During De Wette's stay at Basle the practical ele- ment in his character was more energetically developed, and introduced a noteworthy cliange in his religions life. He learned, in contact with different people, to ap- preciate various forms of religions manifestation which had formerly repelled him, and his polemical tendency gave way to an jrenical disposition as his years ad- vanced. He instituted a (1 ricrkeHcereiii in 1825, whose ol)ject was the advancement of the moral and religious weltare of the newly liberated Greeks, and aided in the founding of a branch GiikIcip - Adolf Vereiii for Switzerland (Protestmit.-kircfiL Hi'dfsuereiii). He was charged, in consequence, with being a convert to eccle- siastical orthodoxy; but there is abundant evidence that he never changed the views he had adopted in earlier life. He persisted in advocating the utmost in- dependence in theological tliinking, and in regarding religion as a life rather than a creed; but testified that he knew •' that none other name under heaven is given among men whereby we must be saved but that of Jesus, the Crucified One." In addition to his profes- sional employments, De Wette took an amateur inter- est in art. He did not condemn the drama as immoral, and had even published a drama of his own construc- tion (Berlin, 1823), though moral considerations pre- vented him from visiting the theatre. He loved music and the formative arts, and impressed their importance on the thought of his students. He wrote a second ro- mance, and jjublished it in 1829 (Heimich Mclchthal, oder liUdutif) II. Gemeiiifjeist [2 vols.]). A visit to Rome in the winter of 18iG was largely devoted to the study of ecclesiastical art, and gave birth to the attractive book GedaidccH iiber Mulerei u, Baukunst, besonders in kirchl. Beziehunf) (Berlin, 1846).
De Wette's chief occupation, however, was always theology, and his years at Basle were fruitful in theo- logical publications from his hand. He thoroughly re- vised his version of the Bible, wrote the Einkilung iiCs X. T.. constructed a mass of text-books and articles for jK'riodicals, and crowned his exegetical labors especially with the Kiiizgf'f'asstes exeyet. Ihindb. zum N. T. (.3 vols, in 11 pts. 183(5-48). He possessed in an unusual meas- ure the power of condensed yet precise statement, and evinced it here as in all his works. This commentary was contemporary with Strauss's Leben Jesu, and the author did not hesitate to avow, in his preface to Mat- thew, his sympathy with Strauss in that writer's oppo- sition to old and new " harmonistics," an<l in his advo- cacy of an idealistic and symbolical interpretation of the miracles of Scripture, though ho believed that Strauss had gone too far in giving up the historical Jesus, De Wette was twice invited back to Germany, once to become pastor of St. Peter's in Hamburg, and again to accept a professorship at Jena, but declined to return thither. He died, after a brief ilhioss. June 16, 1849. His like- ness in oil by Dietter, and his bust by Schloth, orna- ment the aula at Basle.
Concerning De Wette's life and works, see Hagen- bach (for many years his colleague), Leichenrede (Basle, 1849), and .4 kadem. Geddchtni^srede (Leips, 1850) ; Schen- kel (a pupil of De W.), De W. u. d. Bedentiiny seiner The- oloyie, etc. (SchaflFiiausen, 1849); Llicke, iJe W., zur
freundschnftl. Eriimerung (Hamb. 1850); ThiiUden, in Xekrolof/ dvr Dcntschen, 1849, p. 427 sc).; Brockhaus, Concersatioiis-Lexikon, s. v. ; Biograpliu' L'liii'ersMe, s. v. With reference to his theology, see Baur, Kirckenr/esch. d. VJten Jakrhunckrts (Tiib. 1862), ]). 212 sq. ; Kahnis, I), iiinere Gang d. deutsch. Protesldittixmus (Leips. 1860). Respecting De Wette's merits as a critic and expositor, see the various introductions to Scripture,particularlyBleek's, and tlif connnentaries. — Herzog. Recd-Eiiryklop. .s. v.
"Wettengel, Fkiedkich TitArciorr, a Protestant theoliigian ol (icrmany, was born Feb. 9, 1750, at Asch, ill Bohemia. He studied at ,Fena and Erlangcn. In 1775 he was appointed chaplain to tiie prince of Reiiss, Heinrich XI ; in 1780 he was made court preacher, and in 1792 superintendent. He died at (ireitz, June 24, 1824. Of, his writings we mention, Predif/teu iiber die Rederi Je.in Christi dm Kreuz (Erlangen, 1779) : — Sind die sym- bolischen Biicher ein Jock fiir die freie evanijelisch-bi- f/ieriscke Kirche'? (Greitz, 1790). See Diiring, Die (jelehrien Theolmjen Deutschlands, iv, 710 sq. ; Winer, 'llandbHch der theol. Lit. i, 334, 494 ; ii, 388. (B. P.)
Wettstein (often written Wetstein), Johann Rudolf (1 ), a learned Swiss theologian (son of the state minister of the same name), was born at Basle, Jan. 5, 1614. He devoted himself chiefly to the classical lan- guages. After a short term as preacher at Basle, he became professor of rhetoric, and in 1637 of Greek, from wliich he passed in 1644 to the chair of logic, and again in 1656 to that of theology, from which he was finall}' transferred in 1656 to the department of New-Test, in- terpretation. He died Dec. 11, 1684, leaving several theo- logical works, for which see Hoefer, None. Biog. Geiie- rcde. s. v.
"Wettstein, Johann Rudolf (2), a Swiss theo- logian, son of the preceding, was born at Basle, Sept. 1, 1647, and died there, April 24, 1711, as professor of the- ology (after 1685), leaving the following writings: Origenis Dial. c. Murcionit. Exhortatio ad Marti/riiim, Responsio ad Africani Epist. de Hist. Susanna Gr. et Lat. cum Notis Edidil (Basle, 1674): — his Beputafio de Pro- pketis is published in A'ov. Lit. Ilelmst. ( 1702), p. 1"27. See Winer, ffandbuch der theol. Li/, i, 899; Ftlrst, Bibl. Jud. iii, 510 ; Hoefer, Nouc. Biog. Generale, s. v. (B. P.)