Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 398

"

374

RELATION BETWEEN THIS PRINCIPIUM

§ 70.

in Christ,"

methods

views at no time anything but

of existence,

man

is

new

As

far as the sub-

God remains

concerned,

now what

is

rehitions,

forms, and never puts us face to

newly originated element.

face with a

stance

new

new

[Div. Ill

it

unchangeable, the being of was before the fall, and the cosmos is

indeed impaired, but always the identical world of Gen. i. 1. In man also no new capacities are created, for even faith (as

was shown above) roots in our nature, as created by God in Paradise. In what domain then can the reality be found, in which a special grace, outside of natural life, could soar on wings of its own ? Where would be the spot to offer it a resting-place for the sole of its foot

This entire represen-

?

though grace had produced a knowledge which as competitor runs by the side of There natural theology, must be most decidedly rejected. can be no such special theology it is simply unthinkable. tation, therefore, as

of

God

of its own,

;

When

Calvin, therefore, speaks of the " seed of religion

which

is

present in every sinner, and our Confessio Belgica 2, " that we knoAv God by two means, Nature

teaches in Art.

and the Scriptures,"

may

this

not be taken in the sense of

the later rationalistic supranaturalists, for there

lies in it

only the simple confession, that without the basis of natural

no special theology. " God has given to all," some apprehension of his existence, the memory of which he frequently and insensibly renews " {Inst. Rel. Chr. I. 3. i.). "So that the sense of the Divinity can never

theology there

is

says Calvin, "

be entirely lost " this natural

lation

is

embroidered.

beautifully

:

And

(^Ibiderti).

knowledge " the

of

God

He

it

is

itself

expresses

upon the canvas

of

that the special reveit

so accurately

Scripture, collecting in

and

our minds the

otherwise confused notions of Deity, dispels the darkness,

and gives us a clear view It

of is

is,

of the true

therefore, beside the truth

when

God"

Qlnst. I. 6.

i.).

the separate mention

Nature and the Scripture in the Reformed confessions taken as an indication of our principium of knowledge, by

way

of juxtaposition or coordination.

Later dogmatic!

may

have taught this, but it is not in accord with the spirit of Calvin or of the Reformed type of doctrine. His metaphor,

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