Antithesis: Of the Photinians.
Antithesis: Of the Photinians.
(2) The Photinians, when they add some other principle to the unique and proper principle of theology—namely, Holy Scripture—and give that principle equal authority, since indeed they are debating about articles of faith not on the basis of divine revelation alone but also—in fact, especially—on the basis of reason. Why, they even attack the articles of faith that are set forth in Scripture with express and clear words with the sophistry of human reason. With its philosophical principles, the Catech. Racov. struggles to overturn the mystery of the Trinity (p. 48), the personal union of the two natures in Christ (p. 55), and the eternal generation of the Son from the Father (p. 63). They deny the propagation of original sin on the basis of the philosophical principle that “a habit is not propagated into children.” They deny the resurrection of the same flesh on the basis of the notion that “it seems impossible for a body that is the same in number to rise again.” Here we must report what Schmaltzius writes: “It is certainly strange to want to draw some conclusion from negative testimony” (Contra 1. disp. D. Frantz., de Trinit., f. 12). Yet one must distinguish between dogmatic matters and historical matters. In dogmatics, one can proceed both affirmatively and negatively because of the perfection of Scripture, as he acknowledges (Discip. de temp., sermon 23).