Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 600

576

§ 88.

THE PRINCIPIUM

IN ACTION

[Div. Ill

paths of which are known, while the goal of each is freely As it would be the height of told by experienced guides. Switzerland, to make it appear in folly, on one's first arrival that he

is

the

first to

investigate the Berner Oberland, since

sense compels him on the contrary to begin his journey by making inquiry among the guides of the country, In its rich and many-sided life, exthe same is true here.

common

Church tells you at once you need no longer try, and interpretation on the other hand offers you the best chances for success. On this ground the claim must be put, that the investigator of the Holy Scripture shall take account of what history and the life of the Church teaches concerning the general points of view, from which to start his investiga-

tending across so

what what

fallible

many

ages, the

interpretations

and which paths it is useless to further reconnoitre. But the influence of this factor does not limit itself to this.

tion,

investigator does not stand outside of the Church, but is Hence into his own consciousness himself a member of it.

The

is interwoven the historic consciousness of his Church. In this historic consciousness of his Church he finds not merely the tradition of theologians and the data by which to form an estimate of the results of their studies, but also the confes-

there

sional utterances of the

These

utterances of his

Church.

And

Church do not

this implies

more.

consist of the inter-

pretation of one or another theologian, but of the ripest fruit of a spiritual and dogmatic strife, battled through by a whole

combat, which enlightened their spiritual sense, sharpened their judgment, and stimulated their perception of the truth; which fruit, moreover, has circle of confessors in violent

been handed down to him by the Church through

its

divinely

appointed organs. It will not do, therefore, to place these dogmatical utterances on the same plane with the opinions In a much deeper sense than of individual theologians.

they provide a guarantee for freedom from error, who belongs to such a Church has himself been moulded in part by them. This gives rise to the demand, that every theologian shall, in his investigations, reckon

they,

and he

with

all

those things that are taught

him by the history

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