[See page image]

Page 258

philosophic earnestness; yet in itself it was but confused dualistic philosophy of nature which would have no enduring interest but for the judicial processes carried through 1835-41 (see EBEL, JoHANN WILHELM) at Konigsberg, interest in which is by no means dead, especially in view of the secrecy which still covers the actual proceedings. Schdnherr's thinking began with sheer dualism, as he posited two primitive potencies, one active and male, the other passive and female, both personal and possessing intellect, will, form, and color; these were named fire and water, or light and darkness. From the union of these originated the universe, including God-for the system is not merely a cosmogony, it is also a theogony. By an adaptive exegesis of the doctrine of the Trinity and of the Biblical account of creation he sought to justify his system as being in accord with revelation. The account of creation was followed by a most interesting chapter on the fall. Evil arose through the fall of Lucifer (Satan), a being of light created by God, who through envy led the first pair to disobey God; through eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge there was introduced into the hitherto sinless nature of man the power of darkness; death and misery became man's lot, and as original sin was transmitted to his descendants. Sin made redemption necessary, and through this the harmony of the primitive potencies and of their methods of working is restored. This process was introduced by Jesus Christ, in whom the law of righteousness is embodied and the inworking of Lucifer is abolished, and so the world is released from evil. For the law of righteousness grounded in Christ proceeds from him and passes over into the " primal natures " (Hauptnaturen), who are made complete through the Holy Spirit, in whom also Christ is present; by their mediation this law passes over into the " secondary natures "; in the former light is dominant, in the latter, darkness, and this darkness must be striven against by means of fighting, fasting, watching, prayer, and wrestling, and in this way room is made for light. By this course of reasoning Sch6nherr fell upon a new righteousness of the law. Just as he partly included and partly ignored the simple facts of the life of Christ, so to the teaching of Paul concerning the righteousness which springs from faith he gave no place, reproducing redemption by way of knowledge in the fashion-of the early Gnostics (Bee GNOSTICISM).

Eschatology had an important place in the system. The second coming of Christ was regarded as imminent, since the present is the seventh (and last) period of the development of the kingdom of God. To this theosophist the dreadful events following the outbreak of the French Revolution portended the end; Napoleon was Antichrist, the millennial kingdom was near, and KSnigaberg with its seven hills was the city of Rev. xvii. 9. With the parousia would come the fulfilling of the kingdom.

In the case of Ebel, in the pulpit the fundamentals of Evangelical Christianity were proclaimed; but in the narrower circle of his immediate disciples the cure of souls was based upon the anthropology of Schonherr. While this circle was small, it was influential. The doctrine of primal and secondary

natures was especially stressed, together with emphasis upon knowledge. The secondary natures were to be led to self-consciousness; this was to be accomplished by the open expression of their most secret thoughts, especially of their sine, and this in turn enabled the foreordained ministers of souls to give the advice by which the process of redemption was to be furthered. Thus Ebel gained an unwonted power over souls. But this caused repulsion among certain of those who had at first listened, among whom wee Hermann Olshausen (q.v.), opposition sprang up, and the judicial decision anon followed which is summed up in the article on Ebel (q.v.). (PAUL TBCHACBERT.)

Itetigionsprozeea, Basel, 1882; F. Zimmer, in ZIVT, zliv (1901), 253-312; ADB, v. 519 sqq.

SCHOETTGEN, BhOt'gen, JOHANN CHRISTIAN: German New-Testament scholar and philologist; b. at Wurzen (15 m. e. of Leipsic) Mar. 14, 1687; d. at Dresden Dec. 15, 1751. He studied at the Saxon state school at Pforta and at the University of Leipsic, where he also lectured. In 1716 he assumed the