Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 326

302

§ 62.

averse direction.

DEGENERATIONS OF

[Div. Ill

The Christian Religion and Paganism do

not stand related to each other as the higher and lower forms of development of the same thing but the Christian ;

religion

is

the highest form of development natural theology

was capable of along the positive line while all paganism is a development of that selfsame natural theology in the Christendom and Paganism stand to negative direction. each other as the plus and minus forms of the same series. ;

is not taken worn-out sense in which, at the close of the seventeenth century, a barren scheme of individual truths was framed, which was made to stand as natural theology Natural theology is with alongside of the supernatural.

From

by us

this it appears that natural theology

in that

us no schema, but the knowledge of God itself, which still remains in the sinner and is still within his reach, entirely in harmony with the sense of Rom. i. 19 sq. Sin, indeed, is an absolute darkand Rom. ii. 1-1 sq. ening power, and were not its effect temporarily checked, nothing but absolute darkness would have remained in and about man but common grace has restrained its workings to ;

a very considerable degree

;

also in order that the sinner

might be without excuse. In consequence of this common grace there remain the rudera or sparks of light in the sinner, and the curse upon nature has not yet come in such measure but that " invisible things " are clearly seen, because underHence the stood by the things that are made (Rom. i. 20). would not such as they are world his condition of man and

have been if sin had at once accomplished its end; but, thanks to common grace, both are of such a character that knowledge of God is still possible, either by way of tradition, or as the result of personal insight, such as has been found in generous measures in the midst of paganism, in its But, mysteries as well as with its poets and philosophers. this is the point, instead of clinging fast to this, the sinner in general has played a wilful game with this fruit of common grace, and consequently his " foolish heart " has become entirely "foolishness" and "darkness." And only

and

as result of this

abuse which the sinner has made of natural

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