lation excited to the pursuit of literary fame, were greatly animated by the example, the influence, and the instructions of Melancthon, who was deservedly considered as the great and leading doctor of the Lutheran church, and whose sentiments, relating both to the sacred and profane erudition, were so universally respected, that scarcely any had the courage to oppose them. In the next rank to this eminent reformer may be mentioned Joachim Camerarius of Leipsic, a shining ornament to the republic of letters in this century, who, by his zeal and application contributed much to promote the cause of universal learning, and more especially the study of elegant literature.

sophy anmong

x. The revolutions of philosophy among the Lutheran doctors were many and various. Luther and Me- The varions lancthon seemed to set out with a resolution to fate of philo banish every species of philosophy" from the the Lutherans. church; and though it is impossible to justify entirely this part of their conduct, yet they are less to be blamed than those scholastic doctors, whose barbarous method of teaching philosophy was inexpressibly disgusting, and who, by a miserable abuse of the subtile precepts of Aristotle, had perverted the dictates of common sense, and introduced the greatest obscurity and confusion both in philosophy and religion. But though these abuses led the two great men now mentioned too far, and were carrying them into the opposite extreme; yet their own recollections suspended their precipitation, and they both perceived, before it was too late, that true philosophy was necessary to restrain the licentious flights of mere genius and fancy, and to guard the sanctuary of religion against the inroads of superstition and enthusiasm. It was in consequence of this pursuasion that Melancthon composed, in a plain and familiar style, abridgments of almost all the various branches of philosophy, which, during many years, were explained publicly to the studious youth in all the Lutheran academies

p See Christ. Aug. Heumanni Acta philosophor. art. ii. part x. p. 579. Jo. Herm. ab Elswich, Dissertat. de varia Aristotelis fortuna in Scholis Protestantium, which Launoy has prefixed to his book De fortuna Aristotelis in Academia Parisiensi, § viii. p. 15, § xiii. p. 36. q Some writers, either through malignity, or for want of better information, have pretended that Luther rejected the scholastic philosophy through a total ignorance of its nature and precepts. Those that have ventured upon such an assertion must have been themselves grossly ignorant of the history of literature in general, as well as of the industry and erudition of Luther in particular. For a demonstrative proof of this, see Bruckeri Historia Critica Philosophiæ, tom. iv. part i. p. 91, 95, 96, &c.

and schools of learning. This celebrated reformer may not improperly be considered as an eclectic; for though in many points he followed Aristotle, and retained some degree of propensity to the ancient philosophy of the schools, yet he drew many things from the fecundity of his own genius, and had often recourse also to the doctrines of the Platonics and stoics.

sects; Aristo

Ramans.

XI. This method of teaching philosophy, however rePhilosophical commendable on account of its simplicity and pertelians and spicuity, did not long enjoy alone and unrivalled, the great credit and authority it had obtained. Certain acute and subtile doctors, having perceived that Melancthon, in composing his abridgments, had discovered a peculiar and predominant attachment to the philosophy of Aristotle, thought it was better to go to the source, than to drink at the stream; and therefore read and explained to their disciples the works of the Stagirite. On the other hand, it was observed, that the Jesuits, and other votaries of Rome, artfully made use of the ambiguous terms and the intricate sophistry of the ancient schoolmen, in order to puzzle the protestants, and to reduce them to silence, when they wanted such arguments as were adapted to produce conviction. And therefore many protestant doctors thought it might be advantageous to their cause to have the studious youth instructed in the mysteries of the Aristotelian philosophy, as it was taught in the schools, that thus they might be qualified to defend themselves with the same weapons with which they were attacked. Hence there arose, toward the conclusion of this century, three philosophical sects, the Melancthonian, the Aristotelian, and the scholastic. The first declined gradually, and soon disappeared; while the other two imperceptibly grew into one, and acquired new vigour by this coalition, increased daily in reputation and influence, and were adopted in all the schools of learning. It is true, the followers of Ramus made violent inroads, in several places, upon the territories of these combined sects, and sometimes with a certain appearance of success; but their hopes were transitory; for after various struggles they were obliged to yield, and were at length entirely banished from the schools.

r Jo. Herm. ab Elswich, De fatis Aristot. in Scholis Protest. § xxi. p. 54. Jo. Georg. Walchius, Historia Logices, lib. ii. cap. i. § iii. v. in Parergis Academicis, p. 613, 617. Otto Frid, Schutzius, De vita Chytræi, lib. iv. sect. iv. p. 19.

sists, or fire

XII. Such also was the fate of the disciples of Paracelsus, who, from the grand principle of their physical system, were called fire philosophers, and who The Paracelaimed at nothing less than the total subversion of philosophers. the peripatetic philosophy and the introduction of their own reveries into the public schools. Toward the conclusion of this century the Paracelsists really made a figure in almost all the countries of Europe, as their sect was patronised and supported by the genius and eloquence of several great men, who exerted themselves, with the utmost zeal and assiduity, in its cause, and endeavoured, both by their writings and their transactions, to augment its credit. In England it found an eminent defender in M. Robert Flood, or Fludd, a man of a very singular genius,' who illustrated, or at least attempted to illustrate, the philosophy of Paracelsus, in a great number of treatises, which, even in our times, are not entirely destitute of readers and admirers. The same philosophy got a certain footing in France, had several votaries in that kingdom, and was propagated with zeal at Paris, by a person whose name was Rivier, in opposition to the sentiments and efforts of the university of that city." Its cause was industriously promoted in Denmark by Severinus;" in Germany by Kunrath, an eminent physician at Dresden, who died in the year 1605; and in other countries by a considerable number of warm votaries, who were by no means unsuccessful in augmenting its reputation, and multiplying its followers. As all these heralds of the new philosophy accompanied their instructions with a striking air of piety and devotion, and seemed, in propagating their

Is This fanatical sect of philosophers had several denominations. They were called Theosophists, from their declaiming against human reason as a dangerous and deceitful guide, and their representing a Divine and supernatural illumination as the only means of arriving at truth. They were called Philosphi per ignem, i. e. fire philosophers, from their maintaining that the intimate essences of natural things were only to be known by the trying efforts of fire, directed in a chymical process. They were, lastly, denominated Paracelsists, from the eminent physician and chymist of that name, who was the chief ornament and leader of that extraordinary sect.

It The person here mentioned by Dr. Mosheim is not the famous Dominican monk of that name, who, from his ardent pursuit of mathematical knnwledge, was called the Seeker, and who, from his passion for chymistry, was suspected of magic, but a famous physician born in the year 1574, at Milgate in Kent, and very remarkable for his attachment to the alchymists. See Ant. Wood, Athenar. Oxoniens. vol. i. p. 610, and Hist. et Antiq. Acad. Oxoniens. lib. ii. p. 390. P. Gassendi Examen Philosoph. Fluddawæ, tom. iii. opp. p. 259.

u Boulay, Histor. Acad. Paris, tom. vi. p. 327, et passim.

w Jo. Molleri Cimbria Literata, tom. i. p. 623.

x Jo. Molleri, ibid. tom. ii. p. 440.

strange system, to propose to themselves no other end than the advancement of the divine glory, and the restoration of peace and concord in a divided church; a motive, in appearance, so generous and noble, could not fail to procure them friends and protectors. Accordingly, we find that, toward the conclusion of this century, several persons, eminent for their piety, and distinguished by their zeal for the advancement of true religion, joined themselves to this sect. Of this number were the Lutheran doctors, Wigelius, Arndius, and others, who were led into the snare by their ill-grounded notions of human reason, and who apprehended that controversy and argumentation might lead men to substitute anew the pompous and intricate jargon of the schools in the place of solid and sincere piety.

The controversy between Hofmann and his

XIII. Among those that discovered a propensity toward the system of the Paracelsists, or theosophists, was the celebrated Daniel Hofmann, professor of colleagues. divinity in the university of Helmstadt, who, from the year 1598, had declared open war against philosophy, and who continued to oppose it with the greatest obstinacy and violence. Laying hold of some particular opinions of Luther, and certain passages in the writings of that great man, he extravagantly maintained that philosophy was the mortal enemy of religion; that truth was divisible into two branches, the one philosophical and the other theological; and that what was true in philosophy, was false in theology. These absurd and pernicious tenets naturally alarmed the judicious doctors of the university, and excited a warm controversy between Hofmann and his colleagues, Owen Guntherus, Cornelius Martin, John Caselius, and Duncan Liddell; a controversy also of too much consequence to be confined within such narrow bounds, and which accordingly was carried on in other countries with the same fervour. The tumults it excited in Germany were appeased by the interposition of Henry Julius, duke of Brunswick, who, having made a careful inquiry into the nature of this debate, and consulted the professors of the academy of Rostoc on that subject, commanded Hofmann to retract publicly the invectives he had thrown out against philosophy in his writings and in his academical lectures, and to acknowledge, in the most open manner, the harmony and

union of sound philosophy with true and genuine theology."

of theology

XIV. The theological system that now prevails in the Lutheran academies, is not of the same tenor or The science spirit with that which was adopted in the infancy corrected and of the reformation. As time and experience are improved. necessary to bring all things to perfection, so the doctrine of the Lutheran church changed imperceptibly, and by degrees its original form, and was improved and perfected in many respects. This will appear both evident and striking to those who are acquainted with the history of the doctrines relating to the interpretation of Scripture, freewill, predestination, and other points, and who compare the Lutheran systems of divinity of an earlier date with those that have been composed in modern times. The case could not well be otherwise. The glorious defenders of religious liberty, to whom we owe the various blessings of the reformation, as they were conducted only by the suggestions of their natural sagacity, whose advances in the pursuit of knowledge are gradual and progressive, could not at once behold the truth in all its lustre, and in all its extent, but, as usually happens to persons that have been long accustomed to the darkness of ignorance, their approaches toward knowledge were but slow, and their views of things but imperfect. The Lutherans were greatly assisted both in correcting and illustrating the articles of their faith, partly by the controversies they were obliged to carry on with the Roman catholic doctors, and the disciples of Zuingle and Calvin, and partly by the intestine divisions that reigned among themselves, of which an account shall be given in this chapter. They have been absurdly reproached, on account of this variation in their doctrine, by Bossuet and other papal writers, who did not consider that the founders of the Lutheran church never pretended to divine inspiration; and that it is by discovering first the errors of others, that the wise generally prepare them for the investigation of truth.

xv. The first and principal object that drew the attention and employed the industry of the reformers, was the exposition and illustration of the sacred The state of writings, which, according to the doctrine of theology.

exegetic the

y There is an accurate account of this controversy, with an enumeration of the writings published on both sides of the question, in the Life of Owen Guntherus, which