Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 693

CuAi'.

V]

But

tion.

THE APPARENT DEFEAT

§ 105.

and

sincere,

it

if

subjected

itself,

The more Protestantism was and

subjection was

not

the theologians soon perceived that children

them

of another spirit cooperated with

side,

this

669

in the other faculties.

interpreted from

negative

its

was taken as investigation withand the more the liberty of conscience, and

free investigation

out a spiritual

tie,

gradually even that of the press, assisted in the publication of

what was thought and pondered, so much the more did

a spirit of free thought begin to develop itself

among

well-to-do classes in the countries of the Reformation,

the

which

impelled individual thinkers to devise philosophical systems,

and which among the great masses created an without

ideals, that entered into

irreligiousness

an ever sharper conflict with

the mystical and ideal character of the Christian religion. It

has by no means been the thorough idealistic systems of

Descartes, Spinoza and Leibnitz that have created the great-

commotion. Much more dangerous were the effects worked by Deism, which spread across the Continent from England; by the spirit of the Enc3^clopedists, which caused its power to be felt from France and by the so-called "Aufklarung (Illumination) which quickly asserted itself in Germany. To some extent the origin of these influences was

est

;

''

truly philosophical,

theological

and

if

philosophical be taken as antithesis to

but as a rule they were of too low an order

;

of too little exaltation to justify their claiming for

selves

the

honorable

sense of the word.

name It

of

was a low moralism, such

public opinion loves, which clips every wing, and

higher standard than the everyday and shrubberies might lift

up

its

grow

;

them-

philosophical in the higher

common

as plain

knows no

one.

Low

each oak or cedar, that wanted to

head, was immediately cut down.

For the

ideal

down men were the fools who

there was nothing to spare but mockery, poetry went into

sentimentalism,

weaned from still

all

admiration was unknown,

higher impulses and laughed at

persisted in a desire to go

such a time-spirit and the

up

in the balloon.

Christian

against each other as two antipodes. those days the Christian Church

religion

Too bad

Of course stood

over

that in just

and Christian Theology

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