О важности Догматического Богословия

A sublime subject, an exceptional source of dogmatic Theology - they speak of its special importance among other sciences. The truths that are explained and presented in dogmatic theology, in their authenticity and in their irreplaceable significance for our lives, truly stand above all natural human knowledge 59 . The meaning of the truths of faith for our mind In all people there is a constant desire to find the truth. “Truth is one of the natural and essential needs of the human spirit.” This is evidenced by both Revelation, according to which “the truth of God is the bread of life (Matthew 4:4),” and natural reason, although not with such deep understanding can say that truth is the life food of the human spirit.” The need for truth affects the curiosity of children. Truth “is sought by the judge in the law and in judicial proceedings, science in the immeasurable space of the universe and in the secret repositories of human nature.” Our mind cannot live without truth. Where can you find the truth? “From the wisdom of modern times one can hear that the limited, many-part, conditional, relative, sensually revealed, changing, transitory do not represent perfect truth; that the fundamental and perfect truth must be found in the imperishable, in the unchangeable, in the intelligible, in the detached, in the unconditional, in the one, in the infinite.” “Would it be less satisfactory (would it be) and wouldn’t it be more clear to everyone if (instead) we say that the root and foundation of truth, the center of truths, the sun of the mental world is pure mental representation, or the idea of ​​God, the Creator, the Almighty.” But the “pure mental image of God, the Creator, the Almighty,” so important for the satisfaction of the mind, can only be given by revealed teaching 60 . Man himself is not only powerless to find the truth on his own, but even with the assistance of natural revelation - “the whole world, for centuries and millennia, was not able to find and put into action the first, fundamental, predominantly necessary, clearly stated truth” 61 . Revealed truth, as given by the grace of God to helpless man to satisfy his highest needs, for this reason alone must be superior to natural knowledge, which satisfies the less important needs of man. The source of Christian truth is “Self-wisdom and the only source of all wisdom.” From this sublime and pure source is drawn “the word of life - philosophies not according to the elements of the world, which are killed and crushed into little things by artistic experiments and, according to the natural proportionality of the consequences with the cause, giving not very living and not very enormous knowledge, but according to the living and life-giving principles of the wisdom of God, in the hidden mystery, which God prepared before the ages for our glory - contemplation of the Supreme Unit in the consubstantial Trinity and the Trinity in one, as the true root of everything numerable, as the immeasurable foundation of everything measurable - knowledge of earth and sky, not that grave knowledge of the earth, which in blocks and layers descends into its depths, as into a grave, and with the remnants of destruction wants to interpret the life buried and remaining, without hope of resurrecting the buried and preserving the remaining, or glass knowledge of the sky, which, through far-sighting glasses, follows the path of the stars, not paving the way for the viewer to heaven, but the knowledge of the earth and the sky, in the beginning good, then the earth, cursed in the deeds of man, and the sky, which has become unclean (Job 15:15), then, the earth, which with the deeds existing on it will be burned, and the sky, which will pass away, finally, a new heaven and a new earth, in which righteousness lives and in which We too can move if we live by the truth - legislation, not some ancient Greek and Roman legislation, but legislation with which the King of heaven and earth arranges His kingdom of all ages and His dominion in every generation and generation, and, what is especially important for each of us, legislation with which He wants to establish His kingdom within us" 62... It is clear from this that dogmatic Theology, in its source and content, is incomparably more important for us than all other sciences that draw their content from the data of reason. Although revealed truth rises above natural knowledge, it does not contradict it, if only it is truly true; it can live in the mind of a scientist “without violating just respect and love for known sciences” 63. There should be no distinction between supernatural and natural truth. “To cut means to kill. There is no life without unity. Do they really think that the truth of God and Christ is something extraneous to natural truth, useful to man and human society, and that the latter can also live without the former, as well as in conjunction with it?... Doesn’t night cover the natural abilities and life of peoples over whom the gracious sun of the truth of God and Christ has not risen? 64 Divine teaching will not harm human teachings, but on the contrary, it will “purify, confirm and sanctify” them 65. The teachings of the Christian faith “dispel the darkness of doubt and ignorance” The teaching of the Christian faith, perfectly satisfying the desire of the human spirit for truth, “dispels the darkness of doubt and ignorance, reveals the deception of ghosts, which the mind, steeped in sensuality, often takes for truth” 66... ​​For example: “The misfortune of a blameless and good man is one of the difficult riddles that the visible universe offers to a reflective person. Seeing a good person suffering, another good person suffers himself, because he feels compassion, and thus, from one riddle another will be born: why is this one suffering? The weak in faith sees this and is tempted in faith. He who is prone to vice sees - and solves the riddle on his own head: what, he says, is the benefit of being virtuous? He who is inclined to disbelief sees, and solves an incomprehensible riddle with another, incomparably more incomprehensible one; he says: chance reigns in the world and in human affairs” 67. Revealed teaching completely frees us from such painful riddles; for example, in the light of revelation, we have the opportunity to “meet disaster not as an enemy and tormentor, but as a just punisher of sins, as a physician of mental illness, as a messenger of God, as a messenger of grace (Heb. 12:6)” 68. Human enlightenment, not being able to reveal the truth, cannot calm our heart, tormented by doubts, insoluble and persistent questions. “What in the language of the world is called enlightenment and education is only a superficial and lifeless shine,” “is nothing more than a lunar flicker of light and life, and not the full light and life of the spirit” 69. If our mind begins to quench its thirst from such a source, then “it will soon get bored of drawing water with a bottomless vessel, and its thirst will remain unquenchable and the torment will remain unhealed” 70 . The truths of faith provide comfort in suffering Man suffers not only from doubts, not from just an unsuccessful search for truth. He is “born, lives and dies under the law of suffering, and is more subject to this law than other creatures. The one giving birth suffers, the thing being born cries; the dying person suffers, those left behind the deceased cry. From the beginning of life, a person suffers from a lack of strength and abilities: if there is any middle ground between these extremes, it is filled to overflowing with suffering from the fact that a person never finds his abilities and desires satisfied. And how many different accidents! Illnesses, passions, insults from people, helpless poverty, burdensome wealth, heavy subordination, frustrated governance - how many arrows, or more precisely, how many bodies filled with arrows, to wound the human heart! What a fate! You don’t want to suffer, but you have to suffer! Unbearable, but inevitable!” 71 Naturally, a person tries to somehow free himself from oppressive suffering or, at least, reduce its bitterness. To do this, he needs to find the cause of evil. And so he looks for it either “in gross matter or corporeality,” then “in the evil principle, independent and equivalent to the good, that is, the Divine,” then “in an inexorable rock or blind fate, which indiscriminately condemns beings to evil or good, so that the Divine itself cannot prevent this.” Since such explanations of evil are nothing more than “dreams and inventions”; then, of course, they cannot make evil “more understandable or more tolerable.” “So the human mind struggled in the dark and cramped sensory world, like a chicken in an egg, and could not break through the shell” 72. Not being able to correctly explain suffering, a person, as a result of this alone, could not find valid means to get rid of it and even be consoled. However, philosophy in this case offers a person different advice, but they do not achieve their goal. So, for example, she says to the sufferer: “be generous; you suffer due to the action of natural causes, according to the laws of nature, from which you cannot free yourself, being a link in the chain of beings and changes; or: you probably yourself attracted the disease through some excesses, irregularities, carelessness: endure generously what you yourself caused; be patient, if there is no healing, then death will end the suffering”; “endure willingly; otherwise you will unwittingly endure; perish generously, because everything will perish; It’s nice to fall under huge ruins.” “Bitter consolations! as if a bitter cup can become sweet from the connection with the sea of ​​the same bitterness and from the thought that it cannot be less bitter.” With such consolations, philosophy is more likely to “cause despair than joy” 73 . Ordinary human enlightenment, trying to “bless the temporary life of immortal man,” can only “sweeten the drop, without caring whether the sea, which after it must be drunk, will be sweet or bitter” 74. Only Christianity “reconciles the mind with the spectacle of disasters that outrages it”; “only in Christianity can one find a wonderful stone that transforms dark iron into pure gold, bitterness into sweetness, evil into good, death into life, suffering into bliss” 75. Divine religion calms the suffering person with the teaching of the merciful Heavenly Father, Who continually provides for every creature; it cultivates in a person devotion to the good will of God. In the case of spiritual sorrow, arising from the consciousness of sinfulness, “religion can give (the sufferer) deep consolation - the hope of forgiveness of sins, through faith and repentance... Finally, as the basis and fulfillment of all consolations, it can point the sufferer to the great Man of illnesses” 76 ... They help improve our heart The main significance of the truths of faith for our heart is not that they console us in suffering, but that they contribute to the improvement of our heart, and this is very important for us. The education of the heart is much more important than the education of the mind. “God, incomprehensible to the mind, wants to dwell only in the heart; our real knowledge serves us only for time, and our heart for eternity; just as evil thoughts come from the heart (Matthew 15:19), so the thoughts of the stomach are hidden in it (Proverbs 4:23).” So “the education of the mind, not accompanied by the goodness of the heart,” is like “the magnificent decorations of a house that has a rotten foundation and is ready to fall down” 77. Therefore, the life of the heart must be “elevated by a special means”; otherwise, she, “closely bordering on the life of sensuality,” “will easily fall into the abyss of baseness, or conveniently pass into the life of a beast that finds pleasure in what it torments” 78. “The wisdom of the world” is not the best means for elevating the heart; she "takes care to decorate the mind, but does not improve the heart." Not to mention the fact that “the life of reason rises to a certain height with difficulty, and then only in a few,” about “earthly reason” in general it must be said that it “hangs over the abyss of sensuality, and there is no human strength in nature that would be sufficient to safely support it. Why does the Apostle place those who philosophize on earth next to those, to whom God is belly and glory in their cold (Phil. 3:19).” The most effective means for improving the life of the heart is “a life in which the mind is captivated into the obedience of faith and from it receives both pure light in order to see the truth and strength in order to stand unshakably in it” 79 . The calming and improvement of the heart occurs simultaneously with the elevation of a person’s moral life 80. Dogmatic truths, capable of directly ennobling the heart, have a beneficial effect on the life of the heart mainly because they influence our morality and serve as a necessary condition for true, stable morality. – Human life does not improve on its own, regardless of the efforts of the person himself. In order for “mankind, whether as a whole or in particular, (to be able) to move toward the desired and expected future perfection, well-being, and bliss, it is necessary that the true path to that be found or, better yet, indicated” 81 . Each of us must “draw a plan for life, set a known goal for ourselves and act in accordance with it”; You cannot “leave your life to the mercy of the passage of days, like a boat to the rush of the waves, whether it will be carried to the shore, crushed against a stone, or plunged into the abyss.” Carelessness in this regard is very harmful to us. “If we do not follow the path of salvation, then we are surely following the path of destruction, or if we do not walk, then we fall—we fall from spiritual life into carnal life, and we will not notice how we will fall into hellish life, into death—irrevocably” 82 . In order for us to take the path of morality, we need to put ourselves in the right relationship to the moral goal and to the means by which it is achieved; The goal of human morality is the mentally imaginable ideal state of a person and the ideally correct attitude of a person to everything that is outside of him. To do this, it is necessary to imagine the highest example of morality, according to which we could process our present life; it is necessary to know the origin, purpose and final fate of man and the environment surrounding man with its relationship to man. This or that life, normal or abnormal, happy or disastrous, depends on the solution of these issues. It is especially important for a rational and moral being to decide what God is and in what relation He is to the world, how and to what extent He influences the life of the world. “If God, having created the world and rested from all his works, nevertheless continues to do so, then we must conclude that this work is necessary for the good of creatures, for it is impossible to imagine that God would do a useless work. So, woe to him who either removes himself from this work of God, or in some way hinders it! Man, as a living and free being, does at least something himself, at least somehow. If he does not place his work before the Lord and the foundation of it in the Lord himself, if he does not pay attention to the work of God and does not subordinate his work to it, then most of all one should expect that the work of man will be in contradiction with the work of God; but since God’s work is, without a doubt, more powerful than man’s, it necessarily follows that in this case, sooner or slower, human work must collapse and disappear” 83. Thus, our life will only be correct and happy when we comply in our activities with the will of God, with God’s relationship to the world and especially to man. “If God is unknown (with His properties and relationships), then it is also unknown how we should serve Him, and in this case, can our service be pleasing to Him and saving us”; “without knowing God you cannot be saved and blessed” 84. Solid and sufficient knowledge of God can only be obtained from supernatural revelation. Only with “heavenly light and in harmony with heavenly light can one have the right to walk and do useful things.” All other teachings, due to their imperfection, cannot form the basis of highly moral relations; they are like “the night glow of a worm or rotten matter, whose shine may surprise for a moment, but will not disperse the darkness, will not illuminate the path, will not illuminate the cause” 85. To be moral, it is not enough to know the purpose of life and the path to achieving it, but you also need to have the motivation to fulfill the rules of morality. What are sufficient incentives to fulfill the moral law? “The long-standing efforts of human wisdom are known to prove that virtue in itself can be a sufficient reason, motivation and reward.” “This teaching did not have true success either because the truth in this case did not favor the efforts, or because the pride of the wise men brought an unnatural shine to the truth, which blinded some, but did not enlighten, and for others revealed a counterfeit appearance of truth, or, what is most likely, the inner dignity and bliss of virtue, known only to those who have achieved perfection in it, did not excite those who were the first in it In experiments we encountered only feats that had to be accomplished, obstacles that had to be overcome, pleasures that had to be sacrificed. Therefore, it was necessary to reinforce from elsewhere the foundations of virtue itself, on which they wanted to base bliss” 86. The foundations of virtue can only be sufficiently supported by the dogmas of faith. How “a warrior girdles himself in order to tie his clothes, fasten his body, and thus act stronger and more freely”; so our girdle must be truth. In this girdle, we can spiritually act strongly and freely, without weakening through laziness, without stumbling through temptation, without wavering through false teachings, and without falling into sin and vice 87 . Meanwhile, “the wisdom that they take with them from the world is like wine taken along the path. Some, thinking to strengthen and encourage themselves with this wine during times of fatigue and despondency, darken their pure meaning and insensitively fall into the work of darkness" 88 . To see more clearly the significance of the truth of faith for the education of moral motives, let us pay attention, for example, to the truth of our resurrection from the dead. “As soon as this truth is established, then all the rules of a holy and God-pleasing life are unshakably established.” On the contrary, “if you were to remove the thought of the future life from people,” then the rule: let us eat and drink, and in the morning we will die (1 Cor. 15:32) “would constitute all their wisdom, all their morality, all their laws.” “Then do not be angry, neighbor and brother, if you also become food for people who love to eat and drink: for if it is not worth the trouble to establish your own life well, because in the morning we will die; then it is also not worth the trouble to spare the life of another, which tomorrow will be completely swallowed up by the grave. Thus, forgetting about the future life leads to forgetting all virtues and duties and turns a person into cattle or a beast” 89. Thus, knowledge of Christian dogmas clarifies the content of the ideal of morality, the content of the moral law, gives support to moral concepts, and, in combination with the life of the heart, awakens and supports in a person the desire to follow the requirements of duty. It does not hurt to note that the teaching of faith first occurs “in thoughts and memory.” In this state it does not have a complete beneficial effect on our morality; for now it is “only a deposit before which one must receive the treasure, that is, the living power of faith.” This will happen when we “assimilate faith into our hearts” (Rom. 10:10), that is, when “in the depths of our souls we feel its dignity, holiness and power, we love it, we cling to it”; under such a condition, the truths of faith can produce pure love for mankind as a consequence 90. The meaning of the truths of faith in public life The truths of faith, helping to improve the morality of individuals, through this very thing should have a beneficial effect on the well-being of society, which should be the better the better its individual members 91; Producing “pure humanity as a consequence,” they contribute to the establishment of correct, peaceful relations between members of society. Indeed, the kingdom of Christ, according to the Prophet, will be peaceful, no one will experience violence in it. “Such prosperity will come from correct knowledge of God; for the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord (Is. 11ch.)" 92 "Society, being one numerous body, differs from natural bodies in that its composition is formed and preserved not so much by the power of natural necessity, but by the power of reason and freedom" 93 ; so that only that society stands firmly in which the mutual relations of members, their voluntary self-restraint for the common benefit, are based on the solid principles of reason and freedom. Such solid principles can only be revealed truths that serve as the basis of pure morality. “State improvement should not be based on human speculation”; the basis of civil relations should be the thought of God the Creator and Provider. No other considerations are sufficient to fully ensure the welfare of the state 94 . Only “Christian wisdom preaches” and grants freedom: but at the same time it teaches us to obey every authority for the Lord’s sake (1 Pet. 2:13). The current wisdom talks a lot about freedom; but often forgets about obedience to the Lord for the sake of and produces disobedience” 95. The means by which society is built on the true principles of reason and freedom lies in power; “Without power it is only possible to imagine an unsettled multitude of people, not a society. But power operates in society and preserves it through obedience; consequently, obedience is connected with the essence of society” 96. The most perfect kind of obedience is obedience for the Lord's sake. “Subject this kind of obedience to any tests you like - in purity, firmness, in perfection; he is able to withstand anything. Let there be no fear, let no human reproach be threatened for violation of obedience; a Christian will obey, because the Lord looks at his obedience with the eye of love and would look at disobedience with the eye of wrath. Let there be neither benefit nor praise for the faithful in obedience: the Christian will remain such, because praise from God in conscience rewards him completely enough; because his external benefits are in the care of the Lord, and will be faithfully preserved as long as this is consistent with his internal good” 97 . The truths of faith are important not only for those who obey, but equally for those in authority; “only in virtue, supported by faith in God,” do they find a solid foundation for the constant fulfillment of duties. In the Christian faith and, in particular, in the thought of God's providence, to which the kingdoms of men are also subject, “contains strength, weapons, support, guidance for the king, for the kingdom and for everyone in the kingdom” 98. “In faith and piety, society preserves or loses the basis of its laws, the motivation for activity, the fear of crime, the reward of exploits, the guarantee of security, in a word, life and soul.” 99 “Religion in society is a spring, upon the weakening of which all the actions of the colossus fall from hour to hour into greater disorder.” 100 Christian dogmas form him into a true sage Christian dogmas, with the totality of the good influences they produce on a person, form him into a true sage. Since “Christian wisdom is pure (James 3:17), according to its source, according to its motives and purpose”; then “a follower of true wisdom keeps himself pure in every possible way in thoughts, intentions, feelings, and actions”; he “does not envy because he has; does not tear (i.e. does not show “a biased effort to give predominance to his opinion”), because he has not an opinion, but a truth that has an internal, irresistible force”; he “peacefully offers the truth and acts for the truth”; he is “not inclined to judge and over-judge”; “does not seek out doubts against established truths in order to have the vanity of pointing out new paths to knowledge; does not judge, without calling, people whom God has granted judgment to Himself; does not bind people with newly invented opinions and thoughts into separate groups, to the weakening and dissolution of the entire social connection and unity; does not cover up his opinions, morals and intentions in order to attract with external appearance to something that is not capable of attracting with internal dignity; does not feed with words, mixing the wine of truth with the water of vanity and with counterfeit solutions, which arouse not noble vigor, but the violent fury of passions” 101. The meaning of the truths of faith today The truths of faith set forth in dogmatic theology are, as we have seen, very important for all people and at all times; in their dignity and significance, they stand incomparably higher than the knowledge acquired by the human mind. As a result of this, the science itself, which studies, explains and expounds such truths, is incomparably more important than all other sciences. The significance of the truths of faith and dogmatic theology increases or decreases depending on the state of society at one time or another, and how much it needs to understand revealed teaching. Therefore, for a complete comparative assessment of dogmatic theology, we need to touch upon the characteristics of modern Christian society in order to decide how much it needs our science. To become somewhat acquainted with the state of society, “let us enter one of the ordinary meetings, look for Christians among the sons of this age, and listen to the conversations. We will immediately hear caresses, slander, the voice of vanity, self-interest, the laughter of frivolity, the cries of impatience, judgment about everything that they know and do not understand. But will we soon find a conversation and, in a conversation, a person who would freely pronounce the word, dissolved with the salt of the wisdom of the Gospel, reason with the children of the flesh about the soul and remind the sons of this age about eternity? Why do Christians so rarely speak Christian language? - They are afraid that they will not be recognized as Christians, and for this the sons of this age will not mock them; so that they will not be told: your conversation actually creates you” 102. Christians are ashamed of their faith; they slavishly follow the customs of the century 103 . It is not surprising after this that “the present world, called Christian, is too replete with examples of vanity, luxury, carnality, and untruth” 104. “Frivolity and lawless pleasures of youth, rigidity of old age, oblivion of Providence in happiness, grumbling in misfortunes, vanity in doing good, greed in hard work, slowness in correction, repeated falls after the uprising, carelessness and inaction characteristic of the rule of luxury, the self-will of an age arrogant with the dream of enlightenment” 105 - here some more of the features that characterize modernity. Let us also add here - “the divisions of the single flock of the One Shepherd, the daring wisdom of false teachers, the impoverishment of faith and love in the kingdom of faith and love, the revival of godlessness in the depths of piety itself” 106. In view of this moral state of modern Christian society, it is natural to desire its improvement. To improve society, you first need to discover the reason for its abnormal state. In the bleak phenomena of modern life that we have indicated, one can find some connection and mutual dependence. The will is weakened by the depravity of the heart, by dulling of the moral sense; and both are fed, among other things, by doubt, unbelief, instability of thought, “dark dreams of the sons of this age, closing their eyes from the light of this coming age,” “darkening the heart, blinding the mind, lulling the spirit.” “Unbelievers and those who are hostile to the faith, to the regret and danger of believers, really exist in our time and - even in the very depths of visible Christianity, like a snake in the bosom” 107. Things got to the point that “the spirit of the times did not leave a single truth that it did not attempt to shake, either in word or in deed.” How the proximity of pagan peoples was dangerous for the purity of faith and morality of the ancient Israeli people; Thus, at present, believers are threatened by the neighborhood of peoples infected with unbelief and atheism 108. True, the “dark dreams of the sons of this age” are not such that they can captivate with their inner virtues: “the wisdom worthy of the last times is high only in a proud opinion of oneself, deep only because it rummages in the earth and dust of sensory experiences and petty research, fruitful only in doubts and suspicions, firm only in the stubbornness of unbelief”; it “never completely emerges from the struggle with misunderstandings”; “the spirit of the world and the spirit of the age are alien to the unity that is characteristic only of the spirit of God, and they give as many teachings and teachers as there are heads, more or less thinking”; “their own activities (of the sages of the world) do not remember their teachings” 109. But even such teachings, which “are, in the words of the Psalmist, the arrows of a child,” can inflict ulcers (Ps. 63:8) on those who are childishly weak in the faith” 110. Indeed, “in high and deep subjects of belief, aren’t many content with their own wisdom only or with a few superficial concepts acquired in childhood? Do they not carelessly remain ignorant of God and Christ?” 111. On the other hand, the soil for the growth of such low-quality seeds as “dark dreams” is prepared by “the prevailing distrust of the truth in all kinds of knowledge” 112 and an excessive thirst for the indiscriminate acquisition of all kinds of knowledge. In our time, when “the thirst for knowledge, without further consideration, is accepted not only as a natural and innocent, but even as a noble feeling,” “people, more than before, have sought the thoughts of many (Eccl. 7:30), from the early years of life they try to stimulate and strengthen mental activity, in the variety of thoughts of many they seek imaginary education, grace, pleasure, self-interest, glory.” That’s why now “souls are so easily sowed with tares” 113. The unbridled desire to increase diverse knowledge is positively detrimental because “often the luxury of the mind with disdain passes by the pure springs of Israel and greedily takes from the hands of the fornicator of Babylon, the false wisdom of the world, the cup from which all tongues drink from the wine of the rage of her fornication (Rev. 14:8).” This cup gradually corrupts a person. “From this cup they drink the wine first of spiritual fornication, they accept a teaching that brings into oblivion the sacred relationship of man to God and introduces a confusion of truth with falsehood, evil with good, morality with passions, the spiritual with the sensual, which is contrary to the pure law of the uncorrupted mind; then they drink the wine of even sensual fornication, since impure feelings naturally arise from impure concepts, and corrupt teaching is accompanied by a depraved life; and, finally, this wine of fornication, in the highest degree of intoxication, turns into the wine of rage; because those who are overcome by false enlightenment, like drunks, do not like to be at peace, but with the dreamy thought of transformation they want to subvert and destroy everything.” 114 To counteract the evil that comes from the “false wisdom of the world,” “it’s time to repeat to yourself and confirm the most well-known truths,” “you need to call people to thorough, pure, sublime, pious thinking” 115; because “if there are unbelievers, then means to spread the faith are not superfluous; if there are those who are hostile to the faith, trying to shake it, then means are not superfluous to strengthen the faith” 116. “Just as during a time of infection those who wish to protect themselves multiply the purifying fire and incense: so in times when the infected spirit of the age spreads pernicious opinions, it is not useless for us, through meditation, to kindle the spark of truth that is stored in you, in order to preserve the feelings of the heart pure and undamaged.” “When it gets dark outside, they turn up the lights in the house.” The Russian state needs to “take care and kindle more strongly its home light, because outside of it, according to the prophetic word, darkness covers the earth and darkness covers the tongues (Is. 60:2)”; it is necessary to “intensely inflame” the “spark of truth”, the “home light” - the Orthodox faith, which was the main principle of “civilization and enlightenment”, the preservation and unification of the Russian state, - the focus of social unity, the source of enlightenment, the foundation and stronghold of popular good morals, the truth of laws, the beneficence of government, the inviolability of well-being” 117. Thus, dogmatic Theology, which reveals the truths of faith that are so important in modern life, is now moving to a prominent place. The meaning of dogmatic theology in relation to the sources of doctrine An objection to the importance of dogmatic Theology can only be the fact that each of the believers, in addition to dogmatic Theology, can draw the truths of faith from Holy Scripture and St. legends. To clarify this confusion and to more accurately define the meaning of dogmatic Theology, we must pay attention to the difference between it and the original sources. “The image and order in which the word about God is offered in Holy Scripture is more narrative and collective than investigative and systematic.” The “investigative and systematic” way of presenting the truths of faith is characteristic of dogmatic theology. The sources of the doctrine “provide (him) the substance (materia), and it gives (them) the image (forma).” Since not “all parts of the Holy Scripture are equally intelligible - partly in their content, partly in their antiquity, and, for this reason, those applications of revealed truths that are characteristic of the needs of present times are not suddenly revealed in it: then it is necessary to extract from the Holy Scripture. Scriptures and to put together in the correct composition the most necessary and commonly used truths, directing them towards the same goal for which the inspired Scripture itself is intended (2 Tim. 3:16-17).” This, indeed, is what is done in dogmatic theology. Holy Scripture “essentially helps everyone to establish the word of God within themselves”; Dogmatic Theology “is especially useful for instilling it in others”, in order to “serve for the formation of the perfect man of God, prepared for every good work”, in order to “place the mind in reverent contemplation of God’s perfections and produce faith” 118 Thus, although the truths of faith contained in Holy Scripture and tradition, in themselves, in the form in which they are found in the primary sources, are of vital importance; however, their beneficial effect on a person and, above all, on his mind should increase if they are understood to us and are offered in a strictly systematic order. This will serve to form a rational, conscious faith, to satisfy the natural desire of our mind to explore the question of God and his relationship to the world, to clarify everything that is dark and incomprehensible, to bring scattered knowledge into a system. “Let the Word of God, says the Apostle, dwell in you richly in all wisdom (Col. 3:16): that is, it is necessary that we should not remain with the meager childhood beginnings of the teaching of Christ, but gradually acquire new, more abundant successes in it; so that no wisdom, even hidden in secret, is considered alien to us and does not belong to us, but with humility we arrange our minds for Divine contemplation” 119, meaning that “attentive meditation on God illuminates some light of knowledge in the mind, kindles the fire of love in the heart, and from this pure joy and holy desire for God rises in the soul.” 120. The task and method of dogmatic theology The task of dogmatic Theology, as can be seen from the previous one, is to extract the truths of faith from Holy Scripture and tradition, clarify them to the believing mind and bring them into a system. The method by which this task is carried out is fully consistent with both its seriousness and the sublimity of the subject, the nature of the sources and the importance of the content of the science. Reason, as extremely limited, as darkened by sin and prone to unbelief, in dogmatic theology must completely submit to the authority of the sources of doctrine, which contain “eternal and unchangeable truth”, important in all its parts 121. “Human natural wisdom,” like the apocalyptic moon, must be under the feet of “a woman clothed in the sun, that is, in the truth and virtue of Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world (John 8:12), adorned with a crown of the twelve stars, that is, the apostolic knowledge of God (Rev. 12)” 122. The arrogant mind must “throw away the brittle weapons of self-willed wisdom and love the free captivity of faith.” “Christianity requires such a faith that would cast down every exaltation of thoughts imposed on the mind of God, which would trust more than hope when it is told: from man this is impossible to eat, but from God all things are possible” 123. Due to this relationship between faith and natural knowledge, a dogmatist must approach the study of the truths of faith with full faith in the truth of revealed teaching and with a humble awareness of his own powerlessness in the knowledge of the lofty mysteries proclaimed by Christianity. In understanding the sources of the doctrine, he cannot “rely on his own philosophizing mind,” but must “follow the explanations given by people who prayed, labored more than others, and purified their inner and outer life, in which the image of God was therefore more clarified and pure contemplation was revealed, whose spirit bordered on paradise even on earth closer to ours”; in general, he must “confirm his opinion with the teaching of the universal church” 124. In case of misunderstanding of Holy Scripture, “it is enough to admit with Augustine that the reliability of St. Scripture extends beyond the limits of our understanding" 125. It is best to draw evidence of the truths of faith from Holy Scripture, and “supplement, explain, defend (dogmas) from the unjust with tradition”; because, while it is undoubtedly known about the books of Holy Scripture that they are inspired by God, “is it really possible to determine the moment when a church writer became a saint and, consequently, not just a writer subject to ordinary human shortcomings.” For example, St. Basil the Great (preliminarily) strongly argues for the holiness of St. Gregory the Wonderworker and on this basis refers to his testimony and tradition" 126. Regarding evidence, it should also be noted that when confirming any dogmatic truth, one must be concerned primarily not with the quantity of evidence, but with their strength and clarity; one must “root the truth in the minds not so much by the multitude as by the fidelity of the evidence.” “Proof is not money, of which the more someone has, the more he can buy. If there is one solid proof, then the truth stands safe, even if clouds of arrows, that is, objections, are fired at it.” Jesus Christ, to confirm the existence of an afterlife, used one piece of evidence against the Sadducees (Matthew 22:31–2) 127. For a positive understanding of the truths of faith, one can, to a certain extent, use the aid of reason. “For some contemplation of the supernatural truth” one can resort to comparisons from the life of the visible world 128; “one must, according to circumstances, turn to the light of nature in order to thereby affirm faith in the light of Revelation. For this, when explaining revealed Theology, it is necessary to show that the same truths, to their extent, are revealed in the pure light of nature, but that in the damaged state of human and all visible nature, the only completely true and sufficient light of Revelation” 129. When clarifying and presenting dogmas, “active attention is needed to protect (their) purity from the impure influences of an insubordinate mind, which itself wants to be the source of truth - which does not recognize its limits before the infinite and incomprehensible - which, finding the eternal truth old, having curiosity as a motivation and a goal of vanity, indiscriminately chases after the new and, as a guiding principle, follows the spirit of the time, although if this time were pre-flood, - who, being lazy to work to delve into the true region of the spirit, plunges into matter and gets bogged down here” 130. “How sometimes the memory and tradition of lofty verbs and events are damaged by untamed curiosity and the daring effort to test the secrets of Providence and explain the works of the wisdom of God according to the ordinary concepts of the human mind!” 131. From the abuse of reason in matters of faith, heresies, schisms and useless disputes arise. Therefore, “in matters of faith, it is safer to think less and believe more,” “a humble admission of one’s ignorance is sometimes better than knowledge” 133. “Therefore, we are wisely and righteously forbidden the boldness to test the mysteries of God, but we are commanded to honor them and cleave to them by faith”; because “not everything can and should be explained; much must only be believed, because one can only believe” 134. Here is an example of what illegal interference of reason in the area of ​​faith can lead to: “There are people in Christianity who deprive themselves of the consolation of praying for the dead. What kind of people are these? “Without a doubt, those who, in a noticeable or unnoticeable way, love to speculate more than to believe” 135. From here we can see that the inquisitiveness of the human mind is actually terrible not for heavenly truth, because “it is above all wisdom,” but for those who abuse reason. “To rebel against heavenly teachings with doubts and contradictions means throwing arrows at heaven: heaven is not afraid of wounds from them and has no need to reflect them; they are dangerous for those very people who let them fly over their heads” 136. Therefore, it is unnecessary to philosophize more than it is proper to philosophize (Rom. 12:3) 137. However, during dogmatic research, it is sometimes permissible to raise and resolve questions related to the understanding of faith, but not to satisfy idle curiosity, but “for instruction, which can be seen in the feasible resolution of them,” “for a modest study of the truth we need” 138. It is useless, and in other cases, perhaps even harmful, to try to resolve something that is inherently incomprehensible to us or that God wanted to hide from us. “Let us imagine that a son in his father’s house, having the freedom to use everything he needs, and many that are pleasant, is not content with this and, encountering a vault for which he is not given a key, forges the key and unlocks it, let’s say - not in order to steal, but only to see what is hidden there. Isn't this ignoble? Shouldn't the son be ashamed? Shouldn’t it be unpleasant for the father?” It doesn’t take much thought to “understand how little they are guilty and how they behave to unfavorable consequences when they do not submit to the all-wise and good God, who has locked away what is hidden from us” (Sirach.3:21–4.) 139. At the present time, when the enemies of Christian teaching point out various inconsistencies, even contradictions, in it, when “such thoughts” “walk among people and sometimes disturb those who would not like to think evil in their hearts,” there is a need to say something “in response to the spirit of doubt and questioning” 140 . “The wisdom of God cannot contradict itself and destroy itself” 141. If mutual contradictions and contradictions with the sound principles of reason are pointed out in frank teaching, then these are imaginary, and not real, contradictions. In the fight against them, one cannot limit oneself to the “rule: believe more than hope.” This rule alone would show that we do not hope to reconcile apparent contradictions; and this would be a triumph for the unbelievers. If the contradictions are only imaginary, then there is a way to expose them” 142. Moreover, the defender of Christian truth “should not (should) give in to words, as the Apostle teaches, for no reason, to the destruction of those who hear (2 Tim. 2:14), and if you need to stand for the truth against those who attack it, you must do this with calm firmness, without irritation, so that you can then say to yourself in your conscience: be at peace with those who hate the world ( Ps.119:6)" 143. Not every “doubt and questioning” is worthy of analysis in dogmatic research. “They have no right to refutation” those opinions that are nothing more than “dreams of the mind, and the products of stubborn disbelief in the existence and action of higher powers, pagan in Christianity” 144. You can enter into an argument only when “silence would be worse than an argument” 145. Plan of Dogmatic Theology Thus, when researching and presenting dogmas, our attention should be directed, on the one hand, to accurately understanding and extracting pure truth from revealed sources, and on the other hand, to ensuring that the mind does not cloud it with excessive philosophizing. – One part of the task of dogmatic Theology is solved by the correct method; it must not only explore the truths of faith, but also present them in a strict system. Therefore, before setting out dogmas, we must draw up a plan for science. The method of constructing a dogmatic system must correspond to “the division and mutual union of particular truths that make up the whole word about God” 146. “The truths from which others derive their clarity must precede in the system” 147. Take, for example, the doctrine of predestination. Where is the best place in the system to talk about this subject? “After the teaching about creation, about Providence, about our Lord Jesus Christ, the teaching about predestination was not placed in its proper place. Did creation happen without predestination? Does Providence act without predestination? Did the Son of God become incarnate without predestination? Therefore, in Theology, predestination should be spoken of either before the doctrine of creation, or at the very beginning of the doctrine of the divine economy” 148. In order to better use the found beginning of the arrangement of the system when presenting the doctrine itself, let us take something solid and authoritative as a sample. The Niko-Tsaregrad Creed can serve as such an example of the arrangement of a dogmatic system. “The Ecumenical Symbol is nothing more than an abbreviated system of dogmatic Theology, and therefore, as decent as it is for the Orthodox, both the catechumen and the theologian, to adhere to this system of the Ecumenical Fathers, it is just as little necessary and little reliably to build a new order of the system according to the models of the Western school and the later wisdom of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries... Who built this new theological system? Who else but the human school mind? But what is this beginning? Didn't rationalism begin when reason arrogated to itself the right to build systems of theology as it pleased? Is it necessary to slavishly submit to this dangerous principle, although for the first time it represents a plausible fruit? And who built that old theological system... in the universal creed? – It was built by the holy fathers of the first and second ecumenical councils and the grace that was with them; it was accepted by Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, and the ecumenical patriarchs approved it in the Orthodox confession of Peter Mogila. This system is Orthodox. This system is catholic. This is the system of the Apostolic Tradition" 149. Taking into account the basic beginning of the systematization of dogmatic teaching and its example in the creed, we can draw the following plan for the dogmatic system: B. God's relationship to the world: · God's providence for the world: · About the providence of God in general. · God's special providence for man before his fall. · “The most special” providence of God for man after his fall. The Introduction to Dogmatic Theology was compiled mainly in order to clarify “the concept of contemplative (dogmatic) Theology” and in order to “among other things, to establish the cognitive principle (principium cognoscendi) of this science.” Recalling everything that has been said so far, we can consciously give such a “concept of contemplative Theology,” and this “definition will be firm, true and capable of all the necessary conclusions if it is expressed like this: Orthodox (dogmatic) Theology is a systematic exposition of the Christian faith according to the true reason of Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. This definition not only distinguishes Orthodox Theology from non-Orthodox, but also distinguishes non-Orthodox, not based on the true reason of Scripture and on Tradition” 150. We will dwell further on the question of the importance of dogmas and dogmatic theology: this or that solution is important both for the more or less strong position of our science among other sciences, and for clarifying the very concept of science. Moreover, we must clarify this issue since some are inclined to doubt the importance of dogmas and are even ready to deny any vital significance of them (Words and speeches, 1848 2, 8). Having proved the importance of dogmas, we will prepare a solution to the question of the method of dogmatic Theology, which is fully consistent with the exceptional importance of the doctrine of faith set forth and clarified in dogmatic Theology. Words and Speeches, ed. 1861 332–4; Wed ibid., 89. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848 2, 3–4. Words and Speeches, ed. 1861 334. Ibid. 164; Wed ed. 1861 334–5; “Read. in O. l. d. enlightenment." 1872 4, 67. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848 1, 60; Wed 2, 27 et seq. Words and Speeches, ed. 1861, 333 et seq. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848 1, 54. 248. Words and Speeches, ed. 1873 1., 166–7; Wed ed. 1848 1, 262. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848 1, 105; 2, 319–320. Words and Speeches, ed. 1874 277, ed. 1848 1, 124, cf. 281. Words and Speeches, ed. 1877, 420 et seq. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848 1, 44, 149; Wed 2, 146–7. Words and Speeches, ed. 1861 227, cf. ed. 1848, 1, 152, 2, 100. Words and Speeches, ed. 1874, 278. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848 1, 309. Notes on the book. Gen.2, 142. Wed words and speeches ed. 1882 582–5, ed. 1861 88–9. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848 1, 83, Wed. 199, ed. 1874 278–280. Ibid. 141–3. 145; ed. 1873, 118–121. “Read. in General l. etc.” 1873, 3, 253. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848, 2, 181, cf. Rus. Christ Halakh., ed. 1844, 403–4. “Read. in General l. spirit. etc." 1863, 13 pp. Words and speeches ed. 1848, 2, 181. “Read. in general l. spirit. etc." 1871, 13, 24, Wed. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848, 2,182. Words and Speeches, ed. 1861, 242, cf. 266. – The history of recent times provides sufficient confirmation of this. Some peoples, “having ceased to affirm state decrees on the word and authority of Him by whom kings reign, no longer knew how to either honor or preserve kings. The thrones there became unstable; the peoples went crazy. It’s not that there are no more people who understand; but daring madness has gained the upper hand and is trampling upon cowardly wisdom, which has not strengthened itself with the wisdom of God. They have developed an idol out of the thought of the people and do not want to understand even the obvious fact that for such a huge idol there will be no victims. They dream of reaping peace when they sow rebellion. Not wanting to freely obey the lawful and beneficent authority of the king, they are forced to servile before the wild power of self-willed crowds. So the solid land there turns into a turbulent sea of ​​peoples, which is already absorbing some, and threatening to swallow in part, institutions, laws, order, public trust, contentment, security.” Words, ed. 1861, 3, 226. Words, ed. 1848 2, 98. Words, ed. 1873, 1, 119–121. “Read. in General l. spirit. etc." 1863, 11 pp.; Words and Speeches, ed. 1882, pp. 582–5 et seq., ed. 1861, 88–9. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848, 1, 118; Wed ed. 1874, 375–7. Ibid. ed. 1848, 1, 28. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848, 1, 28. Ibid. 1, 96. 56. 211; 2. 12, wed. ed. 1874 376–7. Ibid. ed. 1861, 113. 226; cf. ed. 1848 2, 261, – ed. 1877 461–2. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848, 2, 194–5; 1, 110. 231. Ibid. ed. 1848, 2, 194. Ibid. ed. 1861, 57–8. Words and Speeches, ed. 1874, 350–1; Wed ed. 1861, 164. Ibid. 58; ed. 1848, 1, 211; Wed Zap. about life m. Filar., Sushkova, 181. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848 2. 134; ed. 1861, 226; Arr. to Creation St. Father, part 21, page 320. 445. “Read. in General love etc.", 1872, 3, 36–9; Wed 1863 11 pp. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848, 1, 161; compare ibid. 263; 2, 62, – ed. 1861, 58.238, – ed. 1874, 372–3. Ed. 1882 582–3. Catech. 98. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848, 2, 25. – ibid.1, 93; ed. 1861, 150; Wed Catech. 4; Words and Speeches, ed. 1873, 232–3. Words, ed. 1848 2, 35. Ibid. ed. 1848, 2, 58; Wed 1, 252. Words and Speeches, ed. 1874 411, Arr. to Creation St. Father part 4, p. 22; Wed Conversation to verb old 96; Words and Speeches, ed. 1848, 2, 279; Record. Sushkov, 72–3. Zap. on the book Gen. 1, 12; Wed Words and Speeches, ed. 1848, 1.46. Letters from Phil. to the Archbishop. Alexey, paragraph 56; Wed Words and Speeches, ed. 1848, 56. “Thu.” in O. l. spirit. etc." 1872, 4, 61; "Shower. Thu." 1870, 2, 19–20. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848, 2 76–7; 1. 38 9. “Read. in General l. etc.” 1872 3, 36. “Read. in General l. etc.” 1863 11–12. Words and Speeches, ed. 1882 629; Wed “Read. in O. l. etc.” 1872 2, 16. 6, 109. Words and Speeches, ed. 1874 372; Catech. 99; Bible Histor. 388. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848 2, 21, – ed. 1882 633; compare ed. 1861 6. 36. 64. 298–9; ed. 1877 420; ed. 1848 1, 89. 212. Words and Speeches, 1861 64; ed., 1848 2, 77–8; Wed Ibid. 128–9. 1, 152–3. Words and Speeches, ed. 1874, 284. ed. 1848 2, 281; 1, 129. 164. Ibid. 2, 234; ed. 1877, 429–430; compare ibid. 413; ed. 1848, 2, 107–8. Note. Sushkova about fortune telling 66, 68. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848,1, 101; Wed Zap. on the book Gen.1, 43. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848, 2, 184; Wed “Read. in general l. etc.” 1869 8, 98–9. Ibid. 1868, 5, 152; Wed ibid. 96–7; Words and Speeches, ed. 1882 4, 632. “Thu.” in General l. etc.” 1863 11–12 pp. Zap. on the book Gen. 2, 168–9. Words and Speeches, ed. 1848 2, 96–7. “Thu.” in General l. etc.” 1872 3, 38. “Thu.” in O. l. etc.” 1869, 7, 84–5.