, it immediately commenced a
critical restoration of their original sense. But, even apart from
theological science, the New Testament enabled original Christianity to
exercise here and there a quiet and gradual effect on the doctrinal
development of the Church, without indeed being able to exert a dominant
influence on the natural development of the traditional system. As the
standard of interpretation for the Holy Scriptures was the apostolic
_regula fidei_, always more and more precisely explained, and as that
_regula_, in its Antignostic and philosophico-theological
interpretation, was regarded as apostolic, the New Testament was
explained in accordance with the conception of Christianity that had
become prevalent in the Church. At first therefore the spirit of the New
Testament could only assert itself in certain undercurrents and in the
recognition of particular truths. But the book did not in the least ward
off the danger of a total secularising of Christianity. (4) The New
Testament opposed a barrier to the enthusiastic manufacture of "facts."
But at the same time its claim to be a collection of _inspired_
writings[123] naturally resulted in principles of interpretation (such
as the principle of unanimity, of unlimited combination, of absolute
clearness and sufficiency, and of allegorism) which were necessarily
followed by the manufacture of new facts on the part of theological
experts. (5) The New Testament fixed a time within which divine
revelation ceased, and prevented any Christian from putting himself into
comparison with the disciples of Jesus. By doing so it directly promoted
the lowering of Christian ideals and requirements, and in a certain
fashion legitimised this weakening of religious power. At the same time,
however, it maintained the knowledge of these ideals and requirements,
became a spur to the conscience of believers, and averted the danger of
Christianity being corrupted by the excesses of enthusiasm. (6) The fact
of the New Testament being placed on a level with the Old proved the
most effective means of preserving to the latter its canonical
authority, which had been so often assailed in the second century. But
at the same time it brought about an examination of the relation between
the Old and New Testaments, which, however, also involved an enquiry
into the connection between Christianity and pre-christian revelation.
The immediate result of this investigation was not only a theological
ex