Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 649

TO SPIRITUAL REALITY

Chap. IV]

enough. the

Piety

Parsee.

stamp

625

of its

is often present with the Buddhist also and But the piety referred to here must bear a own, and cannot be identical with that pious

impulse which operates also in fallen man, either poetically, But it is very definitely that piety worked by God, which is possible only when a new life has been implanted in the sinner, and in which new life has heroically, or sentimentally.

dawned a higher light. In the second place, this piety should not remain isolated, but must manifest itself in the communion of saints not merely arbitrarily, but organically, hence in union with the Church, which affords a bed to the ;

stream of the ages.

And

finally, in the third place, in its

from the root of regeneration and in its union with the Church, this piety should not remain a mere mystical sentiment, but, for the sake of affecting theology, it must interrise

pret being into thonght, in order presently from thought to return to heing by the ethical deed.

Where

this articulation, in the sense

cally present, so far as

mentioned,

is

organi-

concerns the articulation to reality, the position of theology in the organism of science is what it should be. Without this connection the theologian becomes as

one

who

it

looks out upon nature through eyes half blind, as one who studies acoustics, or as one devoid of all finer

almost deaf taste

who devotes

which

himself to aesthetics; the simple result of

that neither nature, acoustics, nor aesthetics receive their dues. History indeed teaches that where this articulais

tion to spiritual realit}^

head

is

wanting^ rationalism at once

to attack theology in its

lifts

up

very heart or, where this articulation is imperfect, sentiment is bound to prevail, and theology disappears in mysticism or pietism. For this reason its

;

the theologians of the best period of the Reformation ever insisted strenuously and convincingly upon the linking together of theology to the Word, to the Church, and to personal enlightenment; for in these three factors together is found the guidance of the Holy Spirit, without which no

theology can flourish.

The proper

relation of these three

factors has been considered at sufficient length above. it is

Here

merely observed that our theologians of the Reformation

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