Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 332

308

§ 63.

FALSIFICATIONS OF

[D^v. Ill

has natural theology only, together with a weakened

who

tradition of the once blessed paradise.

whom

Aaron, therefore, on

full light of special revelation,

shone the

stands far

above him in knowledge of God, in loftiness of religion, and With a little less thought one in purity of priestly ritual. place Aaron's priesthood far to tempted would have been above that of ]Melchizedek, in order to find the ideal highpriesthood of Christ in Aaron, and not in the order of And yet revelation, in both Old and New Melchizedek. Testaments, teaches the very contrary. Aaron's ceremonial bears merely a temporal character Melchizedek's office is eternal; and Aaron disappears in Christ, in order that in ;

Thus Aaron's service Christ Melchizedek may reappear. merely fulfilled the vocation of rendering the service of Melchizedek possible again, and enabling it to resume its And this is the point of view which original significance. dominates also the relation between " natural theology " and Undoubtedly the content

"particular grace."

ral

of special reve-

much richer than the meagre content which natuand it is also evident theology now offers fallen man

lation

is

;

that without

accidens in special revelation this natural

its

no help to you whatever. Aaron's service was than that of Melchizedek, and without the Aaronic ordination Melchizedek's offering missed every aton-

theology

much

is

richer

But

ing merit.

this

does not take

away

the fact, that

natural theology always remains the originally real one, and that special revelation can never be anytliing else than accidental. shall

Hence, when

it

comes to a

have been eradicated so that

longer work

its after-effects in

when sin very memory shall no

state of purity, its

the creation of God, then all

the riches of special revelation shall merely have served the end of bringing natural theology back again to its original

glow with a brightness which In the prophetic domain of the Aaron disappears, and Melchizedek

lustre, yea, of causing it to

far excels its original lustre.

knowledge

of

returns with

God,

all

also,

the glory of the original creation.

the deep significance of the oath ex.,

This

is

sworn by the Lord in Psalm

concerning the priest after the order of Melchizedek.

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