Encyclopedia of sacred theology - pagina 617

;

Chap.

LIBERTY OF SCIENTIFIC THEOLOGY

§ 92.

Ill]

593

But

this struggle is less serious.

of

dogma, the character of

if

the difference concerns the centrum of the confession,

i.e.

Church must either consent to his view and modify her confession, or he must break with the Church, whose confession he has found to be false. In this it is assumed, of course, that both he and his Church stand upon the basis of God's Word. Otherwise either the Church or the theologian who criticises her is wanting, so that there may be a good deal of quarrelling, as the outcome of the real knowledge of God, the

dishonesty, but there can be no question of a spiritual struggle.

But

From

both sides

that spiritual struggle it

is

the very thing in question.

must be carried on

for the sake of the truth

God. And courage to hazard his whole position in this struggle. Either he must be convinced, or the Church must be convinced hy him. If one of these two things does not take place, there

even as the martyr, the theologian must have

of

no escape from a final breach. Hence, even when ajDprehended centrally, theological science owes the Church a bounden duty in service of the Holy Spirit. Not the duty of

is

supplying her with the assurance of the faith this the theoAnd a life of the Church. ;

logian must derive from the

theology which makes

it

appear that

it

has to furnish the

of God from its authority of But, in the builds by the reason. and moorings, Spirit, called ever and anon to theology is service of the Holy test the historic, confessional life of the Church by its source, and to this end to examine it after the norm of the Holy ScriptBy itself confessional life tends to petrify and to fall ure. that asleep, and it is theology that keeps the Church awake

assurance of faith, cuts

away

the

knowledge

;

lends

its

aid in times of conflict with oft-recurring heresies

that rouses her self-consciousness

and in

this

way

§ 92.

To

anew

to a giving of account,

averts the danger of petrifaction.

The Liberty of

Scientific

Theology

be able, however, to accomplish this task, scientific

theology must be entirely free in her movement. course, does not imply license.

nature of

its object,

Every study

and subjected

is

This, of

bound by the

to the laws that

govern

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