Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 359

Chap.

I]

SACRED THEOLOGY

§ 66.

speaks of "the holy angels" (Luke

ix.

335 Christ himself

26).

Mary." The Old Covenant are spoken of as the " holy prophets." The members of the Church of the New Covenant, from the Jews as well as from the heathen, bear

is

called "that holy one that shall be born of

men

of

God

of the

the almost fixed

name

of

" the

saints,"

so

that ol dyioc

was provisionally the technical name for those who subsequently were called "the Christians." In an entirely similar sense the books of the Old Covenant are spoken of as the " Holy Scriptures." The kiss, with which the partakers of the ajdirat, greeted each other, receives the name of "holy kiss." Children born of believing parents receive the same honorary title. Like the prophets of the Old Covenant, the apostles and prophets of the New Dispensation are called '^holy apostles and prophets." Believers on the Lord are called a "holy people," a "holy priesthood." Their prayers come up before prayers the samts''^ God as "the of the martyr's blood is " the blood of the saints " and the Gospel itself is announced as "the holy Gospel." In connection with this use of language the Church of ;

;

Christ has introduced this epithet of " holy " into her public

and not only the Romish Church, but the churches Reformation as well, spoke of the "holy church," of the "holy prophets," the "holy apostles," the "holy Scriptures," the "holy Gospel," the "holy sacraments," "holy Baptism," " holy Communion," and thus likewise of " sacred Theology " and the " sacred ministry." This use of language was constant, and, at least in this limited sense, met with no opposition. This only manifested itself when the Romish

utterances

;

of the

church applied this epithet of "holy" distinctively to individual persons of a higher religious standing. This opposition, however, was not unanimous nor logical. Even where the so-called Romish saints were passed by, it remained invariably the custom to speak of "Saint Augustine," "Saint Thomas," etc. These were inconsequences, however, to which men were led by the accustomed sound, and which represented in the case of no writer in the days of the Reformation any intentional principle in addition to which it is observed ;

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