other hand, they no sooner
perceived the awakening of the German people to a sense of patriotism
and independence, than they predicted a similar disposition to return to
the old faith; and being thus convinced of their danger, they wrote very
vigorously, and attempted to be fully prepared for the onset. We
therefore behold the anomaly of a system which had almost run its race
before arriving at a formal exposition.

Rationalism never attained to the dignity of a clear and cogent
elucidation until the publication of Roehr's _Letters on Rationalism_,
and of Wegscheider's _Institutes_. It had reached the acme of its
prosperity at the beginning of the century, yet the former work was not
written until 1813, and the latter not until 1817. There was power in
both these productions. The former was bold, popular, startling, and not
without a show of learning. It was intended for the masses. The latter
was a complement of the former; more heavy, but by virtue of its weight
adapted to that class of people, everywhere abundant, who suspect either
danger or puerility in every earnest sentence. The author held that it
was the province of Protestantism to develop Christianity and Christian
theology to a pure faith of reason. Issuing his work in the year of the
Reformation jubilee, he dedicated it to the shades of Luther. But Roehr
and Wegscheider, as far as their capacity to injure Christian faith was
concerned, stood at the wrong term of the history of Rationalism. Had
they written a half century earlier their works would have been much
more injurious to the Christian Church. But the system they would now
strengthen and propagate was beginning to decay, and it was beyond their
power to save it from ruin. They built a house for an occupant who was
too old to enjoy either the fascinating symmetry of its architecture or
the gorgeous splendor of its furniture.

It was at the time of which we speak that we first find frequent use of
the terms _Rationalism_ and _Supernaturalism_. The more zealous friends
of each school marshaled themselves for the final struggle. The conflict
became hand to hand, and quick and direct blows were dealt by both
combatants. One of the foremost among the champions of the old faith was
Reinhard, who declared that there was an irrepressible difference
between reason and revelation, Rationalism and Supernaturalism; that
there was no possible point of compromise; that they had nothing in
common; and that either