Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 186

162

TWO KINDS OF SCIENCE

§ 49.

almost of greater importance

[Div. II

a clear account can be

still,

given of both starting-points.

why these two kinds of science have remost part interlaced, there is still another less important cause, which has prevented their It is the slow process which must clearer separation. ensue before any activity can develop itself from what poIf this explains

mained and no

for the

If palingenesis operated is given in palingenesis. immediately from the centrum of our inner life to the outermost circumference of our being and consciousness, the antith-

tentially

esis

nies is

between the science which lives by it and that which deit, would be at once absolute in every subject. But such

not the case.

The

point. tree

The

illustration of the grafting

cultivated shoot which

at first ver}^ small

is

is

and weak

;

in

is still

grafted into the wild the wild tree, on the

other hand, after being grafted, will persist in putting forth its

branches

;

and

it is

only by the careful pruning away of

wild shoots that the vitality from the roots is compelled to its service from the wild trunk and transfer it to

withdraw

the cultivated shoot.

Later on this progress

is

secured,

till

upper hand and the Avild tree scarcely puts out another branch but this takes sometimes seven or more years. You observe a similar phenomenon in palingenesis, even to such an extent that if the development begun upon earth were not destined to reach at length the cultivated shoot obtains the entire

;

completion in a higher

life,

the sufficient reason of the entire

fact could scarcely be conceived, especially not in those cases

where

this palingenesis does not

come

until later

life.

But

even when in the strength of youth palingenesis leads to repentance (transformation of the consciousness), and to conversion (change in life-expression), the growth of the wild tree is

by no means yet cut

off,

neither

is

the shoot of the cul-

tivated branch at once completed.

This

is

never claimed in the circles that make profesIt has been questioned among

sion of this palingenesis.

themselves whether the entire triumph of the

new element

is

Deze tekst is geautomatiseerd gemaakt en kan nog fouten bevatten. Digibron werkt voortdurend aan correctie. Klik voor het origineel door naar de pdf. Voor opmerkingen, vragen, informatie: contact.

Op Digibron -en alle daarin opgenomen content- is het databankrecht van toepassing. Gebruiksvoorwaarden. Data protection law applies to Digibron and the content of this database. Terms of use.

Printen