An Essay on the Development of Christian DoctrineNewman, John Henry
Religion
An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine
Newman, John Henry
Catholic Church -- Doctrines; Dogma, Development of
Pagans may have, heretics cannot have, the same principles as Catholics;
if the latter have the same, they are not real heretics, but in
ignorance. Principle is a better test of heresy than doctrine. Heretics
are true to their principles, but change to and fro, backwards and
forwards, in opinion; for very opposite doctrines may be
exemplifications of the same principle. Thus the Antiochenes and other
heretics sometimes were Arians, sometimes Sabellians, sometimes
Nestorians, sometimes Monophysites, as if at random, from fidelity to
their common principle, that there is no mystery in theology. Thus
Calvinists become Unitarians from the principle of private judgment. The
doctrines of heresy are accidents and soon run to an end; its principles
are everlasting.
This, too, is often the solution of the paradox "Extremes meet," and of
the startling reactions which take place in individuals; viz., the
presence of some one principle or condition, which is dominant in their
minds from first to last. If one of two contradictory alternatives be
necessarily true on a certain hypothesis, then the denial of the one
leads, by mere logical consistency and without direct reasons, to a
reception of the other. Thus the question between the Church of Rome and
Protestantism falls in some minds into the proposition, "Rome is either
the pillar and ground of the Truth, or she is Antichrist;" in
proportion, then, as they revolt from considering her the latter are
they compelled to receive her as the former. Hence, too, men may pass
from infidelity to Rome, and from Rome to infidelity, from a conviction
in both courses that there is no tangible intellectual position between
the two.
Protestantism, viewed in its more Catholic aspect, is doctrine without
active principle; viewed in its heretical, it is active principle
without doctrine. Many of its speakers, for instance, use eloquent and
glowing language about the Church and its characteristics: some of them
do not realize what they say, but use high words and general statements
about "the faith," and "primitive truth," and "schism," and "heresy," to
which they attach no definite meaning; while others speak of "unity,"
"universality," and "Catholicity," and use the words in their own sense
and for their own ideas.
4.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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