Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 347

Chap.

I]

§ 64.

DEFORMATIONS OF THEOLOGY

323

viction is wanting, the confessional absolutists, on the other hand, sin through the excess of conviction, when they anathematize everything that falls outside of their own confession.

This ground was divines

who

Reformers.

7iot

held by the Reformers and the learned

expounded the confession

theologically

Even Calvin

is

of the

clearly conscious that he builds

on the theology of Augustine and Thomas Aquinas and he who reads the original Lutheran and Reformed dogmatists, perceives at once that they make constant use of what has been contributed by Romish theologians. But in the subsequent period this usage has become extinct. Ever}^ church withdraws itself within its own walls and finally it seems that there is no theology for the dogmatist, but that which Hence, not only in the case of rests upon his own confession. every antithesis, is one equally firm in cleaving to his own conviction, and in rejecting whatever opposes it; but also every suggestion is banished that, at least in that which is not antithetic, some theologic depth, development and truth may lodge with the opponent. The Romish theologians carry this confessional absolutism to the farthest extreme. With the Lutheran theologians this absolutism is quickly carried into practice, even at the expense of Reformed theology. The Reformed theologians alone have longest ;

;

reacted against this confessional absolutism. sional sceptic all

knows

controversy

is folly,

If the confes-

besides irenics, and

little

if

in his eyes

the absolutist, on the other hand,

averse to all irenics, and controversy or polemics

is

his only

is

point of contact with the confessions of the other churches,

which he considers simply

But

it is

absolutist point of view

Not the God," and

theolog}^

false.

readily seen that neither this sceptical nor this is

harmony with the claim

in

sceptical, for if

theology

is

" the

of

knowl-

edge of if, consequently, theology as a science can have no other object than to introduce that revealed knowledge of God as clearly as possible into our human consciousness, personal conviction

point of all theology.

ahvays

Taken

Avill be, knoioledge,

and

must ever be the

starting-

generically, theology

is,

and no

for this reason there can be

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