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ithful 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 existed before any of the books in the New Testament were written。 It sufficed not only for the first Christians of the age of the apostles； but for their descendants during four centuries。 And it is； therefore； the veritable foundation upon which the Church of Christ is built； a foundation not based upon Scripture。〃 Thus； by a master…stroke； Lessing secured the adherence of the Catholics constituting a majority of the Aulic Council of the Empire。 Like Paul before him； he divided the Sanhedrim。 So that Goetze； foiled in his attempts at using violence； and disconcerted by the patristic learning of one whom he had taken to be a mere connoisseur in art and writer of plays for the theatre； concluded that discretion was the surest kind of valour； and desisted from further attacks。
Lessing's triumph came opportunely； for already the ministry of Brunswick had not only confiscated the Fragments； but had prohibited him from publishing anything more on the subject without first obtaining express authority to do so。 His last replies to Goetze were published at Hamburg； and as he held himself in readiness to depart from Wolfenbuttel； he wrote to several friends that he had conceived the design of a drama； with which he would tear the theologians in pieces more than with a dozen Fragments。 〃I will try and see；〃 said he； 〃if they will let me preach in peace from my old pulpit； the theatre。〃 In this way originated 〃Nathan the Wise。〃 But it in no way answered to the expectations either of Lessing's friends or of his enemies。 Both the one and the other expected to see the controversy with Goetze carried on； developed； and generalized in the poem。 They looked for a satirical comedy； in which orthodoxy should be held up for scathing ridicule； or at least for a direful tragedy； the moral of which； like that of the great poem of Lucretius； should be
〃Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum。〃
Had Lessing produced such a poem； he would doubtless have gratified his free…thinking friends and wreaked due literary vengeance upon his theological persecutors。 He would； perhaps； have given articulate expression to the radicalism of his own time； and； like Voltaire； might have constituted himself the leader of the age； the incarnation of its most conspicuous tendencies。 But Lessing did nothing of the kind； and the expectations formed of him by friends and enemies alike show how little he was understood by either。 〃Nathan the Wise〃 was； as we shall see； in the eighteenth century an entirely new phenomenon； and its author was the pioneer of a quite new religious philosophy。
Reimarus； the able author of the Fragments； in his attack upon the evidences of revealed religion； had taken the same ground as Voltaire and the old English deists。 And when we have said this； we have sufficiently defined his position； for the tenets of the deists are at the present day pretty well known； and are； moreover； of very little vital importance； having long since been supplanted by a more just and comprehensive philosophy。 Reimarus accepted neither miracles nor revelation； but in accordance with the rudimentary state of criticism in his time； he admitted the historical character of the earliest Christian records； and was thus driven to the conclusion that those writings must have been fraudulently composed。 How such a set of impostors as the apostles must on this hypothesis have been； should have succeeded in inspiring large numbers of their contemporaries with higher and grander religious notions than had ever before been conceived； how they should have laid the foundations of a theological system destined to hold together the most enlightened and progressive portion of human society for seventeen or eighteen centuries；does not seem to have entered his mind。 Against such attacks as this； orthodoxy was comparatively safe； for whatever doubt might be thrown upon some of its leading dogmas； the system as a whole was more consistent and rational than any of the theories which were endeavouring to supplant it。 And the fact that nearly all the great thinkers of the eighteenth century adopted this deistic hypothesis； shows； more than anything else； the crudeness of their psychological knowledge； and their utter lack of what is called 〃the historical sense。〃
Lessing at once saw the weak point in Reimarus's argument； but his method of disposing of it differed signally from that adopted by his orthodox contemporaries。 The more advanced German theologians of that day； while accepting the New Testament records as literally historical； were disposed to rationalize the accounts of miracles contained in them； in such a way as to get rid of any presumed infractions of the laws of nature。 This method of exegesis； which reached its perfection in Paulus； is too well known to need describing。 Its unsatisfactory character was clearly shown； thirty years ago； by Strauss； and it is now generally abandoned； though some traces of it may still be seen in the recent works of Renan。 Lessing steadily avoided this method of interpretation。 He had studied Spinoza to some purpose； and