RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Dog-ma
unmistakable endeavor to establish the self-evidencing truth of the inner experience, and to guard against a false distinction between the person of Christ and the " principle " of theological knowledge. Ritschl greatly influenced Hermann Schultz (Grundriss der evangelischen Dogmatik, 1890) and Kaftan {Dogmatik, 1897, and Zur Dogmatik, 1904), who more than Ritschl seeks to accept the full content of the faith that is based upon the historical revelation of God. He also gives a proportionate treatment to factors which Ritschl put into the background; he discusses the relation of Christ's essence to God as a " fact of nature," and puts a due estimate upon the inner working of God in the believer. The Ritschlian left has as yet produced no important works of a truly dogmatic content and character. (J. KosTLiNf.)
Ernst Troeltsch, professor of systematic theology at Heidelberg, has as yet published no comprehensive work on dogmatics, but by his monographs {Die Ahsolutheit des Christentums und die Religionsgeschichte, Tubingen, 1902; Das Historische in Kant's Religionsphilosophie, Berlin, 1904; Politische Ethik und Christentum, Gottingen, 1904; etc.) has attracted attention and provoked criticism. He maintains the absoluteness 9. Troeltsch. of Christianity as resting on divine revelation, yet insists that, having been drawn by modern historical science into the stream of religious evolution, its relativity and limitation must be recognized. As sustaining historical relations Christianity is a relative phenomenon; for one who has had personal experience of communion with God in Christ it is the absolute religion. But the study of comparative religion leads to recognition of the fact that the devotees of other religions may have a similar experience and an equal right to consider their religions absolute. (Cf. critique of Troeltsch's Ahsolutheit by Hermann, in TLZ, 1902, 364 sqq., and summary of Troeltsch's views by G. B. Foster, in his Finality of the Christian Religion, Chicago, 1906, pp. 42-46.)
2. The Reformed Churches: Reformed dogma owes its content and form to Calvin. Zwingli's dogmatic views were most systematically presented in his Uslegen und Grund of his sixty-seven articles (1523). In his exposition of art. vi. he seeks to prove from Scripture that God's promises of salvation in Christ were
1. Zwin-
g^jj^ made to the whole human race, the Calvin. '^^^V condition being personal acceptance. Calvin's fundamental dogma was that of the absoluteness of the divine predestination, involving the certainty of the salvation of the elect and the inevitableness of the eternal destruction of the non-elect. The first edition of the " Institutes " (1536) was really an apology for Protestantism and by no means a systematic treatise on theology. In the final edition of 1559 it was expanded and divided into four books — Knowledge of God the Creator, Knowledge of God the Redeemer, the Law, the External Means for Salvation. The Scriptures alone are regarded as absolutely authoritative. Calvin's doctrine became dogma in various confessions of faith, catechisms, and the like.
Calvm's predestination dogma was assailed with vigor by Bolsec, Pighius, Castellio, and others. Socmianism may be regarded as in part a reaction agamst Calvinism. Several of Calvin's followers 2 Calvin's Gomarus, Piscator, Chamier,
Sue- ^"'^ others) went far beyond Calvin cessors. making God directly and absolutely the author of sin (supralapsarianism). Their views gained considerable acceptance and, with Socinianism and other influences, called forth Arminianism by way of reaction. The position of Arminius was clearly expressed in the remonstrance of 1610 and in the works of Episcopius, Uitenbogaert, and, later and more moderately, by Limborch. The Synod of Dort (1618-19) reaffirmed in strong language the dogmatic teachings of Calvin, while carefully avoiding supralapsarianism. Piscator reacted to Arminianism. The Scotch theologian John Cameron (d. 1625) originated in the Saumur school (1618 onward) a mode of theological thought involving important modifications of the Calvinistic system. He maintained that, notwithstanding the fall and hereditary sin, there remains in man, after his understanding has been enlightened by divine revelation, enough of good to enable him to lay hold upon salvation. Among the most noted of Cameron's disciples were Joshua Placeus (d. 1665), Moise Amyraut (d. 1664), and Louis Cappel (d. 1658). Opposed to the Saumur school was that of S6dan, where Daniel Chamier (d. 1621) and his disciples maintained polemically a rigorous Calvinism.
In the Netherlands, Gisbertus Voetius (q.v.; d. 1676) upheld Calvinism after the Synod of Dort {Selecta disputationes theologicce, 5 vols., Utrecht, 1648). Johannes Cocceius (q.v.; d. 1669) became important for dogmatics through his application of the historical method to it and the resultant scheme of divine covenants (the federal theology). F. A. Lampe (d. 1729), professor in Utrecht, brought the influence of German Pietism powerfully to bear upon Dutch theological thought. As a means of settling controversies that had arisen, it was arranged that in each university the professor of systematic theology should be a Voetian, that of exegetical theology a Cocceian, and that of practical theology a Lampean. This placing of three types of Reformed theological thought on a basis of equality, together with the wide influence exerted by such learned Arminian (Remonstrant) teachers as Peter Limborch (d. 1712) and Johannes Clericus (d. 1736), meant a complete breakdown of rigorous Calvinism as the authoritative form of Christianity in the Protestant Netherlands. It enjoyed a revival in the nineteenth century under the leadership of Isaak da Costa (d. 1860), Abraham Capadose (d. 1874), G. Groen van Prinsterer (d. 1876), and others, and has been extended and perpetuated by A. Kuyper, G. J. Vos, and others. A Platonizing, mystical type of Reformed theology, influenced by Schleiermacher, led by P. W. van Heusde (d. 1839) and including J. F. van Oordt, Hofstede de Groot, and others, had its center at Groningen (see Groningen School). J. J. van Oosterzee (d. 1882) represents a position interme-
3. The Netherlands.
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