History of the Christian Religion and Church._ _Preface to First
Edition._

[61] _Germany--Its Universities, Theology, and Religion_, pp. 269-270.

CHAPTER XI.

THE REACTION PRODUCED BY STRAUSS' LIFE OF JESUS.

1835-1848.

It is related of Apelles, that, after finishing his pictures, he was in
the habit of hanging them in front of his studio and then of concealing
himself in order to hear unseen the criticisms of the passers-by. On one
occasion, when a new picture was thus exposed to public inspection, a
shoemaker stopped before it and observed that something was wrong about
a sandal. After he had gone Apelles saw the justice of the objection and
corrected the fault. The next day, when the shoemaker was passing again
and saw that much importance had been attached to his opinion, he
ventured to criticise a leg, but Apelles rushed out from behind the
curtain, and, charging him with being hypercritical, told him that for
the future he would do better to keep to his trade. The circumstance
gave rise to the Roman proverb--"Ne sutor ultra crepidam."

The day was now near at hand when the criticism of the Scriptures, as
conducted by the Rationalists, would go quite beyond the province of
their authority and the bounds of moderation. When we read the cold,
deliberate chapters of Ammon, Eichhorn, and Michaelis, we unconsciously
identify ourselves with their generation, and exclaim, "Surely there
will never be a step beyond this; the knife can have no edge for a
deeper incision." As Neander toiled in his study, digging up the buried
treasures of the past and enriching them with the John-like purity of
his own heart in order that he might faithfully interpret the divine
guidance of the church, he no doubt rejoiced in the conviction that the
Rationalists had achieved their last great success, and that the work
before him and those who believed as he did was to be henceforth more
constructive than controversial. His co-workers were few in number, but
they had pleasing indications in many quarters that their labors would
have a triumphant issue.

It was very evident that, though there was a general rejection of the
doctrine of inspiration in that elevated sense which it is the glory of
the American church to entertain, there were great numbers who had
become as captivated with Schleiermacher's word, _feeling_, as if it had
been a harp-note from heaven. The people had thought so little about
their own hearts within the