1621, Herman Rathmann, minister at Dantzic, a pious man, and not unlearned, a great friend and a public recommender of John Arnd's work on True Christianity, was thought by John Corvinus, his colleague, and by many others, to derogate from the majesty and the efficacy of the holy Scriptures. If we may believe his opposers, he published, in the year 1621, in a German work on Christ's kingdom of Grace, the following sentiment: "That the written word of God does not possess inherent power and efficacy, to enlighten and regenerate the hearts of men, and to convert them to God: that this external word merely points out the way to salvation, but does not draw men into it that God himself, by another and an internal word, so changes the disposition of men, that they are enabled to please him." This opinion, Corvinus and his associates contended, was the same that Schwenckfeld formerly held, and that the mystics professed. But whoever shall compare together all the writings of Rathmann on the subject, will perceive, that his adversaries either did not understand him, or have perverted his meaning. He supposed, I. That the word of God, as contained in the Scriptures, had the power of converting men to God, and of renewing their hearts. But, II. This power it could not exert at all on the minds of corrupt men who resisted it. Therefore, III. It was necessary that a divine power should either precede or accompany it, and prepare the minds of men for its influence, or remove the obstacles which destroyed the efficacy of the external word. And thus, IV. By this power of the Holy Spirit, or this internal word, the way was prepared for the external word to enlighten and renovate the souls of men'. There is indeed some difference between his views of the efficacy of the divine word, and the common views of the Lutheran church: but, if I do not greatly deceive myself, whoever shall carefully consider all that he has written on the subject, in his inelegant, nay, often careless manner, will be convinced that this difference is but small; and he will perceive that the honest man had not the power of communicating his thoughts with precision and clearness. The contro very spread through the whole Lutheran church; the majority following the example of the Saxons and condemning Rathmann; but others excusing that pious and good man. But as he died, just as the contest was at its height, in the year 1628, the great commotions gradually subsided. § 38. The private dissensions of some of the doctors respecting certain propositions and opinions, I do not presume to place on the list of Lutheran controversies though I perceive some do it; not so much, however, if I do not mistake, for the purpose of illustrating and adorning the history of the church, as to create prejudice against the Lutherans, and to lower the reputation of good men. For no age is so happy, and no community so well regulated, but that one individual is sometimes deemed by another to be indiscreet and erroneous. Nor is it estimating human nature correctly, to measure the state of things, throughout the whole church, by such private opinions of individuals. In the writings of John Tarnovius and John Affelmann of Rostoch, in other respects two very meritorious theologians, certain modes of expression and some opinions were censured, by their colleagues and others. Nor will this excite much surprise in one who considers that the latter might misunderstand what was itself well said, and that the former might not have known how to express correctly what they clearly understood. Joachim Lütkemann, in many respects a man of worth, denied, that Christ remained a true man, during the three days he was dead: while others affirmed the contrary. This was a controversy about words; such as we see continually arising and disappearing among men.-Of the same kind was the dispute which engaged Henry Boetius, a theologian of Helmstadt, and Frederic Baldwin, a divine of Wittemberg; whether it is in consequence of the merits of Christ, that the wicked will be restored to life hereafter.-John Reinboth, superintendent in Holstein, like Calixtus, circumscribed the essentials of religion within narrower limits than usual, and supposed that the Greeks did not err essentially, in denying that the Holy Spirit proceeded from the Son. In both respects, many were satisfied with him; but others were not; and especially, John Conrad Danhauer, a very learned divine of Strasburg. Hence a controversy arose between those excellent men, which was more vehement, than the nature of the case demanded. But let us not refer disputes of this character, to the class of those which show the internal state of our church in this century. $39. Of somewhat greater moment in this respect, were certain controversies, which did not relate so much to things, as to persons; or respected the soundness and correctness of certain teachers. Men who undertake to plead the cause of piety and holiness, are often carried by the fervour which actuates them to some extravagance; and therefore do not always confine down their statements to the rigid rules of theological accuracy, prescribed by learned divines: and they sometimes borrow the strong and splendid, yet figurative and often obscure words and phrases of those, who treat of the genuine worship of God and of practical duties, with good intentions indeed, yet in a rude and uncouth style. Hence none scarcely, more readily than these, fall under the suspicion of despising and marring the truth. Many such examples occurred in this age; and particularly, in the case of Stephen Prætorius, a preacher at Salswedel, and of that most excellent man, John Arnd. The former had published, in the preceding century, some tracts, calculated to arouse the minds of men to solicitude about their salvation; and these were repeatedly republished in this century, and commended by many; and yet were thought by others to abound in expressions and sentiments, either directly false, or calculated to lead on to error. And there certainly are some unsuitable expressions in those tracts, which might easily mislead the ignorant; and some also, that indicate too great credulity. Yet, whoever shall read his works with an ingenuous mind, will easily believe, that the writer composed nothing there, treacherously, and with a bad design. The celebrated work of Arnd, on true Christianity, the perusal of which affords delight to so many pious persons even in our own times, was too bitterly taxed by Lucas Osiander, George Rost, and many others, with being written, among 2 See, on these controversies generally, Godfrey Arnold's Kirchen- und Ketzer-historie, pt. ii. book xvii. ch. vi. p. 957, &c. and concerning that of Reinboth, in particular, see Jo. Moller's other faults, in a style that was debased by Weigelian, Paracelsic, and the like phraseology. And it is certain, that this extraordinary man disliked the philosophy that prevailed in the schools of that age, and on the other hand, ascribed much,I had almost said, too much,-to the doctrines and pretensions of the chemists: and hence he sometimes used the language of those who tell us, that fire throws light on both religion and nature. But he has been absolved from all great errors, by the most respectable men, especially by Paul Egard, Daniel Dilger, Melchior Breler, John Gerhard, Dorscheus, and numerous others: and, indeed, he appears to have derived reputation and renown, rather than disgrace, from those many criminations. To the class of which we here treat, belongs also Valentine Weigel, minister of Tschopau in Meissen. For though he died in the preceding century, yet a great part of his writings were first published in this, and were attacked by great numbers. I regard him as by no means a corrupt man ; but he also was injured by his attachment to the chemistry which at that time floated about Germany, and by his dislike or neglect of the precepts of sound reason. § 40. It remains, that we notice the chief persons among the Lutherans, who felt themselves strong enough to new model the whole system of theology, or to draw forth a new one from their own resources. At the head of the list stands Jacob Boehmen, a shoe-maker of Gorlitz, famous for his vast number of both friends and foes, and whom his patrons call the German Theosophist. Being naturally inclined to search after abstruse things, and having learned, partly from certain books, and partly from intercourse with some physicians, (Tobias Kober, Balthasar Walther, and others,) the doctrines of Robert Fludd and the Rosicrucians, which were then every where circulated and talked of, he discovered, by means of fire, and with the aid of his imagination, a kind of theology, which was more obscure than the numbers of Pythagoras, or the characters of Heracli 3 See Godfr. Arnold's Kirchen-und Ketzer-historie, pt. ii. book xvii. ch. vi. p. 940, &c. Weismann's Historia Eccles. sæculi xvii. p. 1174. 1189. Godfr. Balth. Scharf's Supplementum Historia, Litisque Arndiana, Wittemb. 1727. 8vo. and very many others. 4 Arnold treats largely of Weigel ; yet, as usual, not impartially; in his Kirchen- und Ketzer-historie, pt. ii. b. xvii. ch. xvii. p. 1088. tus. Those who would commend the man for ingenuity, piety, veracity, and honesty, may do it without hindrance from us: but those who would honour him with the title of a man taught of God, or even of a sound and wise philosopher, must themselves lack knowledge; for he so confuses every subject, with chemical metaphors, and with such a profusion of obscure terms, that it would seem as if he aimed to produce jargon. The heat of his exuberant fancy, if I do not mistake, led him to believe, that divine grace operates according to the same laws as prevail in the physical world; and that men's souls are purified from their pollution and vices, in the same way in which metals are purged from dross. He formerly had, and he still has, a greater number of followers; among whom, in this century, the most noted and famous were John Lewis Gifttheil, John Angelus von Werdenhagen, Abraham von Franckenberg, Theodore von Tzetsch, Paul Felgenhauer, Quirinus Kuhlmann, John James Zimmermann, and others. Some of these were not altogether destitute of modesty and good sense: but others were entirely beside themselves, and excited the compassion of intelligent men; as e. g. Kuhlmann, who was burnt in Muscovoy, A. D. 1684, and afterwards Gichtel and not one of them managed their affairs so praiseworthily and dexterously, as to procure for the sect or its founders any degree of commendation and respectability, with persons of the slightest discernment". § 41. Next after Boehmen, it appears, should be mentioned those, whom a sort of intellectual weakness rendered so daring, that they boasted of being prophets, divinely raised up, and endued with the power of foretelling future events. A large number of such persons existed in this age, and particularly 5 It is not necessary here to cite authorities for the works of Boehmen are in every body's hands; and the books which confute him, are no where scarce. What can be said in favour of the man and his followers, may be seen in Arnold, who is always most full in extolling and lauding those whom others censure. Concerning Kuhlmann, and his execution, see the Unschuldige Nachrichten, A. D. 1748. p. 905. and in many other places. ["Boehmen, however, had the good fortune to meet with, in our days, a warm advocate and an industrious disciple in the late well-meaning, but gloomy and visionary Mr. William Law, who was, for many years, preparing a new edition and translation of Boehmen's works, which he left behind him ready for the press, and which have been published in 2 vols, 4to. since his death." Macl.] |