History

OF

THEOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE & LITERATURE

FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE EIGHTEENTH CEN

TURY TO THE PRESENT TIME.

DURING this period a great revolution in all departments of theological learning was gradually effected. Like all other revolutions, it was long preparing and its seeds were scattered during the previous period, although that period exhibited so remarkable a contrast with the present. This change owed its origin to various causes, and is capable of being viewed in a variety of aspects. Its principal cause, was the deism which arose in the 17th century in England; and its principal aspect, is that of a species of deism, which gradually pervaded all departments of theology. It is easy to find many other causes and aspects, of this great literary revolution. Some may even produce many appearances, seemingly inconsistent with the representation just given; they may appeal to the fact, that deism was zealously and powerfully opposed, and that many theologians set themselves with all their strength against the design of making it prevalent, and of reducing Christianity to its level; and yet it may have been the main tendency and principal effect of the literary labours of these theologians to render the deism they opposed still more prevalent.

Most of the English deists, attacked only the divine

origin, credibility, and the authenticity of the Sacred Scriptures; the contents of the Sacred Volume were but in part assailed, as the accounts of miracles and the system of ecclesiastical theology; but the character and the doctrines of Jesus himself, were spared. The latter they generally represented as a pure and popular system of deism, suited to the people of the age. Most theologians opposed themselves to these writers, endeavouring to save what the deists had rejected as unnecessary and unfounded, and to uphold Revelation and not reason, as the standard of religion. Yet many theologians soon appeared in England, who, in many points nearly agreed with the deists. It is true, they did not abandon the authority, genuineness and credibility of the Sacred Volume, and the preceptive and historical parts of Christianity; but they purged the ecclesiastical system from every thing, which appeared to them inconsistent with reason, and produced systems of Christian theology which were pervaded by this liberal spirit. The constantly increasing power and fame of the British nation, in the eighteenth century, spread its literature over all Europe. The writings of its deists and its theologians, who were termed latitudinarians, were read especially in Germany with zeal and attention, and have, in connection with other causes, produced that great revolution in theology and religious opinion, which has proved more thorough and general in this country, and has proceeded further than in Britain itself, and which has hence spread its effects into other lands. This great change first appeared in the German protestant churches, whence it was extended to the German catholics.

The reign of Frederick II. had great influence upon the state of theology and religion, and the greater on account of the splendour of his exploits; for the more he was admired as a king, hero and sage, the more were other monarchs disposed to imitate him. He gave the press, in his dominions, unrestrained freedom, and was rejoiced

when he saw Christianity, (which he had hated from his youth,) attacked. He entertained a decided contempt for Christianity, theology, the church and the clergy. He surrounded himself wit French philosophers, who were acknowledged as the enemies of all positive religion, as sceptics, materialists, and atheists; he scarcely preserved himself from their extremes, though he would sometimes support simple deism in opposition to his courtiers. Since this period the freedom of the press has been extended to other states of Europe, and most of the enlightened theologians (so called) in and out of his states, declared themselves more or less openly in favour of deism, and exerted themselves in various ways, to represent Christianity as nothing more than a system of natural religion. They regarded this as the only way in which it could be saved or preserved in honour.

The propagation of deism, and its introduction into theology had still other causes. The various departments of natural philosophy, were more cultivated and enriched, they were held in higher esteem and applied more practically to the affairs of life. Miracles were referred to the laws and the powers of nature, and where these could not be discovered, they were still supposed to exist. Hence the desire arose, not to allow any miracles in the strict sense of the term, (no supernatural events,) even in religion; a desire either to explain the miracles of the Bible as natural occurrences, or reject them as fabulous narrations, and to give currency to a merely natural religion, and to represent Christianity as entirely independent of any thing supernatural.

The constantly extending and more accurate knowledge of the history of religions, had also a great influence in producing this change. The history and nature of ancient religions, mythology, and religious rites, were investigated with more critical skill, with more philological and historical learning, and with more of a philosophical spirit.

C C

The many journeys, missions, voyages and wars, in distant parts of the world, brought men acquainted with the state of religion, and brought many new systems to light. Men compared these religions with each other, and with Judaism and Christianity. They found in other religions many representations, many ideas, facts, and customs, analogous to those in the Jewish and Christian systems, without being able to prove, nor even having ground to suppose, that they had been introduced from the latter into the former. They were hence led to suppose, that what had in other religions no immediately divine origin, could boast of no such origin in Christianity; and that what was found in so many other systems could give no distinctive character to the Christian. And to these points of resemblance belonged some of those very doctrines which had been regarded as the holiest and most characteristic in the Christian system. They were thus led to regard as of less importance the peculiarities of Christianity, and to endeavour to raise it to a pure system of natural religion; and whatever from this source was contained in Christianity, and had not found its way into other religions, they considered as its most important part, and in fact as the essence of the religion.

The influence of philosophy upon theology, deserves also particular attention. In the beginning of the 18th century, the philosophy of LOCKE had spread extensively both within and without Great Britain, and had gained complete ascendency. It denied entirely all inborn knowledge and innate ideas; it taught that all our knowledge, without exception, was derived from sensation or reflection, and consequently that all our ideas were images of objects presented to us by our internal or external senses. It was in this way that Locke deduced our ideas of God and morality, and gave himself much trouble to shew that they were in no way born with us, nor unfolded themselves from the mind itself. This philosophy was more favoura