§ 5.3. =The 18th Century.=--After the publication of the Magdeburg _Opus palmare_ the study of church history fell into the background in the Lutheran Church. It was George Calixtus († A.D. 1658) and the syncretist controversies which he occasioned that again awakened an interest in such pursuits. =Gottfr. Arnold’s= colossal party-spirited treatise entitled “Unparteiische Kirchen- und Ketzerhistorie” (2 vols. fol., Frkf., 1699), which scarcely recognised Christianity except in heresies and fanatical sects, gave a powerful impulse to the spirit of investigation and to the generous treatment of opponents. This bore fruit in the irenical and conciliatory attempts of =Weismann= of Tübingen (_Introd. in memorabilia ecclst._ 2 vols., Tüb., 1718). The shining star, however, in the firmament of church history during the 18th century was =J. Lor. v. Mosheim= in Helmstedt [Helmstadt] and Göttingen, distinguished alike for thorough investigation, with a divinatory power of insight, and by a brilliant execution and an artistic facility in the use of a noble Latin style (_Institutionum hist. ecclst. Libri IV._ Helmst., 1755; transl. into English by Murdock, ed. by Reid, 11th ed., Lond., 1880). =J. A. Cramer=, in Kiel, translated Bossuet’s _Einl. in die Gesch. d. Welt u. d. Relig._, with a continuation which gave a specially careful treatment of the theology of the middle ages (7 vols., Leipz., 1757 ff.). =J. Sal. Semler=, in Halle, shook, with a morbidly sceptical criticism, many traditional views in Church history that had previously been regarded as unassailable (_Hist. eccl. selecta capita._ 3 vols., Halle, 1767 ff.; _Versuch e. fruchtb. Auszugs d. K. Gesch._ 3 vols., Halle, 1773 ff.). On the other hand, =Jon. Matt. Schröckh of Wittenberg= produced a gigantic work on church history, which is characterized by patient research, and gives, in so far as the means within his reach allowed, a far-sighted, temperate, and correct statement of facts (_Christl. K. G._ 45 vols., Leipz., 1772 ff., the last two vols. by Tzschirner). The Würtemburg [Württemberg] minister of state, Baron =von Spittler=, sketched a _Grundriss der K. Gesch._, in short and smartly expressed utterances, which in many cases were no better than caricatures (5th ed. by Planck, Gött., 1812). In his footsteps =Henke= of Helmstedt [Helmstadt], followed, who, while making full acknowledgment of the moral blessing which had been brought by true Christianity to mankind, nevertheless described the “_Allg. Gesch. der Kirche_” as if it were a bedlam gallery of religious and moral aberrations and strange developments (6 vols., Brsweig., 1788 ff.; 5th ed. revised and continued by =Vater= in 9 vols.).--In the Reformed Church, =Herm. Venema=, of Franeker, the Mosheim of this church, distinguished himself by the thorough documentary basis which he gave to his exposition, written in