things. And in my opinion these things: honesty, love for God and for the generality of mankind, are the true religion. As far as I am concerned he could call himself a Catholic, a Jew or a Turk, if he possesses these qualities.
In Zürich too I made a new acquaintance, with one Schulthess
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, a priest, who appeared to me to be a very learned and upright man. For the rest I visited only those old and dear acquaintances and enjoyed myself with them very much. And because I knew that H[err] Müller was also to be there, I tarried a few days longer by my dear good friends, to see and speak once more with this noble friend to humanity. And yet I missed him. He arrived and as I was leaving I could not find him anywhere, which vexed me not a little." [Voellmy, v 3 pp 62-63]
On the return journey, because of bad weather, Bräker goes on foot to Wädenswil and stays the night. He then continues the journey by boat past the island of Ufenau, where he daydreams of buying it. He plans to revisit Bern, though he is becoming old and weak and fears his old acquaintances may have had enough of him, "but no - the good ones will still bear with me." On the 24th the weather turns to rain and snow. Next day, however, snow and slush do not prevent him from going to St. Gallen to dine with Girtanner at midday, then going home and visiting Girtanner again the following day. [Chronik, p 438]
November (no exact date)
Bräker acquires two books on astronomy: "Volksnaturlehre zur Dämpfung des Aberglaubens" ["People's lessons on Nature for the abolition of superstitions"] by Johann Heinrich Helmuth, Braunschweig, 1786, and "Allgemeine Betrachtungen uber das Weltgebaüde" [General observations on the universe"] by Johann Gelert Bode, Augsburg, 1791. He devours them eagerly, remembering that in his youth he had read much about the Creation, but in Pietist literature, whose teachings he had not always been able to believe. Now, with progress in the sciences, man knows far more about the Creation and Bräker is overwhelmed with awe. [Chronik, p 438]
In December (no exact date) he records his thoughts in a long essay:
"For a long time I have not devoured a book like this one. O the boldness of its measurements and calculations, which are still incomprehensible to me! O such an immeasurable almighty Power, incomprehensible greatness of the Creator of all suns and worlds. Who can find words, thoughts must remain dumb, in adoration one must cry out: Almighty Father, what an incomprehensible being, eternal, incomprehensible power, greatness and majesty! Our round earth, which we inhabit, is hardly to be counted an ant-heap in the forest, which a thousand million ants inhabit, compared with the immeasurable, inexpressibly huge created universe. And what am I, then? Even one of those ants, truly the comparison is still much too great, in Thy eyes hardly a grain of dust in the sunshine [...]
Poor worthless mortals, you must torment, hate, persecute, ill-treat, torture and kill each other, you senseless fools! Who will tolerate you in a better world, where peace reigns? No-one. You will be banished to Tartarus
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until you come to a better way of thinking [...]
The book which we call the Bible or Revelation has for a long time never given me such high ideas of Thy majesty, power, wisdom, greatness and goodness, as the great book of Nature gives
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Johann Georg Schulthess (1758-1802) was made a "Leutpriester" at the Grossmunster [great minster church of Zürich] in 1791. For a long time he had been one of the disciples of Lavater. In 1795 he was elected president of the Ascetische Gesellschaft [Ascetic Society]. His brother Johannes, born 1763, a theologian and professor of ancient languages, was founder of the Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Erziehung [Swiss Society for Education] and a reformer of education along with Pestalozzi. He was also a colleague and mentor of Johann Heinrich Rusterholz. [Voellmy, v 3 p 63]
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Literally: Hell, but Bräker seems to be thinking of some kind of purgatory.
