Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 244

220

THE INFLUENCE OF PALINGENESIS

§ 55.

or disturbances as necessary stages in the

[Div. II

process

of

de-

Hence such an one deems himself authorized both from what to draw his conclusions from what exists and exists outside of him and from what exists in himself, velopment.

to

make

—

these conclusions compulsory for

this point of view no other method

the other hand, at least accepts

who it

is

—

all.

And

from He, on

conceivable.

himself lives in the palingenesis, or

who

as a fact, has eo ipso an entirely different

Palingenesis outlook upon himself and his surroundings. that there is a implies that all existing things are in ruins ;

means by which these ruins can be

restored, yea, that in

He neither may nor can, part they are already restored. therefore, draw compulsory conclusions from what exists outside of palingenesis

there can be no question with

;

him

and for him the necessity of all lie in what presents itself to him, but in not does science things existing by which he distinguishes the criticism of the abnormal from the normal. This applies to all the faculties, but becomes more important in proportion as the part of the object which a given of an evolution process

faculty

;

to investigate stands higher.

is

With

the faculty

makes itself more strongly

of Natural Philosophy, therefore, this antithesis

a little more with the Medical with the Philological almost overwhelmingly with the Juridical; but most strongly of all with the Theological faculty. If I omit from my calculations the facts of palingenesis and sin, then no estrangement from God lias taken place and no then our understanding has not been darkened transparency disturbance has convulsed nature to cloud the least felt

;

;

;

;

;

of

God

in

the

cosmos.

And

it

is

equally inconceivable

that a restoring power should be operative

in the world,

our thought, or that there should be a revelation, in facts or in words, which does not coincide with the normal process of development. For in this case we have nothing but progress, continuous gain and clariin our heart

and

in

fying of knowledge. that a

edge

of

knowledge

God

And granted that there is a God and God seems possible, this knowl-

of this

stands infinitely higher in our nineteenth cen-

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