On the Use and Abuse of Systematic Theology [pp. 171-190]

Systems of Theology.
we shall name a few of those writers who contributed to the
mass of doctrinal theology before the Reformation. There
are those who trace the origin of the scholastic divinity to as
high an epoch as the monophysitic controversy in the fifth and
sixth centuries; yet it is more usual to consider John Scotus
Erigenai a theologian of the ninth century as the founder of
this method. It was, however, the Platonic philosophy, by
which he endeavoured to elucidate divine truth. He signalized himself as an antagonist of the predestinarians, in the
court of Charles the Bold. The Schoolmen, or Scholastics are
supposed to have been so called from their training in the
theological schools of Charlemagne. This training was little
else than regular instruction in the Latin version of Aristotle,
the writings of Boethius and Porphyry, and the Peripapatetic
dialectics. Three periods are noted by Buhle: the first ends
with Roscellinus (A. D. 1089), or the contest between the
Realists and Nominalists; the second with Albertus Magnus
(ob. 1230), at which time the metaphysics of Aristotle were
generally known and expounded; the third extends to the revival of letters in the fifteenth century.) The renowned Englishman Alexander de Hales, holds an eminent rank among
the ancient scholastics, as is commonly cited as Doctor Irrefragabilis: until the time of Aquinas, his commentary on
Lombard was a universal text-book. Thomas Aquinas, Doc
tor,ngelicus, and a saint of the calendar, was the pupil of
Albertus Magnus, and so close an adherent of Aristotle that he
left fifty-two commentaries upon the works of the latter. It is
unnecessary to advert to the estimation in which he has ever
been held by the Romanists; although it has been satisfactorily
shown by Protestants that this truly great man, diverged in a
multitude of instances from the doctrines of the Catholic faith,
as they are now defined. t Next in eminence was his great
competitor, John Duns Scotus, whose dialectic acumen was
proverbial, and who is denominated Doctor Subtilis. From
this rivalry of sects, arose the familiar distinctions of Thomists
and Scotists. During the third period, flourished the celebrated Durand, called, on account of his independent boldness,
Doctor Resolutissimus. This remarkable man was bishop
of Meaux, and died about the year 1333. He went out from
Brockhaus Real-Worterb. vol. ix. p. 835. Buddei Isagoge, p. 326.
Hornii hist. Phil. 1. vi. cii. p. 297.
t DORSCHAEUS. Aquinas Confessor Veriitatis.
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