The boy varied the monotony of his studies by pranks which revealed his unbalanced character, including an attempt to raise spirits with the aid of Dr Faust's Höllenzwang [de].

His personal behavior was no less or more objectionable than elsewhere, but his publication of God's Recent Revelations in Letters and Stories (Neueste Offenbarungen Gottes in Briefen und Erzählungen) between 1773 and 1775 made plain his departure from official doctrine.

The work—a "model version" of the New Testament in modern German—occasioned a memorably scornful attack on its poor taste by Goethe[6] and prompted Bahrdt to again resign his position and relocate.

[1] It had languished since Martin Planta [de]'s death in 1772, but Bahrdt disliked the strict discipline maintained by von Salis, resigned in 1777, and prompted the closing of the school.

[1] His luckless translation of the Bible followed him, however, and a 1778 decision of the Court Council of the Empire prohibited him from holding any professorial office, lecturing in any capacity, or publishing any work on theology.

[6] Compelled to write to earn additional income, he developed an astounding literary activity,[6] although most of his works are now considered comparatively worthless or even a caricature of Enlightenment rationalism.

[6] The king reduced the term to one year, which Bahrdt devoted to writing his autobiography,[1] "a mixture of lies, hypocrisy, and self-prostitution", along with indecent stories and coarse polemics.