confused, resulting in lengthy pref- aces and numerous additions, appendices, and snp|)le- ments to his works, most of which suffer, in addition, from the absence of indexes, and even of tables of con- tents. He tells us, however, that he was accustomed to deliver four or five lectures per day; and yet he man- aged to write no less than one hundred and seventy-one
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books, though but one or two of them passed into a sec- ond edition.
The views of Semler on the canon of Scripture and connected subjects are developed in numerous works, prominent among which are the Abhandluufj vomfreien Gebraitch des Kunons (1771-75, 4 vols.) : — with which connect his Neue Untersuchuni/en iiber die Aj)ocali/pse (1776): — Vorbereiiungen zur Hermeneuf'tk (1760): — Briefe zur Erkichterunfi der Privat-Religion der Chris- ten (1784) : — Vunfreier Unter.i.des Kanons: — Erklarum) iiber theol. Censnren: — Voi-bereitumi wif die hdnii/l. yrossbritt. Aufyabe von d. Gottheit Christi (1787). — On Church history, Selecta Capita Historice Ecclesiastiae : — Veisuch eines Auszugs aus d. Kirchengeschichte : — Commentani Historici de Antiguo Christianoriim Statu: — and Neue Versuche die Kirchenhist. d, ersten Juhrh. mehr atifzukldren.