In all its departments philosophy sustains to revealed the- ology solely the relation of an humble handmaid : 1st. By dem- onstrating the weakness and narrow limits of human reason, and the utter impossibility of the human mind, as at present consti- tuted, either solving or finally dismissing certain insolvable ques- tions conditioning every system of theological or philosophical thought. For " no difficulty emerges in theology which had not previously emerged in philosophy." Thus teaching " that hu- mility is the cardinal virtue, not only of revelation, but of rea- son," (Sir W. Hamilton's Discussions, p. 588), and thus proving the necessity for a supernatural revelation, and inculcating the necessity of a docile spirit upon the part of the interpreters of the inspired record. 2d. By helping us to understand more accu- rately the constitution of the human soul and the works of God in creation, and thus to interpret more intelligently the doctrines of revelation, as far as the constitution of man and the laws of outward nature are involved therein.
As a fact, however, the philosophy prevalent in any age or nation has always, because of the presumption of the human in- tellect, been allowed to intrude upon and pervert in a greater or less degree the cotemporaneous theology. Witness the influence of Neo Platonism upon the early church ; the supreme reign, of the philosophy of Aristotle over the western church during the middle ages ; the influence of the sensational philosophy of Hobes- and Locke over the theological thinking of the school of Priestly in England, and of France during the last century., and of New England until to-day ; the influence of the rationalistic philo- sophy of Leibnitz, Kant, etc., over the theology of Germany, France of the present clay, and the followers of Qoleridge and.
40 THEOLOGY AND ITS SOUKCES.
Carlyle down to the Parker and Emerson school in America. — See Pearson on Infidelity, part ii., chap. 2.
5. What is the true source of an authoritative theology ? and what are the three great parties which stand opposed to one an- other on this subject ?
I. The nationalists, who are of different schools, (see below, question 8), yet unite in the common principle of exalting human reason as either the sole and sufficient source, or at least the measure and judge of all possible knowledge of G-od on the part of man.
II. The Komanists, who, denying that knowledge is necessary to genuine faith, or that faith is founded in any sense upon reason, maintain that the authority of the church as an infallible teacher is the ultimate foundation of all confidence, and that the Holy Scriptures, and ecclesiastical tradition as ascertained and inter- preted by the church, are the sole sources of theological knowl- edge.— See below, chap. vi. and chap xxvii., question 6.
III. Protestants occupy an intermediate position between the two extremes just stated. These hold (1.) That reason is an original revelation of God to man, and therefore no subse- quent supernatural revelation can be given to man, which is not, a, addressed to us as rational beings, and through the channel of our reasons, and b, consistent with the clear and certain deduc- tions of reason acting legitimately within her own sphere. (2.) As reason has, by all experience, been proved insufficient to guide man in religious knowledge, and as Grod has been pleased to put into our hands an infallible record of a supernatural and all-suffi- cient revelation of himself, therefore the ultimate ground of our confidence, and source of all our theological knowledge, is solely the word of God signified in the Holy Scriptures. (3.) Never- theless, as revelation is addressed to our reason, (by reason includ- ing heart and conscience with the understanding), therefore its evidences are to be authenticated to reason, and the words of the record interpreted by reason according to her own laws.
6. Hoio can the position of the Romish Church on this subject be disproved ?
The Komish position with regard to ecclesiastical tradition
EATIONALISM. 41
and the authority of the church as an inspired teacher are shown to he false in the chapter on " The Scriptures the only Kule of Faith and Judge of Controversies."
I would say here in addition that the Komanist, in advocating his system of implicit faith, has to reason in order to prove that reason is a false guide. The Protestant, on the other hand, rea- sons in order to prove that reason in itself is insufficient, but that in her last result she leads to a revelation that readies beyond, though it can not contradict her.
7. What are the different senses in which the term reason is used ?
Sometimes the term reason is used as equivalent to the mere understanding as distinct from the higher moral and intuitive faculties of the soul. Sometimes it is used with exclusive refer- ence to the & priori exercises of reason, in exclusion of all the materials of experience and history.