五、使徒教会本无位格三一，此说起于尼西亚会议而遍传诸教会
174# 位格的三一在使徒教会中并不为人所知；此说乃起于尼西亚会议，并由此被引入罗马天主教会，又从罗马天主教会传入那些与之分离的各教会。
此处所说的使徒教会，不仅指使徒时代在各地存在的教会，也包括使徒时代以后两三个世纪中的教会。但后来，人们开始把圣殿的门从枢纽上拆下，又如盗贼一般闯入其内殿。圣殿是指教会，门是指主上帝救赎者，内殿是指祂的神性；因为耶稣说：“我实实在在地告诉你们：不从门进羊圈，倒从别处爬进去的，那人就是贼，就是强盗。……我就是门；凡从我进去的，必得拯救。”（约10:1，9）这罪行是亚流和他的追随者所犯的。
【2】因此，君士坦丁大帝召集会议于庇推尼的尼西亚城；在那里受召聚集的人，为了除去亚流有害的异端，便发明、决定并制定说：自永恒以来便有三位神性位格，即父、子与圣灵，其中每一位各自都有凭自身并在自身中的位格性、存在与自立；又说第二位格，即子，降临并取了人性，完成救赎；并且，由于位格联合，祂的人性由此具有神性，借着这联合，祂便与父上帝有密切关联。从那时起，关于上帝并关于基督位格的可憎异端便如线团般从地里滚出，敌基督者也抬起头来，把上帝分为三，把主救主分为二；如此毁坏主借使徒所建立的圣殿，直到没有一块石头留在石头上不被拆毁，正如祂自己的话所说（太24:2）。这里的“圣殿”不仅指耶路撒冷圣殿，也指教会；这一整章所论的，正是教会的终结或末了。
【3】然而，除了这些，还能从那次会议以及其后的会议期待什么呢？这些会议同样把神性分成三份，又把成肉身的上帝置于他们脚凳之上，在他们之下。因为他们借着从别处爬进去，把教会的头从祂的身体上移开；也就是说，他们越过祂、绕过祂，升到父上帝那里，仿佛到另一位那里去，口中只带着“基督功劳”这一名号，好叫父因这功劳而施怜悯；并且好叫称义连同它全部的随从，即罪得赦免、更新、成圣、重生和拯救，就这样直接流入，而这一切都无须人作任何中介。
174# （5）使徒教会并不知道三个位格的三位一体，它是由尼西亚议会提出或孵化出来的，然后被引入罗马天主教会，并由此被引入与它分离的各教会。使徒教会是指不仅在使徒时代，而且在后来的两三个世纪里，存在于各个地方的教会。但最终，人们开始将圣殿的门从合叶上拧下来，像盗贼一样闯入它的圣所。圣殿是指教会；门是指主神救赎主；圣所是指祂的神性；因为耶稣说：
我实实在在地告诉你们，不从门进羊圈，倒从别处爬进去的，那人就是贼，就是强盗。我就是门；凡从我进来的，必然得救。（约翰福音10:1，9）
阿里乌斯及其追随者就犯下这种罪行。正因如此，君士坦丁大帝才在尼西亚，就是比提尼亚的一座城市召开了一次议会；为了摧毁阿里乌斯的有害异端，议会成员设计、决定并批准了来自永恒的三个神性位格，即父、子、圣灵，其中每个位格都独自并在自己里面拥有个性、存在和持续存在。此外，第二个位格或子，降临并取得人身，完成了救赎的作为；因此，祂的人身因位格合一而拥有神性，祂通过这位格合一而拥有与父神的亲密关系。从那时起，关于神和基督位格的众多可憎异端就开始从地上冒出来，敌基督者开始抬头，把神分成三个位格，把主救主分成两个，从而摧毁了主通过使徒建立的圣殿，这一过程持续到没有一块石头留在另一块石头上不被拆毁了，正如主在马太福音（24:2）中所说的；在这段经文中，“圣殿”不仅是指耶路撒冷的宏伟建筑，还是指教会，整个这一章论述了教会的完结或结束。
但从尼西亚议会和后来的议会上，还能期待什么呢？后来的议会同样将神性一分为三，把道成肉身的神放在这三者下面的脚凳上。这些议会通过从别处爬上来，也就是说，通过越过主攀升到父神那里，就像攀升到另一个神那里一样，把教会的头从它的身体上移除。他们只把“基督的功德”放在嘴里，希望神因它而施怜悯，希望称义和伴随它的一切，即罪的赦免、更新、成圣、重生和拯救，都直接一起流入他们，而这一切都不需要人那一方的任何参与。
174. 5. The apostolic church knew no trinity of persons. This idea was first developed by the Council of Nicaea. The council introduced the idea into the Roman Catholic church; and it in turn introduced the idea into the churches that have since separated from it. By "the apostolic church" I mean not only the church that existed in various places in the time of the apostles but also the church that existed over the two or three centuries after their time. Eventually, however, people started to tear the door to the house of worship off its hinges and break into the sanctuary like thieves. By the house of worship I mean Christianity; by the door I mean the Lord God the Redeemer; and by the sanctuary I mean his divinity. Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, those who do not enter through the door to the sheepfold but instead climb up some other way are thieves and robbers. I am the door. Anyone who enters through me will be saved" [John 10:1, 9].
The crime just mentioned was committed by Arius and his followers.
[2] Therefore Constantine the Great called a council in Nicaea, a city in Bithynia. The people who had been called there to throw out Arius's damaging heresy invented, defended, and gave sanction to the idea that three divine persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - had existed from eternity, each with a personality, a reality, and a continued existence of his own. They also concluded that the second person, the Son, came down, took on a human manifestation, and brought about redemption; and that his human nature was divine because of a hypostatic union. Through this union he had a close relationship with God the Father.
From that time on, balls of atrocious heresies relating to God and the person of Christ began to roll out across the globe, raising the head of the Antichrist, dividing God into three and the Lord the Savior into two, and destroying the temple that the Lord had erected through his apostles to the point where not one stone was left attached to another, as the Lord said (Matthew 24:2, where "the temple" means not only the Temple in Jerusalem but also the church, on whose close or end that whole chapter focuses).
[3] What else could be expected from the Council of Nicaea? What else could be expected from subsequent councils that likewise split divinity into three parts and placed the incarnate God beneath all three, on their footstool? These councils removed the church's head from its body by "climbing up some other way," that is, bypassing the Lord and going up to God the Father as some other god. They kept just the phrase "the merit of Christ" in their mouths, wishing for God the Father to have mercy on its account and hoping that justification would thereby flow in directly with its whole entourage: the forgiving of sins, renewal, sanctification, regeneration, and salvation - all without any participation from the individual.
174. (v) THE TRINITY OF PERSONS WAS UNKNOWN TO THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH, BUT WAS THE INVENTION OF THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA, LEADING TO ITS INTRODUCTION INTO THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, AND THUS TO THE CHURCHES WHICH SPLIT FROM IT.
The Apostolic church means not only the church which existed in various places in the time of the Apostles, but also in the following two or three centuries. But eventually they began to tear the door of the temple off its hinges, and like thieves to break into its sanctuary. The temple means the church, its door the Lord God the Redeemer, and the sanctuary His Divinity. For Jesus says:
Truly I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up another way, is a thief and a robber. I am the door; if anyone enters by me, he will be saved. [John 10:1, 9.]
[2] This crime was committed by Arius and his followers. Consequently a Council was summoned by Constantine the Great to meet at Nicaea, a city of Bithynia 1 ; and its members, in order to expel the damaging heresy of Arius, invented, concluded and laid down the doctrine that the three Divine persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, existed from eternity, each of whom had a personality, and came into and continued in existence by Himself and in Himself. They also held that the second person, the Son, came down and took upon Himself human form and carried out the redemption, and by this means His Human has divinity by hypostatic union, so that by this union He has close kinship with God the Father. This was the beginning from which there spread over the earth heaps of unspeakable heresies about God and the person of Christ. Antichrist then began to rear his head, and split God into three, and the Lord the Saviour into two, thus destroying the Temple the Lord had built by means of His Apostles; this went so far that every stone was pried loose, until not one was left upon another, as predicted by His words (Matthew 24:2). Here 'Temple' does not mean just the Temple in Jerusalem, but also the church; and the whole of that chapter deals with its consummation or end.
[3] But could anything else have been expected of that Council, or those which followed it, seeing that they likewise divided the Divinity into three parts, and put the incarnate God on their footstool beneath them? For they cut off the church's head from its body by climbing up another way, that is, by by-passing the Lord and crossing over to God the Father, as if He were another God, simply keeping on their tongues the phrase 'Christ's merit,' so that He should pity them for its sake. Thus, they thought, justification would flow directly into them, together with all that accompanies it, forgiveness of sins, renewal, sanctification, regeneration and salvation, and all this without any intervention on the person's part.
Footnotes:
1. The ancient name for the north-western province of Asia Minor.
174. (5) A Trinity of Persons was unknown in the Apostolic Church, but was hatched by the Nicene Council, and from that was introduced into the Roman Catholic church, and from that again into the churches separated from it. By the Apostolic church is meant the church that existed in various places not only in the time of the apostles, but also in the second and third centuries after. But at length men began to wrench the door of the temple off its hinges, and to break robber-like into its sanctuary. The temple is the church; the door is the Lord God the Redeemer; and the sanctuary His Divinity; for Jesus says:
Verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheep fold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. I am the door; by Me if any man enter in he shall be saved (John 10:1, 9).
This crime was committed by Arius and his followers.
[2] On this account a council was convoked by Constantine the Great at Nice, a city in Bithynia; and in order to overthrow the pernicious heresy of Arius it was devised, decided upon, and ratified by the members of the council that there were from eternity three Divine persons, a Father, a Son, and a Holy Spirit, to each one of whom belonged personality, existence, and subsistence, by Himself and in Himself; also that the second person, or the Son, came down and took on a Human and wrought redemption; and therefore His Human, by a hypostatic union, possesses Divinity, and through that union He has close relationship with God the Father. From that time heaps of abominable heresies about God and the person of Christ began to spring up from the earth, and Antichrists began to rear their heads and to divide God into three persons, and the Lord the Savior into two, thus destroying the temple set up by the Lord through the apostles, and this until not one stone was left upon another that was not thrown down, according to the Lord's words (Matthew 24:2), where by "the temple" not only the edifice at Jerusalem is meant but also the church, the consummation or end of which is treated of in the whole chapter.
[3] But what else could have been expected from that council, or from those that followed, which in like manner divided the Godhead into three, and placed God in the flesh beneath them on their footstool? For by climbing up some other way they took the Head of the church away from its body; that is, they passed Him by, and mounted beyond to God the Father as to another, with the mere mention on their lips of Christ's merit, that is, that God on account of it might be merciful, and justification might thus flow into them directly with all that goes with it, namely, remission of sins, renovation, sanctification, regeneration, and salvation, and this without any meditation on man's part.
174. (5) A TRINITY OF PERSONS WAS UNKNOWN IN THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH, BUT WAS PUT FORWARD BY THE NICENE COUNCIL, THEN INTRODUCED INTO THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, AND FROM THIS INTO THE CHURCHES THAT SEPARATED FROM IT.
By the Apostolic Church is meant the Church which existed in various places not only in the time of the Apostles but for two or three centuries later. Then men began to wrench the door of the Temple off its hinges and to rush like thieves into its sanctuary. By the Temple is understood the Church, by the door the Lord God the Redeemer, and by the sanctuary His Divinity; for Jesus says:
"Verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber... I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved." [John 10:1, 9.]
[2] This crime was committed by Arius 1 and his adherents. A council was therefore convened by Constantine the Great 2 at Nice, a city in Bithynia; and to destroy the pernicious heresy of Arius, those assembled there devised, decided upon Divine Persons from eternity, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to each of whom, by Himself and in Himself, belonged personality, existence and subsistence. Further, that the second Person, or the Son, descended and assumed the Human, and accomplished the work of redemption; and consequently that Divinity pertains to His Human by hypostatic union, through which He has close affinity with God the Father. From that time numerous impious heresies concerning God and the Person of Christ began to spring up from the earth, which exalted the head of Antichrist, divided God into three and the Lord the Savior into two, and thus destroyed the Temple which the Lord had built by means of His Apostles, and this with such effect that not one stone was left upon another which was not thrown down, according to His own words in Matthew 24:2. In this passage by the Temple is meant not only that at Jerusalem, but also the Church, the consummation or end of which is treated of in that chapter.
[3] But what else could be expected from that Council, and those that succeeded it, which similarly divided the Divinity into three, and placed the incarnate God below them on their footstool? For they removed the head of the Church from its body, by "climbing up another way;" that is, they passed by Jesus Christ, climbing up to God the Father as to another Divinity, with only the merit of Christ on their lips, in order that God, on account of it, might be merciful; and thus that justification might directly flow into them with all its train, namely, remission of sins, renewal, sanctification, regeneration and salvation, and this without the use of any effort on man's part to bring it about.
Footnotes:
1. Arius, theologian of Alexandria, A.D 256-336; founder of Arianism, affirming that Christ was an originated Being. Excommunicated by bishops of Egypt for denying that Christ was made of the same substance (homo-ousion) of any previously existing substance. To settle the consequent dispute Constantine called the Council of Nicaea, A.D. 325. Athanasius successfully led the opposition to Arius; and Arius, with Eusebius, who also refused to accept the Athanasian position, was banished.
2. Constantine, Emperor of Rome, A. D. 272-337. A convert to Christianity, he summoned the Council of Nice, A.D. 325 to settle the Arian controversy. This Council gave its name to the Nicene Creed which resulted, and which subsequently became the standard creed of the Christian Church.
174. V. QUOD TRINITAS PERSONARUM IGNOTA FUERIT IN ECCLESIA APOSTOLICA, SED QUOD EXORTA SIT A CONCILIO NICAENO, ET INDE INTRODUCTA IN ECCLESIAM ROMANO-CATHOLICAM, ET AB HAC IN ECCLESIAS SEPARATAS AB ILLA. Per Ecclesiam Apostolicam intelligitur non modo Ecclesia, quae variis in locis fuit tempore Apostolorum, sed etiam binis et trinis saeculis post illorum tempora: sed tandem inceperunt e cardine suo evellere januam Templi, et sicut fures irrumpere in adytum ejus; per Templum intelligitur Ecclesia, per Januam Dominus Deus Redemptor, et per Adytum Ipsius Divinitas; dicit enim Jesus, AMEN DICO vobis, qui non ingreditur per Januam in Ovile, sed ASCENDIT ALIUNDE, fur et latro est: Ego sum Janua; per Me si quid introiverit, salvabitur[,Johannes 10:1, 9].
[2] Hoc facinus factum est ab Ario et ejus asseclis; quapropter a Constantino Magno convocatum est Concilium in Nicaeam Urbem in Bethynia, et a convocatis ibi, ad ejiciendum damnosam Arii haeresin, inventum, conclusum et sancitum est, quod Tres Personae Divinae, Pater, Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus, ab aeterno fuerint, quarum cuique personalitas, existentia et subsistentia per se et in se esset; tum, quod Secunda Persona, seu Filius, descenderit et assumserit Humanum, et Redemptionem fecerit, et quod inde Humano Ipsius per Unionem hypostaticam Divinitas, et quod per hanc unionem Ipsi esset arcta affinitas cum Deo Patre; ex illo tempore coeperunt glomeres nefandarum haeresium de Deo, et de Persona Christi, e terra evolvi, et Antichristi extollere caput, ac dividere Deum in tres, et Dominum Salvatorem in duos, et sic destruere Templum a Domino per Apostolos erectum, et hoc eousque, dum non lapis super lapide, qui non dissolutus, relinqueretur, secundum Ipsius verba, Matthaeus 24:2, ubi per Templum non modo intelligitur Templum Hierosolymitanum, sed etiam Ecclesia, de cujus consummatione seu fine in toto illo Capite agitur.
[3] Sed quid aliud a Concilio illo, et a Sequentibus, quae Divinitatem similiter tripartita sunt, et Deum incarnatum sub illis super scabello pedum eorum posuerunt, exspectari potuit; removerunt enim Caput Ecclesiae a suo Corpore per id, quod ascenderint aliunde, hoc est, praeteriverint Ipsum, et transcenderint ad Deum Patrem ut ad alium, solum cum vocabulo Meriti Christi in ore, ut misereatur 1 propter illud, et quod sic immediate influeret Justificatio cum toto comitio ejus, quod est remissio peccatorum, renovatio, sanctificatio, regeneratio, et salvatio, et haec absque omni mediato ab homine.
Footnotes:
1. Sic Errores Typographici.