§ 171.7. =The Rationalistic Theology.=--From the school of these men, especially from that of Semler, went forth crowds of rationalists, who for seventy years held almost all the professorships and pastorates of Protestant Germany. At their head stands =Bahrdt=, A.D. 1741-1792, writer at first of orthodox handbooks, who, sinking deeper and deeper through vanity, want of character, and immorality, and following in the steps of Edelmann, wrote 102 vols., mostly of a scurrilous and blasphemous character. The rationalists, however, were generally of a nobler sort: =Griesbach= of Jena, A.D. 1745-1812, distinguished as textual critic of the N.T.; =Teller= of Berlin, published a lexicon to the N.T., which substituted “leading another life” for regeneration, “improvement” for sanctification, etc.; Koppe of Göttingen, and Rosenmüller of Leipzig wrote _scholia_ on N.T., and Schulze and Bauer on the O.T. Of far greater value were the performances of =J. G. Eichhorn= of Göttingen, A.D. 1752-1827, and =Bertholdt= of Erlangen, A.D. 1774-1822, who wrote introductions to the O.T. and commentaries. In the department of church history, =H. P. C. Henke= of Helmstädt and the talented statesman, =Von Spittler= of Württemberg, wrote from the rationalistic standpoint. Steinbart and Eberhardt [Eberhard] wrote more in the style of the popular philosophy. The subtle-minded =J. H. Tieftrunk=, A.D. 1760-1837, professor of philosophy at Halle, introduced into theology the Kantian philosophy with its strict categories. Jerusalem, Zollikofer, and others did much to spread rationalistic views by their preaching.[520]