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In theology, the holiness of God has several references-an immanent predicate of his nature, a transitive attribute of activity, which, moreover, sustains a particular relation to love in the doctrine of the atonement. As an immanent predicate of the divine Being, it designates the inmost and
fundamental essence of God in which8. In all other properties are embraced and Theology. from which all activities originate.
Something of its etymological significance has always clung to it; God is supramundane, exalted, incorruptible, absolutely unique. In comparison with the defects and impurity of the world, he is the perfectly pure and spotless One. Holiness in God is the "infinite beauty and excellence of his nature" (Jonathan Edwards, Essay on the Trinity, ed. G. P. Fisher, p. 97, New York, 1903), " the perfect agreement of the divine willing with the divine being " (G. Thomasius, Christi Person and Werk, i. 137, Erlangen, 1856), " Conformity to his own perfect nature " (W. G. T. Shedd, Dogmatic Theology, i. 362, New York, 1888). On account of this inner essential excellence, God is the absolutely good Being; from this fact springs his ethical sovereignty; here too is found the principle which determines his redemptive activity. Holiness is also a transitive attribute of God. In this sense it was defined by Baier as the " rectitude of the divine will in virtue of which he wills all that is just and good in accordance with his eternal law." Quenstedt held that it is the " supreme, faultless purity in God which demands from his creatures a corresponding purity." According to Schleiermacher it is the "legislative divine causality in human life." Holiness is that attribute in God by which in all his relations to moral beings he maintains and realizes his ethical perfection.
Thus " he is the one unconditioned Law of the good,
the Power which both must and does react against
the evil" (F. A. B. Nitzsch,
Dogmatik, p. 415,
Freiburg, 1902). It is therefore directed not
merely
to the conquest and eradication of sin, but to the
creation and perfection of the highest good and
the kingdom of God. So far as holiness involves
the consistency of God's holy action with reference
to men, it is designated as Righteousness (q.v.).
Since the Reformation, holiness has been conceived
with special regard to love: holiness the fundamental attribute of God, love conditioned and
limited by it. Thus, it has been affirmed that God
may be merciful but he must be just. Mercy may
exist under conditions which preclude its expression; holiness, never, since the very existence of
holiness is dependent on its being exercised. Mercy
is therefore optional, but justice is necessitated.
The significance of this conception of the relation
of holiness to love appears in the doctrine of the
atonement, where the application of mercy-once
justice is satisfied-is limited to those whom God
has chosen (Calvin,
Institutes, III., xxiii. 11;
J.
Owen,
Works,
"Dissertation on the Divine Justice," x. 48324; W. G. T. Shedd, op.
cit., i.
218-219, 319-390; A. H. Strong,
Systematic Theology,
i. 296, Philadelphia, 1907). Holiness and love have
also
been related to each other as distinct attributes of God, but yet not as implying conflict or
requiring reconciliation. God's action in redemption thus equally expresses both qualities, and each
of these is as fundamental as the other. The distinction between holiness and love, however, except so far as love is regarded as
primarily emotional in content, is hard to maintain and in the
discusion tends to fade out (W. N. Clarks, Christian
Theology, pp. 83-93, New York, 1898). The reason for this is not far to seek. If love is regarded
se the supreme designation of God in the New Testament
(
or regarding it as antagonistic to love, "holiness" and "righteousness" are the earlier ,yet integral forms through which God was leading his people to the perfect knowledge of himself as love. It is an anachronism in the doctrine of the atonement to set holiness over against love, as having to be satisfied ere love can come to expression. On the other hand, to express the divine purpose of love to set
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Bibliography: Achelie, in TBK, xzi (1847), 187 sqq.; J. M. Rupprecht, in TBK, xxiii (1849), 684 sqq.; J. C. K. von Hofmann, Bchriftbewess, i. 81 sqq., Nbrdfngen, 1857; K. C. W. F. Bghr, 3ymbolik des mosdisclun Kuttua, i. 48 sqq., 430 sqq., ii. 20 sqq., 173 sqq., Heidelberg, 1874, 1839; H. Ewald, Die Lehre der Bibel von Goff, iL 237 sqq., Leipsic, 1874; B. Duhm, Theologie der Prophslen, pp. 189 sqq., Bonn, 1875; W. von Baudissin, Studien cur semitisden Religionsgeschichte, ii. 1 sqq., Leipsic, .1878; A. Ritschl, Die duidliche Lahre von der Rechwertipung and Verabhnung, 189 sqq, Bonn, 1889; Smith, Prophets, pp 224 sqq., 422; idem, Rel. of Son., pp. 91, 140 sqq.; the works on O. T. Theology by P. Scholz, Regensburg, 1881; H. Schultz, Göttingen, 1895, Eng. transl., London, 1892; A. Dillmann, Leipsic, 1895; R. Emend, Freiburg, 1899; and A. Kayser. ed. K. Marti, Strasburg, 1903; and the commentaries on the books containing the passages cited in the text. ROLL, KARL: German Protestant; b. at Tübingen May 15, 1866. He studied at the university of his native city (Ph.D., 18$9), and, after being an assistant in the preparation of the edition of the Church Fathers by the Berlin Academy of Sciences for two years, became privat-docent at the Univer sity of Berlin in 1896. In 1898 he was made titular professor at. the same university, but resigned in 1900 to accept the position of associate professor of church history at Tübingen, returning to Berlin in 1907 as full professor in the same subject. He bas written Die Sacra Parallels des Johannes Damae zenus (Leipsic, 1896); Enthusiaamus and Bumgewadt beim griechischen Mfchtum (1898); Fragmente vornicdnischer Kirchenvater aus den Sacra Parallela (1899); Amphilochus von Ikonium in deinem Ver hdltnis zu den gromen Kappadoztern (Tübingen, 1904); and Modernismus (1908).
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