The History Of The Christian Church Volume 1, Philip Shaff 1819-1893

GENERAL INTRODUCTION 19 The historian, moreover, must make his work read- ity without a Christian spirit. An unbeliever could proable and interesting, without violating truth. duce only a repulsive caricature, or at best a lifeless statSome parts of history are dull and wearisome; but, ue. The higher the historian stands on Christian ground, upon the whole, the truth of history is “stranger than fic- the larger is his horizon, and the more full and clear his tion.” It is God’s own epos. It needs no embellishment. view of single regions below, and of their mutual bearIt speaks for itself if told with earnestness, vivacity, and ings. Even error can be fairly seen only from the position freshness. Unfortunately, church historians, with very of truth. “Verum est index sui et falsi.” Christianity is the few exceptions, are behind the great secular historians absolute truth, which, like the sun, both reveals itself and in point of style, and represent the past as a dead corpse enlightens all that is dark. Church history, like the Bible, rather than as a living and working power of abiding in- is its own best interpreter. terest. Hence church histories are so little read outside of So far as the historian combines these three qualifiprofessional circles. cations, he fulfils his office. In this life we can, of course, 3. Both scientific research and artistic representation only distantly approach perfection in this or in any other must be guided by a sound moral and religious, that is, branch of study. Absolute success would require infallia truly Christian spirit. The secular historian should be bility; and this is denied to mortal man. It is the exclusive filled with universal human sympathy, the church his- privilege of the Divine mind to see the end from the betorian with universal Christian sympathy. The motto of ginning, and to view events from all sides and in all their the former is: “Homo sum, nihil humani a me alienum bearings; while the human mind can only take up things puto;” the motto of the latter: “Christianus sum, nihil consecutively and view them partially or in fragments.

Christiani a me alienum puto.”

The full solution of the mysteries of history is reThe historian must first lay aside all prejudice and served for that heavenly state, when we shall see no party zeal, and proceed in the pure love of truth. Not that longer through a gloss darkly, but face to face, and shall he must become a tabula rasa. No man is able, or should survey the developments of time from the heights of attempt, to cast off the educational influences which have eternity. What St. Augustine so aptly says of the mutual made him what he is. But the historian of the church of relation of the Old and New Testament, “Novum TesChrist must in every thing be as true as possible to the tamentum in Vetere latet, Vetus in Novo patet,” may be objective fact, “sine ira et studio;” do justice to every per- applied also to the relation of this world and the world son and event; and stand in the centre of Christianity, to come. The history of the church militant is but a type whence he may see all points in the circumference, all and a prophecy of the triumphant kingdom of God in individual persons and events, all confessions, denom- heaven—a prophecy which will be perfectly understood inations, and sects, in their true relations to each oth- only in the light of its fulfilment. er and to the glorious whole. The famous threefold test of catholic truth—universality of time (semper), place § 7. Literature of Church History. (ubique), and number (ab omnibus)—in its literal sense, Stäudlin: Geschichte u. Literatur der K. Geschichte. is indeed untrue and inapplicable. Nevertheless, there is Hann. 1827. a common Christianity in the Church, as well as a comJ. G. Dowling: An Introduction to the Critical Study mon humanity in the world, which no Christian can dis- of Eccles. History. London, 1838. Quoted p. 1. The work regard with impunity. Christ is the divine harmony of is chiefly an account of the ecclesiastical historians. pp. all the discordant human creeds and sects. It is the duty 1–212. and the privilege of the historian to trace the image of F. C. Baur: Die Epochen der kirchlichen GeschichtschChrist in the various physiognomies of his disciples, and reibung. Tüb. 1852. to act as a mediator between the different sections of his Philip Schaff: Introduction to History of the Apost. kingdom.

Church (N. York, 1853), pp. 51–134. Engelhardt: UeberThen he must be in thorough sympathy with his sicht der kirchengeschichtlichen Literatur vom Jahre 1825– subject, and enthusiastically devoted thereto. As no one 1850. In Niedner’s “Zeitschrift für historische Theologie,” can interpret a poet without poetic feeling and taste, or 1851. a philosopher without speculative talent, so no one can G. Uhlhorn: Die kirchenhist. Arbeiten von 1851–1860. rightly comprehend and exhibit the history of Christian- In Niedner’s “Zeitschrift für histor.

Theologie,” for 1866, Gotha, pp. 3–160. The same: Die Heiden, rasch vorüberziehen.”