Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 405

Chap.

TO JUDGE THE SPECIAL PRINCIPIUM ?

II]

of Divine knowledge,

we now

381

face the no less important

question, whether the yiatural principium, either formally or materially,

is

to sit in

judgment upon the

special principium.

The y wh o_,QppQse- us, and do

the frequent claim.

This is not recognize another principium alongside of the natural data, continually demand, that we demonstrate the reality and the Reliability of the special principium at the bar of

human

And

reason.

at least over against

to a certain extent this

Methodism, and, in

demand

fact,

^^/il(/1/^

^/t'l^

-^^

is fair,

over against

every dualistic tendency, which, in the sense we disapprove, places

revelation as a

special

new

unit alongside of the

natural principium, as though the latter were under sentence of death, and the special principium could furnish the

Over against every repguarantee of eternal permanency. remains dominant character our conviction this resentation of that our

life,

as originally

given in the Creation,

stratum of our real existence for us the real

tion

may

;

and

;

that as such

that, therefore,

it is

is

the sub-

and remains

whatever special revela-

supply, must be taken up into this and, for us

From this, personally, can only thus obtain its reality. however, it does not follow that the natural principium If should be qualified to judge the special revelation. special revelation assumes that in consequence of sin the normal activity of the natural principium is disturbed, this implies

of

itself

that the natural principium has lost its

competency to judge. He who considers it possessed of competency declares therebj^ eo ipso that it is still normal, and thus removes all sufficient reason for a special You must either deny it the right of judgment, revelation. or, if you grant it this right, the object disappears upon which judgment shall be passed. The psychiater, who treats the maniac, cannot render his method of treatment dependent upon the judgment of his patient. Equally little can you attribute this right of judgment over the special principium to the natural principium, if you consider the character of a principium. As soon as you grant that special revelation falls under the judgment of your natural principium, it is hereby denied eo ipso th;it it has proceeded from a prin-

this

j

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