LE CLERC, CALIXTUS, AND SPENER.

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the Interest felt in bringing forward witnesses from the earlier history against Catholicism, in order to represent it as an adulteration of later date. It was not perceived that the Catholic doctrine might exist early and yet be untrue; for the laws of historical and Christian development were not yet understood, and it was supposed that what was owned to be orthodox must have existed of old. Then followed the period of stagnation, and of the despotism of Church doctrine, the supremacy of Dogma above all other branches of Theology, so that the historical interest was depressed. The freer development originated in the re-action which called forth a renovation of the Protestant life. In the Reformed Church Arminianism was particularly influential in this respect. To this school belonged LE CLERC of Amsterdam. Only in him the critical element was strongest, and his views of Christian truth were very defective. In the Lutheran Church the reaction proceeded not only as in the case of Le Clerc, from the province of Criticism, but from that of the Christian Life. Of the former CALIXTUS was the representative; of the latter SPENER, who with his school, laboured from a practical standpoint for the emancipation of the Christian Spirit, and the free exhibition of the Christian Life. They made the distinction more palpably felt between faith and Dogma, between differences in dogmatic knowledge and in the religious life. Amidst. this excitement, the first historical work on Dogmas made its appearance. The "Impartial History of the Church and of Heretics," by GOTTFRIED ARNOLD of Giessen,* constituting an epoch by the freedom with which, unfettered by Church authority in doctrinal matters, he investigated the diversified phenomena of the Christian spirit. But though Arnold combated the one-sidedness that had hitherto prevailed, he fell into that of another kind; he showed a partiality for eccentricities, and was disposed to indulge in the fanciful. At first he encouraged a spirit of liberal inquiry respecting the history of sects; but his peculiar prejudices injured his treatment of the subject. His merits were great for giving such an impulse to historical criticism, but his own criticism was biased. Since that time, historical Theology has gradually become more unshackled. The study of it received a fresh impulse from MOSHEIM, who owes his reputation chiefly to his classical • Frankfurt, 1699, fol. 1729, 4to. Schaffh. 1740, 3 vols. fol.

work on the history of the Christian Church before Constantine the Great; he introduced a more pragmatical treatment of History, and pointed out the necessity of connecting the History of Philosophy with that of Religion. But he did not undertake a separate treatise on the History of Dogmas as a special branch of study. FRANCIS WALCH was the first person who suggested this. His Scheme of a complete History of Heresies" (Entwurf einer vollständigen Geschichte der Ketzereien), which contains much matter, is a preliminary work for the purpose. A new Epoch succeeded commenced by

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the great SEMLER, who brought about a revolution in Theology, the effects of which have not yet ceased. He occupied himself chiefly with the History of Dogmas, and carried out the thoughts which Walch had only suggested, in his Introduction to BAUMGARTEN's "Investigations of theological controversies " (Untersuchungen theologischer Streitigkeiten). His merit lies in stimulating the critical element, which marks the new development of Theology, though it took in him a one-sided direction. As his criticism was not accompanied by the views of a positive theology, the product of the Christian consciousness, it wanted its proper aim, and pulled down without building up. In his attacks on the Hierarchy he became unjust to many phenomena in the History of Christianity. To the existing one-sidedness he opposed another, a principle which made him fail in justice to many of the deeper Christian phenomena, as in the case of Augustine, and which did not allow in the History of Dogmas an organic mode of treatment in which his whole theology was deficient. This destructive tendency was developed still further in its pernicious effects. It was followed by a season of decay in Theology, when the essence of Christianity was ignored, and it was looked upon as nothing better than a temporary garb for a so-called Religion of Reason. This gave rise to the outwardly pragmatic mode of treating Christianity. As there was a disposition to explain the phenomena of Dogma only from outward causes, oftentimes nothing more was discerned in them than human ingenuity and activity, instead of the peculiar aspect of Christian Truth that formed their basis. Hence, for example, the mistakes

• Commentarii de reb. Christianor. ante Constant. M.: Helmst. 1753, 4to. Translated by Vidal: London, 1813-35. Reprinted with the translation completed, by Dr. Murdock: New York. 1851.

HISTORICAL WORKS ON DOGMAS.

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respecting Gnosticism. Not till this period was passed, could the study of the History of Dogmas flourish. Under the fresh impulse given to the Christian life, a new positive epoch succeeded the critical, for the study of History, Philosophy, and the religious nature of Man, in which the History of Dogmas could be studied according to the principles of the development of Christianity in doctrine. Modern Science has promoted a successful mode of treating it, since a taste has been formed for the deeper contemplation of historical phenomena in general. The Intellectual has been examined in its relation to the Religious, Dogma in its relation to Faith; the Christian consciousness of every age has been separated from foreign elements; the nature of the Christian Spirit at all periods and in all its stages has been investigated, in order to make historical contemplation independent of the present-and thus to gain the liberty of rising above the contrarieties of dogmatic development and to find the right medium between aberrations in opposite directions.

DION. PETAVIUS, de theologicis dogmatibus: Par. 1644, sq. Antw. 1700, VI. fol. (Catholic).-Jo. FORBESIUS A CORSE, instructiones historico-theologica de doctrina christiana, etc.: Amst. 1645, Gen. 1692.-TILLEMONT, Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire ecclésiastique des 6 premiers siècles justifiés par les citations des auteurs originaux: Par. 1693, sq. XVI. 4to. (Catholic).-CHR. W. J. WALCH, Vollständige Historie der Ketzereien: Lpz. 1762. XI. 8vo. — J. S. BAUMGARTEN, untersuchung theologischen Streitigkeiten u.s.w herausgegeben, von J. S. SEMLER: Halle, 1762-64, III. 4to. ROSSLER, Biblioth. der Kirchenväter in Uebers. und Auszügen: 1776, X. 8vo.

Special Historical Works on Dogmas: S. G. LANGE, Ausführliche Geschichte der Dogmen: Lpz. 1796.-J. CH. WUNDEMANN, Geschichte der Christlichen Glaubenslehre von Athanasius bis Gregor. d. Gr. Th. 1. 2: Lpz. 1798, 99.-W. MÜNSCHER, Handbuch der Christlichen Dogmengeschichte. Marburg, 1787-1809, 4 Bde. 3 Aufl. Von Bd. 1. 2. 1817, 18.-By the same Author, Lehrbuch der Christlichen Logmengeschichte. Marburg, 1812.-3, Aufl. mit Belegen

aus dem Quellenschriften, Ergänzungen der Literatur histor. Noten und Fortsetzungen versehen von D. V. COLLN: I. Hälfte, Kassel, 1832, II. Kassel, 1834, herausgegeben v. HUPFELD II. 2, Kassel, 1838, von CHR. G. NEUDECKER.-F. MÜNTER, Handbuch der ältesten Christlichen Dogmengeschichte aus dem Dänischen von EVERS: 1 Thl. Göttingen, 1802.-J. CH. W. AUGUSTI, Lehrbuch der Christlichen Dogmengeschichte : Lpz. 1805, 4 Aufl. 1835.-L. BERTHOLD, Handbuch der Dogmengeschichte, herausgegeben von ENGELHARDT: Erlangen, 1822, 23, 2 Bde. - L. F. O. BAUMGARTEN - CRUSIUS, Lehrbuch der Christlichen Dogmengeschichte: Jena, 1832, 2 Bde. Compendium der Christlichen Dogmengeschichte : Lpz. I. 1840, II. 1846, herausgeg. v. HASE.-LENTZ, Gesch. der Christlichen Dogmen in Pragmatischer Entwicklung: Helmst. 1843, 1 Thl. J. G. B. ENGELHARDT, Dogmengeschichte: Neustadt, 1839, 2 Thl.-K. MEIER, Lehrbuch der Dogmengeschichte für akadem. Vorlesungen: Giessen, 1839.-K. R. HAGENBACH, Lehrb. der Dogmengeschichte: Lpz. 1840, 47 51, 2 Bde.-F. CH. BAUR, Lehrbuch der Christlichen Dogmengeschichte: Stuttg. 1847. H. KLEE, Lehrbuch der Dogmengeschichte: Mainz. 1837, 38, 2 Bde. (Catholic.)

Dogmengeschichtliche Tabellen von K. R. HAGENBACH: Basel, 1828, 4.-K. VORLANDER, tabellarisch übersichtliche Darstellung der Dogmengeschichte nach Neanders Dogmengeschichtlichen Vorlesungen: Hamb. 1835, 37, 2 Thl.

FIRST PRINCIPAL PERIOD,

FROM THE CLOSE OF THE APOSTOLIC AGE TO THE TIME OF GREGORY L. (ABOUT A.D. 600).

FIRST PERIOD,

FROM THE CLOSE OF THE APOSTOLIC AGE TO THE TIME OF CONSTANTINF

THE GREAT (THE BEGINNING OF THE FOURTH CENTURY).

THE APOLOGETIC PERIOD.

THE GENERAL HISTORY OF DOGMAS.

THE study of the first period is of special importance in relation to questions that vitally affect our present Theology, since many of the most weighty problems, such as the reality of the life of Jesus and of the authenticity of several of the most important portions of the New Testament are connected with it. Christianity entered a world that was foreign to its nature, where it had to acquire a certain form, and this form was in part dependent on existing tendencies. It was necessary first of all, to become conscious of what Christianity implied in contradistinction to the elements around; but the Christian element had also points of connexion with the existing order of things. We have, therefore, first of all, to consider Christianity as it came in contact with the two leading tendencies of the religious spirit, JUDAISM and HEATHENISM, and notice in reference to both the points of contrariety and of connexion. On this relation is founded the apologetic character of this period. The great object of attention was the conflict against Judaism and Heathenism, and the preservation of the Christian faith in its purity from those re-actions which had insinuated themselves into the development of the Church.

As to the relation of Judaism to Christianity, we might expect the points of union to be the most prominent, and those of contrariety to be less noticeable, for Christ is the end to which the whole earlier development of God's kingdom in

D