. A church history for the use of schools and colleges . religious earnestness which recognizedin faith lifes chiefest concern. At the same time the persecutedmanifested a real heroism and, on the whole, patiently bore theirsufferings without weakly yielding their conviction. 2. Orthodoxy and Pietism. 83. Orthodoxy. When the Lutheran Church had sym-bolically established its most important doctrines,earnest and successful efforts were made to apprehendand present the same in a scientific way and to defineand differentiate them from all divergent views. Therethus followed a flourishing* period i
. A church history for the use of schools and colleges . religious earnestness which recognizedin faith lifes chiefest concern. At the same time the persecutedmanifested a real heroism and, on the whole, patiently bore theirsufferings without weakly yielding their conviction. 2. Orthodoxy and Pietism. 83. Orthodoxy. When the Lutheran Church had sym-bolically established its most important doctrines,earnest and successful efforts were made to apprehendand present the same in a scientific way and to defineand differentiate them from all divergent views. Therethus followed a flourishing* period in Lutheran theologyand especially in the field of dogmatics. A number of THE MODERN ERA celebrated theologians contributed to this result, andamong them John Gerhard (died 1637), a professor inthe University of Jena, occupied the most prominentplace, not only for his scientific precision and clearness,but also for his religious depth and earnestness. The activities of the Church extended to all classesand conditions of men with the view of placing them. SpK^- John Arndt. under the influence and control of the true faith, andperhaps at no other time has society so generallyclothed itself in Christian forms as during this period oforthodoxy in the Church. But this orthodox Christianity contained within itseeds of various false tendencies. Faith was made rathera matter of intellectual acceptance of the doctrines of THE LUTHERAN CHURCH 237 the Church as true than of the hearts trustful devotionto God. Hence, there appeared in life more outwardform and legal discipline than evangelical depth andfervency. The sermons contained little in the way ofedification and consisted chiefly of dry dogmatic state-ments, which the people did not understand, and violentattacks upon opponents, which only served to arousethe passions. In the meantime men were not wanting who laboredfor a more vital Christianity, nay rather, some of themost spiritual preachers and writers of the LutheranChurch appear
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