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nest striving with the natural tendencies of his own heart to infidelity, thús strengthened and confirmed by all surrounding influences. We can believe him to speak truth when he tells us how hard was the struggle through which he had to pass before "attaining to the assurance of that faith" in which he afterward became a full partici pant. We are sorry that we can learn but little in regard to this great change, the causes that produced it, the steps of its progress, and the period of its complete development in the entire alteration of Tholuck's character. Nothing is more delightful, while at the same time there are few things more instructive, than to trace the progress of an individual mind, step by step, in that great transition from sin unto holiness which must take place in every man before he can be received into the favor of his Creator; but such a contemplation becomes doubly interesting when this mighty revolution is passing in the mind of a man of great intellectual powers and extensive attainments in letters or science. In such a mind the struggle acquires additional intensity of interest, from the incalculable power of the associations with which education, study, and thought (all previously carried on without reference to religion) invest the soul, and from the wonderful energy with which intellectual pride comes to the assistance of native depravity in sustaining the conflict with the Spirit of truth. In the case of Tholuck, we should love to observe the growth of con. viction, from its first feeble germs until its full development, and the progress of conversion, from the first faintly.breathed prayer, or half. formed resolution, to the final consummation of the change from darkness unto light. That such a change did take place, the whole tenor of his life and writings clearly establishes, notwithstanding the insinuations of his enemies, founded upon the honors which he received soon after the change of his religious views, that his conversion was the result of sinister motives entirely,-of the "desire to procure the patronage of the government, and become the head of the Pietists." Professor Park tells us, that an intimate acquaintance with Professor Neander, of Berlin, was highly serviceable to his religious character. "He was also peculiarly indebted to the faithful religious counsels of Baron Van Cottewitz, a very pious Lutheran, still living at an advanced age in Berlin. Taoluck himself frequently refers to this man as his spiritual father.'

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In 1819, when only twenty years of age, he was appointed professor extraordinary of theology, at Berlin, in the place of De Wette, who was removed by the Prussian government. Succeeding, at so early a period of life, so distinguished a professor as De Wette, he was obliged to withdraw his attention in some degree from his oriental studies, and direct them more particularly to theological. He applied himself with great zeal and assiduity to the defense of evangelical religion, and his efforts secured the warm approbation of the king and ministry of Prussia, and soon elevated him to the station of a leader in the orthodox party." His mind was developed with remarkable rapidity in this new situation, although, indeed, his precocity of intellect was very early manifested.

His career of indefatigable industry as a writer commenced shortly after his elevation to the professorship: for in his twenty-second year he published" Hints for the Study of the Old Testament," 8vo., 1821, VOL. XI.-April, 1840.

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which was followed in the same year by a treatise on the "Pantheistic Theology of the Persians." In 1822 he published a treatise on the "Moral Influence of Heathenism," which has been translated by Professor Emerson, of Andover, and published in the Biblical Repository. It would be tedious to enumerate all his publications: the catalogue is sufficiently great to cause our unmingled admiration of the fertility of his mind and his unwearied diligence. His writings are not mere compilations, or hastily prepared effusions of little value; but the sermons, essays, commentaries, dissertations, and controversial tracts which have issued from his ever-active mind in such rich abundance are full of instructive and interesting matter, many of them elaborate, and all distinguished for the erudition and research which they dis play. Still, it would perhaps have been better for Tholuck to have published more sparingly. There is little excuse for careless writing at this day, when books are so multiplied that every useless or badly written treatise is an unjust imposition upon those that read it. We do not mean, therefore, to commend the haste with which Tholuck wrote; we have in our eye too many inaccurate and slovenly performances of late years; we have too great an abhorrence of that selfcomplacency which leads a man to suppose that his undigested crudities, fragmentary thoughts, and half-formed paragraphs are good enough for the rest of mankind, to be found defending such a course even upon the ground of his constant occupation and entire want of leisure. The man who is so constantly occupied that he cannot correct his writings, and give them comeliness and compactness, has no business to write at all, and does it at the peril of his reputation; when he sends forth a book with his name upon the title-page, his book and his name are before the public, and they have an undoubted right to require at his hands such a regard to their understanding and their time as will prevent him from offending the one by his blunders, or wasting the other with his prolixity. No strength of intellect or depth of eru. dition will enable a man to dispense with careful examination and revision of what he writes, especially on matters of such grave and serious importance as the great topics of theology. Accordingly, Tholuck has laid himself open, in some of his publications, to the animadversions of his opponents, and they have been eagle-eyed in observing his errors, and swift to take advantage of them. Fritzsche and Strauss, not without truth, though in a spirit which by its own extravagant bitterness prevented them from succeeding in their attempt to ruin his literary reputation, charged him with errors against the laws of interpretation and the principles of philology. But, says the biographical sketch before us,

"Even his enemies are obliged to concede, that the censures heaped upon him were too unqualified and indiscriminate, and that his inaccuracies were by no means so gross, nor his faults of style so censurable, as was pretended." "The deportment of Tholuck throughout the whole controversy was truly Christian and noble. He considered himself as attacked, not by Fritzsche only, but by the great body of the rationalists. They instigated Fritzsche to his merciless criticism; men, of whom we should little suspect such dishonorable conduct, furnished him with materials for his censure, and his condemnatory works may be considered the joint effort of those most interested in

Tholuck's downfall; and yet the effort was, as the candid now confess, unsuccessful. It may also be remarked, that there were feelings of personal ill-will, which instigated Fritzsche to his encounter with Tholuck."

Tholuck was appointed in 1826, in the twenty-seventh year of his age, to succeed Dr. Knapp as professor ordinarius of theology, at Halle, which chair he has continued to fill with the utmost zeal, industry, and success up to the present time. “The same erudition, enthusiasm, and glow of piety which make Dr. Tholuck interesting as a commentator, make him still more so as a lecturer. Though he is associated with such men as Wegscheider and Gesenius, his lectures were attended, in 1834, more fully than those of either of his colleagues, and they are often more attractive than any, except those of Gesenius. Nor are they merely attractive. They excite the apprehension, even of those who resist their argument, that, after all, the fanaticism' of Tholuck may be right reason. 'It is a common remark,' says Professor Sears, that if a young man do not wish to become a Pietist, let him avoid Tholuck's lecture room.' Of the theological students at Halle, scarcely one is to be found who comes to the university with personal piety. Of the five hundred who are now studying theology, perhaps there are sixty serious young men, and about thirty hopefully pious; and these are the fruit of Tholuck's labors."

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Indeed, there is abundant evidence that the labors of Tholuck for the benefit of the young men under his care are not confined to the lecture room or the study. The following statement of the means which he employs for promoting the moral and spiritual welfare of those over whom he exercises that powerful influence which a teacher always exerts upon his pupils, either for good or evil, will be interesting to all our readers, but especially to those engaged in the business of instruction in our schools, academies, and colleges. "When at Berlin he established at his own house a religious conference, chiefly for the benefit of the pious students of the university. It was held every week, and its exercises were prayer, singing, the reading of the Scriptures, or of a sermon, familiar conversation, on doctrinal or practical theology, and sometimes a direct religious address. This conference is still continued every Saturday evening. It is the more worthy of notice, because meetings of this character are generally subjects of ridicule among the Germans; and, besides, are often regarded with suspicion; have sometimes, indeed, been expressly prohibited by the government. Since Tholuck has been at Halle, he has held similar meetings at his house once or twice a week."

He also conducts a missionary meeting every month, at which he presents the latest intelligence respecting American, English, and other missions. He labors much in preparation for this meeting, and imparts to it a lively interest. This missionary spirit would not be indeed particularly noticeable among American Christians, but it is to be viewed in contrast with the prejudices and the dormancy of even the evangelical party in his own land. The German professors ordinarily have little or no personal intercourse with their pupils, and are often wholly unacquainted with them. The students are too numerous, and the professors too much absorbed in study, to permit a great degree of social intercourse. Neander and Dr. F. Strauss at Berlin,

however, have labored to exert a personal religious influence upor their scholars; and Tholuck, as he has a very peculiar interest and tact in conversation, employs his talent with fidelity. Professor Sears, writing from Halle in 1834, says, "The uncommon pressure of Tholuck's public labors leaves him no leisure time. But when he walks, which he does twice a day, and an hour and a half at each time, he invites three or four students of similar religious character to accompany him. With these he converses in a manner best adapted to win them to a religious life. With the serious he comes directly to the point. With others he spreads his net wider; and through the medium of literary, philosophical, or theological discussion, conducted with vivacity and the utmost affection, he steals upon their hearts and holds them his captives. Another company are, for the same pur. pose, invited to his dinner table, and thus daily he spends several hours, as a friend, patron, and pastor to the more hopeful among his pupils. If they are indigent, he remits their tuition; and if he pub. lishes a sermon or a pamphlet, the profit goes to them. His extensive and choice library is always at their service." pp. 211, 212.

This is admirable-especially so in a professor in a German university-in a land where spiritual religion is despised as fanaticism. We cannot forbear to ask the question here, How many are there of the teachers of academies and professors of colleges, in this country, where every thing is favorable to religion, who are thus faithful in the discharge of their duty to students? We fear that there is an alarming want of fidelity in this respect; and, what is worse, we fear that it arises from a false principle, which has crept into our views and systems of public instruction, mainly from a fear of incurring the odium of sectarianism. The principle to which we allude is, that intellectual culture may, nay, ought to be, disconnected from religious teaching. How far this opinion is openly avowed is one thing; how far it is secretly and most hurtfully operative, is another. For ourselves, we cannot resist the impression that the standard of moral and religious education among us is far below that of intellectual cultivation; and it is our opinion, deliberately and carefully formed, that more direct and decided means should be employed for securing the religious improvement of students in our schools and colleges than are commonly brought to bear upon them.

We would not be censorious-but is it not too much the case that our professors in colleges, while they are careful to observe and assist, by every means in their power, the progress of their students in the acquisition of literature and science, concern themselves comparatively little about their religious character and attainments? That they take much more pains to insure the intimacy of their pupils with Cicero and Horace, with Euclid and Newton, than with Christ and the apostles? Nay, is it not too frequently the case that the improve. ment of the mind is the sole concern, while that of the heart is left to chance, or perhaps, as some would more piously say, to the arrangement of Providence? How seldom are the connection and interdependence of all literary and scientific truth with the great doctrines of revealed religion insisted upon, with any force and directness, in the lecture rooms of our colleges and universities? How much more seldom still do our professors take their pupils apart, and converse

with them in private upon the great and momentous affairs of religion, in comparison with which all their acquisitions in literature and science are but "sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal?" We rejoice to know that there are some splendid examples of religious fidelity among our literary men; that there are some in our colleges whose elevated attainments in religion, and purity of character and conduct, give grace and beauty to their intellectual accomplishments; that there are some who do not fail to embrace every opportunity afforded by their situation of unfolding to the youthful minds around them those great truths, the reception or rejection of which will fix their eternal and unalterable destiny! Earnestly do we pray that such a spirit and such practice may become universal, and that every professor and teacher in the land may feel the force of the sentiment, that to give a man intellectual power without cultivating his moral feelings is to do Satan the kindness of sharpening his weapons. It is a desperate trifling with immortal interests, and a fearful playing at fast and loose with the laws of God, thus to violate one of the highest and most awful trusts that can be reposed in a human being, that of forming and educating the minds of youth, not merely for time, be it remem. bered, but for eternity. No man should be intrusted with the educa. tion of youth who has not himself been taught in the school of Christ. And the Christian teacher should feel a deeper responsibility than ordinary men in regard to the dissemination of religious truth. He should look upon his pupils with feelings of the most intense solicitude for their spiritual welfare; feelings, not only springing from that expansive benevolence which animates the heart of every true Christian, leading him to put forth his personal efforts for the salvation of souls but other, and even stronger emotions, akin to those which are de veloped by that deep sense of personal responsibility which is implanted by the Spirit of God in the heart of every man whom he calls to the great work of preaching the gospel of Christ. But we are dwelling too long on this interesting topic: we now return to our subject, in which the principal point remaining to be noticed is, the character of Tholuck as a preacher. Before we proceed to this, however, we cannot refrain from quoting a passage from the work before us, which increases our admiration of the zealous and laborious professor of theology :

"It is worthy of remark, that, notwithstanding Professor Tholuck has for a long time given to the world two or three volumes a year, some of them highly labored; and in connection with these efforts for the public has delivered regular lectures at the university, sometimes two or three lectures a day; has preached statedly once a fortnight, and on frequent intermediate occasions; has maintained the respon. sible and onerous station of a leader in the evangelical party for the period of nearly twenty years, and is at the present time but just forty years old; and notwithstanding he has combined with all these labors a sedulous attention to the personal duties of a gentleman, a Christian, and a pastor, he has been afflicted during the whole period with feeble and precarious health, and has been reduced at times nearly to a state of blindness. Suffering under a broken constitution, he has been obliged, like Neander and Hengstenberg, to depend upon rigid physical discipline for ability to prosecute his studies. His person is

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