i8 7 o] A THEOLOGICAL SOCIETY 151 



old dogmatic, combined with an apologetic activity in 

 justification of the conception of Scripture on which this 

 system of proof rests, cannot yet dispose of doubts which 

 are based on the perception of the real inadequacy of 

 very much in the present attitude of the conservative 

 theology. And thus the only way to escape the wave of 

 violent unbelief which has already swept over the German 

 Churches is frankly to recognise the need of progress in 

 our theological conceptions, not to suppress the new 

 currents of thought as wholly dangerous, but to urge the 

 positive side of a movement which if discouraged by the 

 Church can express itself only in doubt and negation. 

 And this we are justified in doing if it is really the case 

 that it is no unchristian motive but simply a fair con 

 sideration of undeniable facts that compels us to refuse 

 to regard theology as a system of deductions from fixed 

 axioms or a mere compend of Scripture statement, and 

 calls for a recognition of a positive activity of the theo- 

 logising subject dialectically evolving the contents of an 

 internal consciousness. 



Every view of this kind is liable to be accused at first 

 sight of being rationalistic. For we have been accustomed 

 to accept the contrast of reason and revelation as quite 

 ultimate. There are two kinds of theology according 

 to the common teaching, consisting respectively of 

 doctrines revealed by God or doctrines devised by human 

 reason, and so soon as we speak of a theological conscious 

 ness we commit ourselves to the latter kind. Happily 

 the answer to this prima facie objection is not difficult. 

 The hostility of Rationalism to Revelation is only a part 

 of the wider enmity between Pelagianism and Free Grace. 

 It is only where Revelation is recognised as a part of 

 God s redemptive work that Rationalism has ever refused 

 to acknowledge it. The Socinians themselves are quite 

 ready to submit themselves to Scripture if Scripture is 

 accepted as a book of doctrines only, and not as a means 

 of grace. Rationalism, in short, is Pelagianism of the 



