Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 131

Chap.

§43.

II]

SCIENCE AND SIN

107

the fact of sin must henceforth claim a more serious consideration.

Naturally the terrible phenomenon of sin in

its

entirety can have no place in these introductory sections.

This belongs in Theology to the section on sin (locus

But

de peccato). that sin Avorks

its

it

is

in

fatal effects also in the

and

(i.e. to

the sphere of volition).

calls,

domain

by no means restricted to what

science,

is

here to state definitely

jDlace

in E]3h. iv. 17,

18,

What

the

is

of our

thelematic

Holy Scripture

the "vanity of the mind," the

"having the understanding darkened, because of the ignois in them," even precedes the being "alienated from the life of God because of the hardening of their heart." Even without entering too deeply into the theological construction of this phenomenon, it may fearlessly be stated, (1) that falsehood in every sense and form is now in the world. And since more than one spiritual science hangs almost exclusively upon personal communications, and since in rance that

consequence of "falsehood"

all

absolute warrant for the trust-

worthiness of these data be wanting,

how greatly the

it is

sufficiently evident

certainty of these sciences suffers loss in con-

sequence of sin. This will be more fully shown in our study of the conception of "truth." For the present this single suggestion must suffice. (2) Alongside of this actual unintentional mistake^ in observafalsehood we have the tion and in memory, as well as in the processes of thought. These mistakes may be reduced by manifold verifications to a minimum in the material sciences, but can never be absolutely avoided, while in the spiritual sciences they

such usury that escape from their influence is (3) Self-delusion and self-deception are no less important factors in this process, which renders nothing so rare as a scientific self-knowledge, a knowledge of your own person and character in more than a hypothetical form.

practise

impossible.

Since almost all deeper studies of the spiritual sciences start out from the subjective image which in our

own

consciousness,

it

we

reflect of ourselves

needs no further proof

how

injuriously with the students of these sciences this self-

delusion and self-deception must affect their studies and

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