The Enlightenment - a new thinking in Europe.

Subdued by the reign of the aristocracy, regulated by the prescriptions of the church, restricted by the laws of the guilds ..... finally: "Man shall free himself from

self-imposed immaturity."

This new thinking could spread out unhindered in literature. Friedrich von Schiller caused with his plays admiration and enthusiasm. So Goethe, too, with his "Werther".

But the aristocracy had trouble with this new thinking. Still 1848 the striving for political freedom has been suppressed with force.

The crown prince Rudolph of Austria wanted to motivate his father, to participate the people in the government - in vain.

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 For Christians the situation becomes somehow difficult: What now? Are people supposed to free themselves from their dependencies, or are they free in Jesus?

 By Immanuel Kant it is obvious, that a society is very well able, to give its self an ethic. But the followers of Christ are looking for orientation by the word of God, the Bible.

The "people of Enlightenment" are looking also for orientation by the word of God - but only as far as they can agree.  Because:  The Bible is not the word of God, Jesus is not the Son of God.

With this the division of the church was perfect.  The division of the Protestant Church.

And this was the result of their new ethic: "They wanted to donate  faith to their beautiful words".

( Jane Austen )

And they still do so.