pher, to clear up the mists which have been diffused over this part of the subject. He will there see how Theological Terms, no less than others, may be signs and instruments of Truth, without conveying precise abstract ideas of the things signified by them; and that, therefore, we are not obliged to adopt the Realism of the Scholastic Philosophy, whilst we retain the phraseology. It may be of use to cite one or two passages from that interesting Dialogue. Having shewn how we have no idea of Force in the abstract, and yet we have true and useful propositions about Force, Berkeley remarks: "That which we admit with regard to Force, upon what "pretence can we deny concerning Grace? If there are "queries, disputes, perplexities, diversity of notions and " opinions about the one, so there are about the other also: "if we can form no precise distinct idea of the one, so nei"ther can we of the other. Ought we not, therefore, by a parity of reason to conclude, there may be divers true "and useful propositions concerning the one as well as "the other? And that Grace may be an object of our faith, "and influence our life and actions, as a principle destruc"tive of evil habits and productive of good ones, although 66 we cannot attain a distinct idea of it, separate or abstracted 'from God the Author, from man the subject, and from "virtue and piety its effects?" "But although terms are signs, yet having granted that those signs may be significant, though they should not suggest ideas represented by them, provided they serve to 'regulate and influence our wills, passions, and conduct, you have consequently granted, that the mind of man may "assent to propositions containing such terms, when it is so Minut. Phil. Dial. 7, Vol. ii, p. 213. 1820. "directed or affected by them, notwithstanding it should not perceive distinct ideas marked by those terms. Whence "it seems to follow, that a man may believe the doc"trine of the Trinity, if he finds it revealed in Holy Scripture, that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, are God, and that there is but one God; although he doth "not frame in his mind any abstract or distinct ideas of "Trinity, Substance, or Personality; provided that this doc"trine of a Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, makes proper impressions on his mind, producing therein love, hope, gratitude, and obedience, and thereby becomes a lively operating principle, influencing his life and actions agreeably to that notion of saving faith which is required in a "Christian."s 66 66 66 66 "Whatever their intention was, [that of the Nicene Fathers,] it could not be to beget nice abstracted ideas of mysteries in the minds of common Christians; this being "evidently impossible: nor doth it appear that the bulk of "Christian men did in those days think it any part of "their duty to lay aside the words, shut their eyes, and "frame those abstract ideas; any more than men now do "of force, time, number, or several other things about "which they nevertheless believe, know, argue, and dis"pute. To me it seems that whatever was the source of "these controversies, and however they were managed, "wherein human infirmity must be supposed to have had "its share, the main end was not, on either side, to convey precise, positive ideas to the minds of men, by the use "of those contested terms, but rather a negative sense, "tending to exclude Polytheism on the one hand, and "Sabellianism on the other."t Minut. Phil. Dial. 7, Vol. li. p. 214. t Ibid. p. 218. SUMMARY. NATURE of the Inquiry proposed, the force of Theory on Theological language-the Scholastic Philosophy an important branch of this General Inquiry-its connexion with the philosophy of Aristotle-Neglect of consideration of its influence in comparison with that of Platonism-the greater extent of its influence-its more immediate interest. The Scholastic Philosophy the result of a struggle between Reason and Authority-its history to be traced to the ascendancy of the Latin Clergy-Contrast between the Greek and Latin Fathers-Practical character of the Latins exemplified in their leading men strict correspondence sustained among them— Contrast of state of Society in the East and the West-Civil disturbance and misery of the West favourable to the power of the Latin Church-Rhetorical character of the Latin theological writers Fruitless attempt of Jerome to improve the Latin literature of his time-Monastic Institutions of the West less enthusiastic than those of the East-Origin of the Scholastic System more developed in the progress of the Church after the middle of the fifth century.-The principle of liberty of reason which had led to the power of the Church, operating within the Church, leads at once to heresy and ecclesiastical coercion-Extent of jurisdiction over opinion claimed by the Latin Clergy evidenced in the Predestinarian Controversy of the Ninth century-Subsequent history a continuance of the struggle between Reason and Authority in the West.-Subjugation of the intellect leads to its insurrection-Character of its efforts at this period. The argumentative theology at length sanctioned by the Church itself in its authoritative capacity.-The Book of the Sentences.-Albert the Great, and Thomas Aquinas, perfect the method established.-Success of Scholasticism owing to its combination of unlimited discussion with deference to authority. |