Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 674

;

650

§ 102.

THE INTERNAL CONFLICT

[Div. Ill

Already theology feels herself mistress in her own home, and sees in philosophy nothing but a tamed lion, which she harnesses before her triumphal chariot.

At Bj^zantium

classic

study had obtained a proper place of honor, from the days Boast was made of Plato and of of Emperor Photius.

And it was in the footsteps of Aristotle that Damascus in his "E/cSocri? printed an irremovable dogmatic stamp upon the entire Church of the East. But

Aristotle.

John

of

for theological studies in general, philosophy in all

its

rami-

Centrally none but subsidiary services. theologic development in this period is dogmatic, and the wide exegetical studies have no other tendency than to establish scripturally once for all the truth that had been found. Critically the work done does not extend beyond the content of Scripture, and formally what is attempted is at most Hermeneutics to keep in hand good codexes rather than bad. is established in order, after given rules, to overthrow false exegesis of heretical doctores, and the extent to which

fications

offered

Hieronymus busied himself with merely of

this

object in view

—

viz.

isagogical questions

had

placing at the disposal

the coming clergy all sorts of things worthy of their

notice.

Thus everything was rendered subsidiary

to

the

development of dogmatics, including even and thus dogmatics appeared mostly in the form of polemics, to combat false representations. Time was not yet ripe for the organic construction of a system, which should include all the dogmatic treasures. Even Augustine did not venture upon this. What Origen had too early attempted, served as an example to deter others, and what John Damascene accomplished for the Eastern Church has done much toward the petrifying of that Church; even though it may not be overlooked, that this very early check put upon dogmatic thought saved the Eastern Church from many serious errors, in which at a later date the Western Church historical studies

lost itself.

But if theology triumphed over heresy in its own bosom during this period, it was not all gold that glittered. This intellectual victory had not been achieved except in union

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