Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 601

CiiAr. Ill]

§ 88.

THE PRINCIPIUM IN ACTION

of tiie eliuiclies concerning well this territory to be investigated

place, that he shall take the

577

and badly chosen paths ;

in

and, also, in the second

dogmas

of

Church as his them until he is

his

guide, and that he shall not diverge from

compelled to do this by the Word of God. Hence, one should not begin by doubting everything, and by experimenting to

whether on the ground of his own investigation he same point where the confession of his Church stands but, on the contrary, he should start out from the assumption that his Church is right, while at the same time he should investigate it, and only oppose it when he finds himself compelled to do so by the Word of God. If such prove the case, of course, it must be done and if it concerns any point of importance, an immediate break with his Church is the necessary result, unless the Church herself should modify her confession agreeably to his view. History, however, teaches that ordinary differences in details of opinion among theologians have implied no departure from essentials, and that the conflict between God's Word and error in the confession has been carried to the end in those great movements only, which have brought about a change in the entire thinking consciousness. Great carefulness is always safe. The proclamation of new discoveries is not always a proof of devotion to the truth, it is sometimes a tribute to self-esteem. see

arrives at the ;

;

Nevertheless, the point of support for theology may never be looked for in the Church. It only finds that point of sup-

port

when

it

shows that what the Church has offered

it

as

acquired treasures, were really taken from the Scripture and after the rule of the Scripture.

This decides at the same time the question, whether the Church should prosecute the study of theology, or whether theology grows on a root of its own. The question cannot detain us here, whether in times of need

we

are not warranted

in establishing church-seminaries, and, in the absence of uni-

versity training, to provide for a need,

whose supply admits no question here of the education of untrained persons for the ministry of the Word, but of theology as a science. And, from the nature of the case, there of no delay.

There

is

/

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