Church History, Volume 3 (of 3)Kurtz, J. H. (Johann Heinrich)
History
Church History, Volume 3 (of 3)
Kurtz, J. H. (Johann Heinrich)
Church history
The philosophy, however, as well as the national literature of the
Germans, now began a victorious struggle against these tendencies, and
though itself often indifferent and even hostile to Christianity, it
recognised in Christ a school-master. Pestalozzi performed a similar
service to popular education by his attempts to reform effete systems.
§ 171.1. =Deism, Arianism, and Unitarianism in the English Church.=
1. =The Deists= (§ 164, 3). With Locke’s philosophy (§ 164, 2)
deism entered on a new stage of its development. It is
henceforth vindicated on the ground of its reasonableness.
The most notable deists of this age were =John Toland=,
an Irishman, first Catholic, then Arminian, died A.D. 1722,
author of “Christianity not Mysterious,” “Nazarenus, or
Jewish, Gentile, and Mohametan Christianity,” etc. The Earl
of =Shaftesbury=, died A.D. 1713, wrote “Characteristics of
Men,” etc. =Anthony Collins=, J.P. in Essex, died A.D. 1729,
author of “Priestcraft in Perfection,” “Discourse of
Freethinking,” etc. =Thomas Woolston=, fellow of Cambridge,
died in prison in A.D. 1733, author of “Discourse on the
Miracles of the Saviour.” =Mandeville= of Dort, physician in
London, died A.D. 1733, wrote “Free Thoughts on Religion.”
=Matthew Tindal=, professor of law in Oxford, died A.D. 1733,
wrote “Christianity as Old as the Creation.” =Thomas
Morgan=, nonconformist minister, deposed as an Arian, then
a physician, died A.D. 1743, wrote “The Moral Philosopher.”
=Thomas Chubb=, glover and tallow-chandler in Salisbury, died
A.D. 1747, author of popular compilations, “The True Gospel
of Jesus Christ.” Viscount =Bolingbroke=, statesman, charged
with high treason and pardoned, died A.D. 1751, writings
entitled, “Philosophical Works.”--Along with the deists
as an opponent of positive Christianity may be classed the
famous historian and sceptic =David Hume=, librarian in
Edinburgh, died A.D. 1776, author of “Inquiry concerning
the Human Understanding,” “Natural History of Religion,”
“Dialogues concerning Natural Religion,” etc.[518]--Deism
never made way among the people, and no attempt was made
to form a sect. Among the numerous opponents of deism these
are chief: Samuel Clarke, died A.D. 1729; Thomas Sherlock,
Bishop of London, died A.D. 1761; Chandler, Bishop of Durham,
died A.D. 1750; Leland, Presbyterian minister in Dublin,
died A.D. 1766, wrote “View of Principal Deistic Writers,”
three vols., 1754; Warburton, Bishop of Gloucester,
died A.D. 1779; Nath. Lardner, dissenting minister,
died A.D. 1768, wrote “Credibility of the Gospel History,”
seventeen vols., 1727-1757. With these may be ranked
the famous pulpit orator of the Reformed church of France,
Saurin, died A.D.
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