Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 360

336 that

§ 66.

SACRED THEOLOGY

Reformed theologians offended

many

less

[Uiv. Ill

m this respect

than

a Lutheran.

This does not mean that by

this

reformatory correction the

use of the ancient Christian church was restored in purity.

Originally, indeed, the

name

of holy (a7to9)

all its

was a

general distinction, to discriminate between what was within

and what without. Everything that had entered holy ground was considered holy ; everything outside was spoken of as "lying in wickedness"; but in the Scriptures of the New Testament no such distinction occurs between a lower and higher holiness within the bounds of the Church. The error of the Romish Church lies in the application of this title to this non-Scriptural distinction. While in the Holy Scriptures all confessors of Christ are called saints, the Romish Church deprived the people at large of this title, and reserved it for a special class of Christians, either for the clergy in general, or for those under higher vows, or for those who, as church

fathers

and teachers, held a

special

in its narrowest sense, for those

position

who were

;

or finally,

canonized.

The

Reformation opposed this non-Scriptural distinction, but lacked courage to restore the name of sai7it in its original significance to all believers.

Spiritualistic apocalyptic circles

from the side of Protestantism also, in addresses, etc., the whole congregation were again called "a holy communion" (eine heilige Gemeinde); poets frequently followed this use of language but the Reformation has not restored the name of saint as a general term for every Christian. It preferred rather to abandon the name in its general sense, than by the use of it to encourage the tended toward this

;

;

Romish misuse.

From

this,

however,

work done

it is

evident that there was no super-

days of the Reformation, and that the representation that by speaking of "holy Scripture," "holy Gospel," "holy Baptism," etc., they merely imitated Rome,

ficial

in the

The reformers did most careon a misunderstanding. work. There were cases in which the epithet "holy" was purposely dropped but others also in which this prefix was purposely kept and to this last category belongs the rests

ful

;

;

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