Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 618

594

§ 92.

LIBERTY OF SCIENTIFIC THEOLOGY

But

the activity of our consciousness.

this is so far

[Div. Ill

from a

very liberty consists in being limitation of its liberty, that bound to these laws. The railway train is free, so long as But it becomes the rails hold its wheels in their embrace. its

unfree, as the

works

itself in the

ground, and cannot go on as soon Hence there is no question of

wheels jump the track.

desirino- to free the theologian as

such at the bar of his

own

conscience from his obligation to his subject, his principium, what we should object or the historic authority of the Church ;

to

is,

own

that the study should be prevented from pursuing its way. That a Church should forbid a minister of the

Word

the further use of her pulpit

when he

antagonizes her

confession, or that a board of trustees should dismiss a pro-

who, according to their view, does not serve the end for which he was appointed, has nothing whatever to do with

fessor,

this liberty of studies.

A

ship-owner,

who

dismisses a captain

the ship to a different point of destination from what the ship-owner designated, in no wise violates thereby the personal rights of the captain. When a Church appoints a minister of the Word, she and she alone is to de-

because he

sails

termine what she desires of him, and when he is no longer able to perform this, she can no longer retain him in her service.

And in the same

way, when the curators of a university

appoint some one to teach Lutheran dogmatics, and this theologian meanwhile becomes Romish, it is not merely their right

but their duty to displace him. Yea, stronger still, a theologian who, in such a case, does not withdraw, is dishonest, and But these cases have nothing to as such cannot be upheld. do with the liberty of studies, and at no time does the churchly liberty of the theologian consist of anything but his right to

Word of God, on the ground of which he may enter into a spiritual conflict with his Church, and if he fails Thus when the liberty of theology is in this, to withdraw.

appeal to the

spoken of, we do not mean theology as attached to any office, but theology as an independent phenomenon. The question simply is, whether, after it has separated itself from this office, and thus makes its appearance as theology only, it is or is not free.

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