8. The first Rationalistic writers on dogmatic theol- gy did not reftise belief in any doctrine Uiey found in ie Bible ; but, demanding that the conformity of every biblical doctrine with reason should be demonstrated, bey introduced a new interpretation of the Bible, ex- lahiin^ away a number of doctrines which thus fiir lad been generally accepted both by Evangelical and toman Catholic theologians. Subsequent schools of Nationalism denied the authenticity of most of the K>oks of the Bible, and consequently rejected all doo- rines as Biblical which could only be proved by the >ookB rejected by them ; and the authority of the Old restament was denied w» toto. In the New Testament I distinction was drawn between the opinions of the ipostles and the words of Jesus, and infallibility claim- ed for the latter exclusively. Finally, schools arose irhich maintained the fkllibility of Jesus himself, and irhich regarded the doctrines taught in the Bible as entitled to no more authority than any system of hu^ man opinions. See Rationalism.
II. Hittory. — ^The beginnings of a systematic ex^ hibition of Christian doctrine are seen in the Apos- toUc and the Kicene Creeds. Among the writers of the ancient Church, Origen, in his work iripl <ipXta>v, presented the first outline of what may be call- ed a system of (dogmatic) theology. Among the works of Augustine, the following were of a similar character: EiuMri^^ ad LaurmUutm (de fde^ tpe et caritaie); de dootrma chrittkata; de eivUate Dei; de fde ac tifmbolo! de eedena dogmaifSnu, They were followed by Fulgentius of Ruspe, Qennadius, and Ju* nilius. In the Greek Chnrch, the Catecheses of Greg- ory of Nyssa (6 \6yo^ KarnxitTiicoi 6 f^^yac) and of Cyril of Jerusalem (CcOecheeee ad hap&tandos ei bapH' tatoi) belong to this class of literature, though they have chiefly a practical object. The first scientific system of dogmatio theology was written by John of Dsmascns (cc^ootc cixpijS^C r^C ^odo^ov vitntiitq)^ whom, however, Isidor of Hispalis (died 636) had pre- ceded as a compiler (in his Seniaiilim), Dogmatic the- ology in the Middle Ages finds its foremost expression in ^diolasticism, which is supplemented by Mysticism. In the 9th century Sootus Erigena was distinguished as a thinker; but his principal work, De dhinone no- tens, is not a dogmatio theology in the strict sense of the word. At the close of the 11th and the beginning of the 12th century, Anselm of Canterbury, Roscellin,
and Abelard gave a new impulse to the treatment of dogmatic theology, and aimed at a reconciliation be- tween philosophic speculation and iSuth. But a strict- ly scientific method was for the first time introduced by the Magitter Senientiarum (Peter Lombardns), whose followers (Robert Pulleyn, Peter of Poitiers, etc.) were called SentenHaru. The school of St Victor (Victo- rines), on the other hand, tried to unite profound mys- ticism with dialectics. Scholasticism was ftirther de- veloped by the greater acquaintance of the theologi- ans with the works of Aristotle, which dates from the Crusades. Alexander of Hales {Doctor Irrefixigibi' lie, 1222^4245), Albertus Magnus (1222-1280), Thom- as Aquinas (1221-1274, the head of a new theological school which embraces nearly all the theologians of the Dominican order), compiled works of immense ex- tent, called SumfiUB, in which every chapter was sub- divided into questions, distinctions, etc. But, chiefiy owing to the ascendency of Nominalism, scholastic theology soon degenerated into absurd subtleties. In opposition to the Thomistic school, the mystic school of Bonaventura {Doctor SerapkicuSj died 1274) and the dialectic school of Duns Sootus (Dr, SubtiSe, died 1808) arose, bo^ fh)m the Franciscan order. The confiict of theological schools became a conflict of monastic orders. The SumnuB were succeeded by Quodlibets ; the multiplicity of questions was infinitely increased. The liberal but sceptical Occam (died ld47) was fol- lowed by the **last of scholastic theologians," Gabriel Biel (died 1495), while Mysticism, which had taken a practical turn in the works of Master Eckart, Tauler, Ruysbroek, and Suso, was brought into a scientific shape by Gerson {Dr, Chrittianisgimut, died 1429). See Scholasticism. The progress of humanistic ^tudies secured for dogmatic theology a more complete and thorough treatment, but only externally. Its regen- eration begins with the Reformation. Luther was a preacher rather than a dogmatic theologian. The foundation of evangelical dogmatics was laid by Me- lancthon, the praceptor Germofwe, in his loci communee (subsequently loci ihedogici). He was followed in the Lutheran theology by Chemnitz, ^gidius and Nicolaus Hnnnius, and the zealous Hutter (Luthenu redivimui), whose loci were particularly opposed to the moderate school of Melancthon. One of the greatest works of this period is the Lod theologici of J. Gerhard ; and among other great writers were Quenstedt, Calov, Hollaz, Baier, etc. In these works a new school of Scholasticism arose, which again called forth an op- posing school of Protestant mysticism (Jacob Bdhme, Weigel, Amd). In the Reformed churches there was fVom the beginning a less strict adherence to symbolic books, and a prevalence of the exegetical treatment of theology over the dogmatic. Zuingle wrote several dogmatical works of considerable value ; but the stand- ard work of the Reformed Church is Calvin's Jrutifutio Christiana rdigionie. Other Reformed writers on dog- matic theology were Bullinger, Musculus, Peter Mar- tyr, Hyperius, and, in the 17th century, Keckermann, Polanus of Polansdorf, Alsted, Alting, WoUeb, Bur- mann, Heidanns, F. Heidegger. New methods of treating dogmatic theology were attempted by Cocce- ius (" Federal Theology") and Leydecker (the " eco- nomlnal" method, dividing the subject according to the persons of the Trinity). In the Lutheran Church, Calixtus endeavored to substitute the analytical way ("final method*') for the synthetical, 'which had been followed since Melancthon. At the close of the 17th and in the earlier part of the 18th century. Pietism, and the philosophical systems of Des Cartes, Leibnitz, and Wolf, began to exercise a considerable influence upon dogmatic theology both in the Lutheran and in the Reformed Church. In the Reformed Church, Ar- minianism, represented by Limborch and the French school of Saumur, gained numerous adherents ; while in the Lutheran Church new methods were attempt- ed by Piaff, Buddeus, Carpsov, Rambach, and J. S.