Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 663

Chap. V]

THE TERIOD OF NAIVETY

§ 101.

639

ogy " is taken in the sense of science, then there is no theology of Isaiah, Micali, Peter, or Paul, but it arises only when special Revelation has reached its goal, and the task begins of introducing the content of this Revelation into the enlightened consciousness of regenerated humanity, and from this

human

consciousness to reproduce

task imposed

upon

regenerated man. tianity,

intensely

it,

Had

it.

That

was the a time by

this

was not understood for it depended upon primitive Chris-

satisfied

with her great salvation, she

would have withdrawn herself in mystical enjoyment of the same, in obedience to the same impulse which, especially in those methodistic circles which originated with the Reveil^ looks down upon theological effort with a certain spiritual But the Holy Spirit compelled her to underself-conceit. take this task by the reaction, which in all sorts of ways, from the consciousness of the unregenerate, set itself to dissect and to destroy the content of Revelation, and the Revelation itself. And only when in this way the need had rendered this scientific effort a necessity, a taste was created for this work, after the rule of the discendo discere discimus

(by learning we learn to learn), and the inclination was tered which explains the later growth of theology.

fos-

This,

same time, exhibits the folly of the desire to explain As far as the institheology from the instituted Church. has almost never concerned, she tuted Church herself was at the

known

the scientific impulse, but has ever preferred to devote

herself to the

still

enjoyment

of her great salvation.

Theol-

ogy, as a science, was, as a rule, more of an hindrance to her

than a help and theology owes its origin, its maintenance, its guarantee for the future, not to the initiative of the ;

and

Church, but to the initiative of the Holy its

Spirit,

who was

also

guide. § 101.

As soon

as the

The Period of Naivety

Church had freed

clothes of Israel's national

life,

itself

from the swaddling

the Christian religion went

out into the world as a militant power. " Think not that I am come," said Christ, " to bring peace on earth, but the

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