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re than speculative opinion； and is accordingly independent of any particular set of beliefs。 Since； then； the scientific innovator does not； either voluntarily or involuntarily； attack religion； it follows that there can be no such 〃conflict〃 as that of which Dr。 Draper has undertaken to write the history。 The real contest is between one phase of science and another； between the more…crude knowledge of yesterday and the less…crude knowledge of to…day。 The contest； indeed； as presented in history； is simply the measure of the difficulty which men find in exchanging old views for new ones。 All along； the practical question has been； whether we should passively acquiesce in the crude generalizations of our ancestors or venture actively to revise them。 But as for the religious sentiment； the perennial struggle in which it has been engaged has not been with scientific inquiry； but with the selfish propensities whose tendency is to make men lead the lives of brutes。
The time is at hand when the interests of religion can no longer be supposed to be subserved by obstinate adherence to crude speculations bequeathed to us from pre…scientific antiquity。 One good result of the doctrine of evolution； which is now gaining sway in all departments of thought； is the lesson that all our opinions must be held subject to continual revision； and that with none of them can our religious interests be regarded as irretrievably implicated。 To any one who has once learned this lesson； a book like Dr。 Draper's can be neither interesting nor useful。 He who has not learned it can derive little benefit from a work which in its very title keeps open an old and baneful source of error and confusion。
November。 1875。
VII。 NATHAN THE WISE。＇28＇
＇28＇ Nathan the Wise： A Dramatic Poem； by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing。 Translated by Ellen Frothingham。 Preceded by a brief account of the poet and his works； and followed by an essay on the poem by Kuno Fischer。 Second edition。 New York： Leypoldt & Holt。 1868。
Le Christianisme Moderne。 etude sur Lessing。 Par Ernest Fontanes。 Paris： Bailliere。 1867。
The fame of Lessing is steadily growing。 Year by year he is valued more highly； and valued by a greater number of people。 And he is destined； like his master and forerunner Spinoza； to receive a yet larger share of men's reverence and gratitude when the philosophic spirit which he lived to illustrate shall have become in some measure the general possession of the civilized part of mankind。 In his own day； Lessing； though widely known and greatly admired； was little understood or appreciated。 He was known to be a learned antiquarian； a terrible controversialist； and an incomparable writer。 He was regarded as a brilliant ornament to Germany； and a paltry Duke of Brunswick thought a few hundred thalers well spent in securing the glory of having such a man to reside at his provincial court。 But the majority of Lessing's contemporaries understood him as little perhaps as did the Duke of Brunswick。 If anything were needed to prove this； it would he the uproar which was made over the publication of the 〃Wolfenbuttel Fragments；〃 and the curious exegesis which was applied to the poem of 〃Nathan〃 on its first appearance。 In order to understand the true character of this great poem； and of Lessing's religious opinions as embodied in it； it will be necessary first to consider the memorable theological controversy which preceded it。
During Lessing's residence at Hamburg； he had come into possession of a most important manuscript； written by Hermann Samuel Reimarus； a professor of Oriental languages； and bearing the title of an 〃Apology for the Rational Worshippers of God。〃 Struck with the rigorous logic displayed in its arguments； and with the quiet dignity of its style； while yet unable to accept its most general conclusions； Lessing resolved to publish the manuscript； accompanying it with his own comments and strictures。 Accordingly in 1774； availing himself of the freedom from censorship enjoyed by publications drawn from manuscripts deposited in the Ducal Library at Wolfenbuttel； of which he was librarian； Lessing published the first portion of this work； under the title of 〃Fragments drawn from the Papers of an Anonymous Writer。〃 This first Fragment； on the 〃Toleration of Deists；〃 awakened but little opposition； for the eighteenth century； though intolerant enough； did not parade its bigotry； but rather saw fit to disclaim it。 A hundred years before； Rutherford； in his 〃Free Disputation；〃 had declared 〃toleration of alle religions to bee not farre removed from blasphemie。〃 Intolerance was then a thing to be proud of； but in Lessing's time some progress had been achieved； and men began to think it a good thing to seem tolerant。 The succeeding Fragments were to test this liberality and reveal the flimsiness of the stuff of which it was made。 When the unknown disputant began to declare 〃the impossibility of a revelation upon which all men can rest a solid faith；〃 and when he began to criticize the evidences of Christ's resurrection； such a storm burst out in the theological world of Germany as had not been witnessed since the time of Luther。 The recent Colenso controversy in England was but a gentle breeze compared to it。 Press and pulpit swarmed with 〃refutations；〃 in which weakness of argument and scantiness of erudition were compensated by strength of acrimony and unscrupulousness of slander。 Pamphlets and sermons； says M。 Fontanes； 〃were multiplied； to denounce the impious blasphemer； who； destitute alike of shame and of courage； had sheltered himself behind a paltry fiction； in order to let loose upon society an evil spirit of unbelief。〃 But Lessing's artifice had been intended to screen the memory of Reimarus； rather than his own reputation。 He was not the man to quail before any amount of human opposition； and it was when the tempest of invective was just at its height that he published the last and boldest Fragment of all；on 〃the Designs of Jesus and his Disciples。〃
The publication of these Fragments led to a mighty controversy。 The most eminent； both for uncompromising zeal and for worldly position； of those who had attacked Lessing； was Melchior Goetze； 〃pastor primarius〃 at the Hamburg Cathedral。 Though his name is now remembered only because of his connection with Lessing； Goetze was not destitute of learning and ability。 He was a collector of rare books； an amateur in numismatics； and an antiquarian of the narrow…minded sort。 Lessing had known him while at Hamburg； and had visited him so constantly as to draw forth from his friends malicious insinuations as to the excellence of the pastor's white wine。 Doubtless Lessing； as a wise man； was not insensible to the attractions of good Moselle； but that which he chiefly liked in this theologian was his logical and rigorously consistent turn of mind。 〃He always；〃 says M。 Fontanes； 〃cherished a holy horror of loose； inconsequent thinkers； and the man of the past； the inexorable guardian of tradition； appeared to him far more worthy of respect than the heterodox innovator who stops in mid…course； and is faithful neither to reason nor to faith。〃
But when Lessing published these unhallowed Fragments； the hour of conflict had sounded； and Goetze cast himself into the arena with a boldness and impetuosity which Lessing； in his artistic capacity； could not fail to admire。 He spared no possible means of reducing his enemy to submission。 He aroused against him all the constituted authorities； the consistories； and even the Aulic Council of the Empire； and he even succeeded in drawing along with him the chief of contemporary rationalists； Semler； who so far forgot himself as to declare that Lessing； for what he had done； deserved to be sent to the madhouse。 But with all Goetze's orthodox valour； he was no match for the antagonist whom he had excited to activity。 The great critic replied with pamphlet after pamphlet； invincible in logic and erudition； sparkling with wit； and irritating in their utter coolness。 Such pamphlets had not been seen since Pascal published the 〃Provincial Letters。〃 Goetze found that he had taken up arms against a master in the arts of controversy； and before long he became well aware that he was worsted。 Having brought the case before the Aulic Council； which consisted in great part of Catholics； the stout pastor； forgetting that judgment had not yet been rendered； allowed himself to proclaim that all who do not recognize the Bible as the only source of Christianity are not fit to be called Christians at all。 Lessing was not slow to profit by this unlucky declaration。 Questioned； with all manner of ferocious vituperation； by Goetze； as to what sort of Christianity might have existed prior to and independently of the New Testament canon； Lessing imperturbably answered： 〃By the Christian religion I mean all the confessions of faith contained in the collection of creeds of the first four centuries of the Christian Church； including； if you wish it； the so…called creed of the apostles； as well as the creed of Athanasius。 The content of these confessions is called by the earlier Fathers the regula fidei； or rule of faith。 This rule of faith is not drawn from the writings of the New Testament。 It e