Semler. The son of pietistic parents, he became, more or less in spite
2. THE HISTORICAL SCHOOL. The historical school originated with Semler. The son of pietistic parents, he became, more or less in spite of himself, the father of Rationalism. In his work on the Canon, he directed attention to the neglected truth of the human historical origin and composition of the Bible. And in a second work, on the interpretation of the New Testament, he laid down certain principles of interpretation. Semler stressed the fact that the various books of the Bible and the Canon as a whole originated in a historical way, and were therefore historically conditioned. From the fact that the separate books were written for different classes of people, he inferred that they contained much that was merely local and ephemeral, and that was not intended to have normative value for all men and at all times. Moreover, he saw in them an intermixture of error, since Jesus and the apostles accommodated themselves in some matters to the people whom they addressed. Hence, he urged the necessity of bearing these things in mind in the interpretation of the New Testament. And in answer to the question as to just what is the element of binding truth in the Bible, he pointed to "that which serves to perfect man's moral character," His teaching fostered the idea that the Scriptures are fallible human productions, and virtually made human reason the arbiter of faith. Semler did not originate these ideas, but simply made vocal the thoughts that were widely prevalent in his day.
3. RESULTANT TENDENCIES. While this period began with two opposite schools, it soon revealed three distinct tendencies in the field of Hermeneutics and Exegesis. A large number of interpreters developed the Rationalistic principles of Semler in a way that made him stand aghast. Others recoiled from the extreme positions of Rationalism, and either resorted to a mediating view, or reverted to the principles of the Reformation. Still others emphasized the fact that the Grammatico-Historical method of interpretation must be supplemented by some principle that would enable the expositor to penetrate into the spirit of Scripture.