At this point there rises the so-called supernaluraliM school. It includes those who protested against the absolute autonomy of reason in matters of religion ; and though many of its adherents still clung to views irrec- oncilable with due reverence for the Bible, still it formed the platform upon which a higher and more Biblical standpoint was subsequently reached. Among these supernaturalists were men like Storr and Flatt in Wlir- temberg, and Reinhard in Dresden. But by the begin- ning of the second decade of the century even these feeble supernaturalist voices were silent, and rationalism seemed to remain solitary and victorious upon the field of battle. Yet the dry crumbs of rationalism could not satisfy the deep wants of the German nation ; the stim- ulus to a deeper insight and a richer faith came from without. It was from the thunder-strokes of the Leip- sic and the Waterloo victories that the rejuvenation of German life went forth. This rejuvenation brought in its train a restoration of life, first in the German Church and then in German theology. . Inside of theology the rationalistic movement continued until 1825. Among its ablest assailants at this time areTittmann and Sartorius; but outside of the schools many signs indicated that its reign was over. The new policy of the Prussian gov- ernment discountenanced it; the religious and patriotic enthusiasm occasioned by the tercentenary of the Refor- mation (1817) was uncongenial to it, the theses of Harms and the disputation of Leipsic (which had the courage to summon the rationalistic clergy to resign their clerical positions) were of the same purport. In 1830 the new Kirchenzeitung of Hengstenberg went so far even as to call for the expulsion of rationalistic pro- fessors from the universities. As yet, however, it was but a small band who opposed rationalism. But they had the courage of faith and the vitality of truth on their side, and their influence was very deeply felt.
Just at this time the decisive influence of Schleier- macher came to the help of the opponents of rational-
ism. With all its rationalistic methods, the system of this great theologian was hostile to rationalism as a whole. It promoted a positive faith in a positive Chris- tianity; it was powerfully influential in implanting a reverence for positive religion in the higher and learned circles of German life ; it regarded religion as one of the essential necessities of human nature, and it saw in the Church an organization essential to the nurture of re- ligion. The period was now past -when faith and culture were regarded as uncongenial to each other. In effecting this change in public sentiment, Fichte and Schelling ' contributed no inconsiderable increments to the potent influence of Schleiermacher. The very last scientific ef- fort of rationalism was made on the appearance of Haee's Hutterus Pedirivus. In this book Hase transports him- self into the sphere of ancient Protestant orthodoxy, and attempts such a presentation of it as shall harmonize with the rich fruits of modern culture. The school of Rbhr assailed (1833) this book with desperate earnest- ness; but the very choice of its weapons betrayed the forlorn hope of the cause. The replies which Hase made to these assaults may be regarded as having given the death-blow to scientific rationalism. As a result of the contest, rationalism was forced to confess that the "rea- son" upon which it leans for support is simply the com- mon-sense of man in general. Henceforth the system is branded with the title rationalism ns vuh/aris, against which Bohr himself has no other objection to make save that the adjective communis would be a little more polite.
.">. Philosophical Rationalism. — During the whole pe- riod of theological rationalism there had existed a cur- rent of j>hilosophical rationalism. The climax of this current was reached when Hegel persuaded himself that he had imposed upon Christianity such an interpreta- tion as presented it as the adequate expression of the very highest philosophical truth. But this climax-pe- riod was but of momentary duration. When the vapors of enthusiasm were dissipated, it was seen that this transfiguration of Christianity was but a delusion. The downward flow of speculative rationalism begins with Strauss's Dojgmatik (18-10). In this work it is shown that the connection between speculative thought and Christian doctrine is only of the very slightest kind. The next downward step was taken by the Young He- gelians, when they taught, with Feuerbach, that phi- losophy alone can give any real satisfaction to thought, and that religion can serve at best only a practical need. This changed opinion in regard to the nature of relig- ion sprang from a changed position in philosophy. The proud monism of Hegel had given place to a feeble du- alism. Feuerbach denies that speculative thought is the only instrument for philosophizing, and insists that the telescope of the astronomer and the hammer of the geologist arc also entitled to respect. Thus induction is substituted for deduction, and the entering wedge for the whole stream of modern materialism is started in its course. The climax of speculative degradation was reached when, in the hands of the more advanced Young Hegelians, philosophy completely discrowned itself, and confessed that the sum total of attainable useful truth is to be found in the path of material experiment and practical observation.
We have now reached the close of rationalism as a vital movement. It sprang out of a reaction against the stiff, formal orthodoxy of the opening 18th century. It expired in 1833, under the critical strokes of Hase and the religious inspiration that went out from Schleier- macher. Taking up the inspiration of Schleiermacher, and rising to a much higher theological position than he, a noble company of the most gifted theologians of any age have completely rescued German scientific the- ology from the dishonor and obscuration which had be- fallen it during the rationalistic period. Pre-eminent among these rehabilitators of orthodoxy are such men as Xeander. Nitzsch, Ewald, Julius Midler, Dorner, Twesten, Olshausen, Sack, Ebrard, LTImann, Hundes-