Reflections on Lessing's Fragments

and clever powers of light, and they do not know how to place these under the light of conscience, nor do they wish to govern them according to it.

Among these three writers, however, the author of The Purpose of Jesus and His Disciples original: "Zwecks Jesu und seiner Jünger." This refers to Hermann Samuel Reimarus (1694–1768), whose radical "Fragments" were published by Lessing. Unlike the others mentioned, the author considers him "sincere" because he eventually became known by name. was still the most sincere, because he also attached his name to the work—which, however, was done by neither You nor the author of the Letters on the Bible in a Popular Tone. You and He have only played under a hidden mask, in order to either not expose yourselves to the contempt of the public, or because your conscience convinced you that you were a pair of learned lampooners Pasquillanten: Authors of "pasquinades," which are anonymous, often scurrilous or satirical writings intended to ridicule or slander.—I meant to say, learned reviewers Rezensenten: The author is using "reviewer" as a sarcastic synonym for a malicious critic., or in German, "book-announcers," whose primary effort was directed toward...