NITZSCH, KARL IMMANUEL, one of the most distinguished theologians that modern Germany has produced, was b. Sept. 21, 1787, at Borna. He studied for the church at Wittenberg, where he..took his degree in _1810, and where, in 1813, he became parish minister. Here his religioui opinions underWent a groaCniddifieatioa, through the intlu• ence of Scht.eiermacher and Daub, and he awoke to a clearer perception of the essence of religion. From this time forward Nitzsch is to be regarded as one of that new school— of which Neander is the greatest representative—who endeavored to reconcile faith and science, not by forced and unnatural methods, but by pointing out their distinctive spheres, and by exhibiting in their own spiritual life that union of reason and reverence for which they argued in their writings. In 1822 Nitzsch was called to Bonn as ordinary professor of theology and university preacher, where he labored with great diligence for more than twenty years, not only in theology, but in all matters affecting. the welfare of the Prussian church. In 1847 he succe«led Marheineke at Berlin, and as professor, university preacher, and upper consistorial councilor, he exercised with prudence and moderation a wide ecclesiastical influence. In his political (perhaps also in his religious) views lie may be classed with the late chevalier Bunsen. 'I he high Lutheran party hav
ing denounced liberal polities as irreligious, Nitzsch and Bunsen and others have vindi cated them on the ground of•Christianity, not without success. In theology his position will be best understood when we say that he subordinated dogma to ethics, or rather that he believed the only dogmas which can hope to permanently maintain themselves are those that result from an ethical apprehension of Christianity. Besides numerous smaller treatises on dogmatics, the history of dogmas and liturgies, three larger works call for special mention. These are his System der Christlkken Lam (Bonn, 1829; 6th edit.. 1851); his Praktische Theologie (Bonn. 1847-4-); and his Predigten, or sermons, of which several collections have appeared, and which are remarkable for their extraordin ary richness of thought. He died in 1808. NITZSCII, GREGOR, WILIIELII (born in 17i3O), brother of the preceding, acquired a high reputation as a philologist, and was professor of archwology at Leipsic till his death in 1861. He was considered one of the ablest opponents of Wolf's Homeric theories. His chief work is Die Sageapoesie der Griecken (Brunswick, 1852).