TherecouldbenogenuinecooperationbetweenamereiconoclastlikeReimarus，andaconstructivecriticlikeLessing。ButtheconfusionwasnotanunnaturaloneonGoetze’spart，andIcannotagreewithM。Fontanesintakingitasconvincingproofofthepastor’swrong-headedperversity。ItappearstomethatGoetzeinterpretedLessing’spositionquiteasaccuratelyasM。
Fontanes。ThelatterwriterthinksthatLessingwasaChristianoftheliberalschoolsincerepresentedbyTheodoreParkerinthiscountryandbyM。RevilleinFrance；thathisrealobjectwastodefendandstrengthentheChristianreligionbyrelievingitofthosepeculiardoctrineswhichtothefreethinkersofhistimewereastumbling-blockandanoffence。And，inspiteofLessing’sowndeclarations，heendeavourstoshowthathewasanordinarytheist，——afollowerofLeibnitzratherthanofSpinoza。
ButIdonotthinkhehasmadeouthiscase。Lessing’sownconfessiontoJacobiisunequivocalenough，andcannotwellbearguedaway。Inthatremarkableconversation，heldtowardthecloseofhislife，heindicatesclearlyenoughthathisfaithwasneitherthatoftheordinarytheist，theatheist，northepantheist，butthathisreligioustheoryoftheuniversewasidenticalwiththatsuggestedbySpinoza，adoptedbyGoethe，andrecentlyelaboratedinthefirstpartofthe“FirstPrinciples“
ofMr。HerbertSpencer。Moreover，whileLessingcannotbeconsideredanantagonistofChristianity，neitherdidheassumetheattitudeofadefender。Heremainedoutsidethetheologicalarena；lookingattheologicalquestionsfromthepointofviewofalayman，orrather，asM。Cherbuliezhashappilyexpressedit，ofaPagan。Hismindwasofdecidedlyantiquestructure。Hehadthevirtuesofpaganism:itssanity，itscalmness，anditsprobity；butofthetendernessofChristianity，anditsquenchlessaspirationsafteranindefinableideal，ofthatfeelingwhichhasincarnateditselfinGothiccathedrals，massesandoratorios，heexhibitedbutscantytraces。Hisintellectwasaboveallthingsself-consistentandincorruptible。Hehadthatimperialgood-sensewhichmighthaveformedtheidealalikeofHoraceandofEpictetus。Noclandestinepreferenceforcertainconclusionscouldmakehisreasonswervefromthestraightpathsoflogic。AndheexaminedandrejectedtheconclusionsofReimarusinthesameimperturbablespiritwithwhichheexaminedandrejectedthecurrenttheoriesoftheFrenchclassicdrama。
SuchamancanhavehadbutlittleincommonwithapreacherlikeTheodoreParker，orwithawriterlikeM。Fontanes，whosewholebookisanoblespecimenofloftyChristianeloquence。Hisattributewaslight，notwarmth。Hescrutinized，butdidnotattackordefend。HerecognizedthetranscendentmeritsoftheChristianfaith，butmadenoattempttoreinstateitwhereithadseemedtosuffershock。Itwasthereforewiththesurestofinstincts，withthatsameinstinctofself-preservationwhichhadonceledtheChurchtoanathematizeGalileo，thatGoetze。
proclaimedLessingamoredangerousfoetoorthodoxythanthedeistswhohadprecededhim。Controversy，hedoubtlessthought，maybekeptupindefinitely，andblowsgivenandreturnedforever；butbeforethesteadygazeofthatscrutinizingeyewhichoneofusshallfindhimselfabletostanderect？Ithasbecomefashionabletoheapblameandridiculeuponthosewhoviolentlydefendanantiquatedorderofthings；andGoetzehasreceivedatthehandsofposterityhisfullshareofabuse。HiswrathcontrastedunfavourablywithLessing’scalmness；anditwashismisfortunetohavetakenuparmsagainstanopponentwhoalwaysknewhowtokeepthelaughuponhisownside。FormyownpartIamconstrainedtoadmirethemilitantpastor，asLessinghimselfadmiredhim。Fromanartisticpointofviewheisnotanuninterestingfiguretocontemplate。Andalthoughhisattemptstoawakenpersecutionwerereprehensible，yethisardourindefendingwhathebelievedtobevitaltruthisnonethelesstoberespected。HehadtheacutenesstoseethatLessing’srefutationofdeismdidnotmakehimaChristian，whilethenewviewsproposedasasubstituteforthoseofReimarusweresuchasGoetzeandhisagecouldinnowisecomprehend。
Lessing’sownviewsofdogmaticreligionaretobefoundinhisworkentitled，“TheEducationoftheHumanRace。“Theseviewshavesincesofarbecometheveriestcommonplacesofcriticism，thatonecanhardlyrealizethat，onlyninetyyearsago，theyshouldhavebeenregardedasdangerousparadoxes。Theymaybesummedupinthestatementthatallgreatreligionsaregoodintheirtimeandplace；that，“asthereisasoulofgoodnessinthingsevil，soalsothereisasouloftruthinthingserroneous。“AccordingtoLessing，thesuccessivephasesofreligiousbeliefconstituteepochsinthementalevolutionofthehumanrace。Sothatthecrudestformsoftheology，evenfetishism，nowtoallappearancesoutterlyrevolting，andpolytheism，socompletelyinadequate，haveoncebeenthebest，thenaturalandinevitableresultsofman’sreasoningpowersandappliancesforattainingtruth。Themerefactthatasystemofreligiousthoughthasreceivedthewillingallegianceoflargemassesofmenshowsthatitmusthavesuppliedsomeconsciouslyfeltwant，somemoralorintellectualcraving。Andthemerefactthatknowledgeandmoralityareprogressiveimpliesthateachsuccessivesystemmayinduecourseoftimebeessentiallymodifiedorfinallysupplanted。Theabsenceofanyreferencetoafuturestateofretribution，inthePentateuchandgenerallyinthesacredwritingsoftheJews，andthecontinualappealtohopesandfearsofaworldlycharacter，havebeenpronouncedbydeistsanirremediabledefectintheJewishreligion。Itispreciselythis，however，saysLessing，whichconstitutesoneofitssignalexcellences。“ThatthydaysmaybelonginthelandwhichJehovahthyGodgiveththee，“wasanappealwhichtheuncivilizedJewcouldunderstand，andwhichcouldarousehimtoaction；whiletheneedofafutureworld，torectifytheinjusticesofthis，notyetbeingfelt，thedoctrinewouldhavebeenofbutlittleservice。ButinlaterHebrewliterature，manymagnificentpassagesrevealedthedespairfeltbyprophetandthinkerovertheinsolubleproblempresentedbytheevilfateofthegoodandthetriumphantsuccessofthewicked；andasolutionwassoughtinthedoctrineofaMessianickingdom，untilChristianitywithitsproclamationofafuturelifesetthequestionentirelyaside。Byitsappealtowhathasbeenaptlytermed“other-worldliness，“Christianityimmeasurablyintensifiedhumanresponsibility，besidesrenderingcleareritsnatureandlimits。ButaccordingtoLessing，yetanotherstepremainstobetaken；andherewecomeuponthegulfwhichseparateshimfrommenofthestampofTheodoreParker。For，saysLessing，theappealtounearthlyrewardsandpunishmentsisafterallanappealtoourlowerfeelings；other-worldlinessisbutarefinedselfishness；andwearetocherishvirtueforitsownsakenotbecauseitwillleadustoheaven。HereisthegrandprincipleofStoicism。Lessingbelieved，withMr。Mill，thatthelesswethinkaboutgettingrewardedeitheronearthorinheaventhebetter。
HewascastinthesameheroicmouldasMuhamadEfendi，whowhenledtothestakeexclaimed:“ThoughIhavenohopeofrecompensehereafter，yettheloveoftruthconstrainethmetodieinitsdefence！“
WiththetruthorcompletenessoftheseviewsofLessingwearenothereconcerned；ourbusinessbeingnottoexpoundourownopinions，buttoindicateasclearlyaspossibleLessing’sposition。Thosewhoarefamiliarwiththegeneralphilosophicalspiritofthepresentage，asrepresentedbywritersotherwisesodifferentasLittreandSainte-Beuve，willbestappreciatethepowerandoriginalityofthesespeculations。Cominginthelastcentury，amidthecruditiesofdeism，theymadeawell-definedepoch。Theyinauguratedthehistoricalmethodofcriticism，andtheyrobbedthespiritofintoleranceofitsonlyphilosophicalexcuseforexisting。Hithertotheorthodoxhadbeenintoleranttowardthephilosophersbecausetheyconsideredthemheretics；
andthephilosophershadbeenintoleranttowardtheorthodoxbecausetheyconsideredthemfools。ToVoltaireitnaturallyseemedthatamanwhocouldbelieveintherealityofmiraclesmustbewhatinFrenchisexpressivelytermedasot。Buthenceforth，tothediscipleofLessing，menofallshadeofopinionwerebuttherepresentativesandexponentsofdifferentphasesinthegeneralevolutionofhumanintelligence，notnecessarilytobedislikedordespisediftheydidnothappentorepresentthematurestphase。
Religion，therefore，fromthispointofview，becomesclearlydemarcatedfromtheology。Itconsistsnolongerinthementalassenttocertainprescribedformulas，butinthemoralobediencetothegreatruleoflife；thegreatcommandmentlaiddownandillustratedbytheFounderoftheChristianreligion，andconcerningwhichtheprofoundestmodernphilosophyinformsusthattheextenttowhichasocietyhaslearnedtoconformtoitisthetestandgaugeoftheprogressincivilizationwhichthatsocietyhasachieved。Thecommand“toloveoneanother，“tocheckthebarbarousimpulsesinheritedfromthepre-socialstate，whilegivingfreeplaytothebeneficentimpulsesneedfulfortheultimateattainmentofsocialequilibrium，——orasTennysonphrasesit，to“moveupward，workingoutthebeast，andlettingtheapeandtigerdie，“——was，inLessing’sview，thetasksetbeforeusbyreligion。Thetruereligiousfeelingwasthus，inhisopinion，whattheauthorof“EcceHomo“hasfinelytermed“theenthusiasmofhumanity。“Andweshallfindnobetterlanguagethanthatofthewriterjustmentioned，inwhichtodescribeLessing’sconceptionoffaith:——
“Hewho，whengoodnessisimpressivelyputbeforehim，exhibitsaninstinctiveloyaltytoit，startsforwardtotakeitsside，trustshimselftoit，suchamanhasfaith，andtherootofthematterisinsuchaman。Hemayhavehabitsofvice，buttheloyalandfaithfulinstinctinhimwillplacehimabovemanythatpracticevirtue。Hemayberudeinthoughtandcharacter，buthewillunconsciouslygravitatetowardwhatisright。Othervirtuescanscarcelythrivewithoutafinenaturalorganizationandahappytraining。Butthemostneglectedandungiftedofmenmaymakeabeginningwithfaith。Othervirtueswantcivilization，acertainamountofknowledge，afewbooks；butinhalf-brutalcountenancesfaithwilllightupaglimmerofnobleness。Thesavage，whocandolittleelse，canwonderandworshipandenthusiasticallyobey。Hewhocannotknowwhatisrightcanknowthatsomeoneelseknows；hewhohasnolawmaystillhaveamaster；hewhoisincapableofjusticemaybecapableoffidelity；hewhounderstandslittlemayhavehissinsforgivenbecausehelovesmuch。“
SuchwasLessing’sreligion，sofarasitcanbeascertainedfromthefragmentarywritingswhichhehasleftonthesubject。
Undoubtedlyitlackedcompleteness。Theopinionswhichwehaveheresetdown，thoughconstitutingsomethingmorethanameretheoryofmorality，certainlydonotconstituteacompletetheoryofreligion。Ourvaliantknighthasexaminedbutonesideoftheshield，——thebrightside，turnedtowardus，whosemarvellousinscriptionsthehumanreasoncanbydintofunweariedeffortdecipher。Butthedarkside，lookingoutuponinfinity，andcoveredwithhieroglyphicsthemeaningofwhichwecanneverknow，hehasquiteforgottentoconsider。Yetitisthissidewhichgenuinereligiousfeelingeverseekstocontemplate。ItistheconsciousnessthatthereisaboutusanomnipresentPower，inwhichweliveandmoveandhaveourbeing，eternallymanifestingitselfthroughoutthewholerangeofnaturalphenomena，whichhaseverdisposedmentobereligious，andluredthemoninthevainefforttoconstructadequatetheologicalsystems。Wemay，gettingridofthelasttracesoffetishism，eliminatearbitraryvolitionasmuchaswewillorcan。ButtherestillremainstheconsciousnessofadivineLifeintheuniverse，ofaPowerwhichisbeyondandaboveourcomprehension，whosegoingsoutandcomingsinnomancanfollow。Themoreweknow，themorewereachoutforthatwhichwecannotknow。Andwhocanrealizethissovividlyasthescientificphilosopher？Forourknowledgebeing，accordingtothefamiliarcomparison，likeabrilliantsphere，themoreweincreaseitthegreaterbecomesthenumberofperipheralpointsatwhichweareconfrontedbytheimpenetrabledarknessbeyond。Ibelievethatthisrestlessyearning，——vagueenoughinthedescription，yetrecognizablebyallwho，communingwiththemselvesorwithnature，havefeltit，——thisconstantseekingforwhatcannotbefound，thispersistentknockingatgateswhich，whenopened，butrevealothersyettobepassed，constitutesanelementwhichnoadequatetheoryofreligioncanoverlook。ButofthiswefindnothinginLessing。Withhimallissunny，serene，andpagan。Notthedimaisleofavastcathedral，butthesymmetricalporticoofanantiquetemple，istheworshipping-placeintowhichhewouldleadus。