Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 614

590 third

God

THE CHURCH AND THE OFFICE

§ 91.

is

[Div. Ill

charged with the introduction of the knowledge of

into the

human

consciousness.

Tlie first has for its circle

the life's-si^here of the individual, the second the circle of the instituted Churchy and the third the circle of the church taken

an organism. In connection with this the form of the knowledge of God is distinguished also in these three ways. Personal faith does not formulate, but, as the fathers since Augustine said, " appropriates and enjoys " (utitur et fruitur). The churchly confession formulates in dogmata. Scientific theology sifts and tries, analyzes and draws inferences, constructs systems and places in connection with what Kes outAnd, finally, the first is fruit of personal enlightenment side. as

and experience

;

the second, of the

official

activity of the

Church, also in her struggles with heresy and the third is the independent fruit of study. If, now, we bring this in connection with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, then this guidance in the case of the personal ;

knowledge of God consists in the providential and spiritual leading, by which the heart of the individual is influenced and in the case of the ecclesiastihis world of thought is formed cal knowledge of God it is the guidance of the Holy Spirit bestowed upon the Churches through the ofiice and in the case of the scientific knowledge it consists in the clarifying of This, however, must not be understood in the consciousness. the sense that these three factors are isolated, and work each ;

;

by

itself.

he

is

No man

is

a theologian in a scientific sense unless

also a partaker of personal enlightenment

experience.

For, unless this

is

and

spiritual

the case, his starting-point

is

wanting, and he has no contact with the principium of theNeither can the theologian stand outside the church ology. relation,

and thus outside

of personal union with the churchly

confession, for then he finds himself outside the historic process, and, in fact, the organic contact is

broken with the

life-

within which his studies must flourish, so far as is posThe personal faith, which simply touches the sible to him. principium, and which as being entirely individual is an inescircle,

timable magnitude, needs receive no further mention here.

For the theologian,

it is

the starting-point

;

but

it

is

nothing

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