第九节 仁义的恩益善举须审慎
425# 仁义的恩益善举须审慎，是施予贫者，扶助匮乏者；但须以审慎为之。
必须区分仁义的职分之行与仁义的恩益善举。所谓仁义的职分之行，是指直接从仁义本身发出的仁义操练；至于这些操练主要属于每个人所处的职分，上文刚已说明。所谓所谓恩益善举，则指在这些职分之外所施行的援助。它们被称为“恩益”，是因为施行这些事乃在人的自由与意愿之中；并且，当这些事被施行时，受者也只把它们看作恩益。而这些恩益如何分施，则取决于施益者心中所衡量的理由与意向。
一般信念以为，仁义无非就是施予贫者、扶助匮乏者、照料寡妇与孤儿，捐资建造收容所、病院、旅舍、孤儿院，尤其是圣殿，并资助其装饰与收入。然而，这其中许多事并非仁义本身所固有，而只是仁义的外附之事。那些把仁义本身置于这些恩益之中的人，不能不把功德归于这些行为；即使他们口头承认自己并不愿这些行为成为功德，功德之信仍暗藏于内。
这一点在他们死后显明无遗。那时，他们列举自己的行为，并要求救恩作为报偿。然而，那时要查问的是：这些行为出自何种源头，并由此具有何种性质。若发现它们或出于骄矜，或出于猎取名声，或出于单纯的慷慨，或出于友情，或出于纯属属世的倾向，或出于伪善，那么，他们便按其源头受判断；因为源头的性质内在于行为之中。
真正的仁义，则出自那些在行为中由公义与公平而浸润仁义的人；他们行这些事，并不以报偿为目的，正如主的话所教导的（路14:12–14）。这样的人也称上述那些事为恩益，亦称其为本分；然而这些事仍是仁义的行为。
425# 有必要区分仁爱的义务和仁爱的善举。仁爱的义务是指直接从仁爱本身发出的对仁爱的这些行使；如刚才所示，这些行使主要与每个人所从事的职业有关。但善举是指那些在这些义务，或一个人的职业的正常职责之外所给予的帮助行为或服务。它们被称为善举，因为做这些善举是自由选择和享受快乐的事，或说一个人可以自由地、随心所欲地做它们；当捐助者做它们时，接受者只将它们视为善举，捐助者则照着他心智里的原因和意图来做。人们普遍认为，仁爱只在于救济穷人，帮助有需要的人，照顾寡妇和孤儿，捐建医院、疗养院、庇护所、孤儿院、尤其教堂，以及为它们的装饰和资助或收入做贡献。然而，这些事大部分不是正当的仁爱作为或行为，与之无关。那些认为仁爱本身在于这些善举的人，不能不视它们为功德，或说必因它们而索取功德；尽管他们可能会口头上宣称，他们不希望它们被视为有功德的，但对自己功德的信念仍潜藏在里面。这一点从这些人死后的行为很明显地看出来；因为那时他们数算自己的作为或行为，要求救赎作为回报。然而，那时他们作为的起源和由此产生的它们的品质或性质被调查，如果发现它们是从骄傲，或对名声的追求或渴望，或从纯粹的慷慨，或友谊，或纯粹的属世倾向，或虚伪发出的，那么作为或行为就照着它们的起源来判断，因为起源的品质就在作为或行为里面。但真正的仁爱是从那些因作为或行为中的公义和公平，不以回报为目的而充满仁爱的人那里发出的，正如主在路加福音（14:12-14）中所说的那样。他们也把上面提到的事称为善举和义务，尽管它们与仁爱有关，或说是仁爱的作为或行为。
425. Acts of Kindness Related to Goodwill Consist in Giving to the Poor and Helping the Needy, Although with Prudence
It is important to distinguish between work-related acts of goodwill and incidental acts of kindness. "Work-related acts of goodwill" means those practices of goodwill that come straight from goodwill itself, since goodwill itself is a function of the work that we do, as I have shown just above. "Acts of kindness," however, refers to helpful acts that are done outside of our work.
They are called acts of kindness because we are free to do them as we please, and when we do them, the recipients see them as kindnesses and nothing else. We do them according to the reasons and intentions we have in mind as benefactors.
It is a common belief that goodwill consists solely of giving to the poor, helping the needy, caring for widows and orphans, and making contributions to build, enhance, and endow hospices, hospitals, hostels, orphanages, and especially church buildings. Many of these actions, however, are not integral to the exercise of goodwill; they are extraneous to it.
People who consider goodwill to be good deeds of these kinds cannot help taking credit for them. Although people may claim aloud that they do not want any credit for their good deeds, nevertheless inside them lies the belief that they deserve credit. This is perfectly obvious after death when people like this list the things they have done and demand salvation as their reward. They are then investigated to find out what origin their actions had and what quality their actions possessed as a result. Whatever origin the actions had - whether they came from arrogance, or from a hunger for fame, or from a wish to be seen as generous, or from a desire to win friends, or from some merely earthly tendency, or from hypocrisy - they are judged on the basis of that origin, because the quality of the origin lies within the actions. Genuine goodwill, however, emanates from people who have become steeped in it through doing work based on justice and judgment without the goal of being repaid, in accordance with the Lord's words (Luke 14:12-14). People of genuine goodwill refer to the donations listed just above [not as goodwill itself but] as acts of kindness and also duties, although they are related to goodwill.
425. IX. The kindnesses of charity are giving to the poor and helping the needy, but with prudence.
A distinction must be drawn between the duties of charity and its kindnesses. By the duties of charity is meant the exercise of charity arising directly from charity itself; as was shown just above, these chiefly have to do with one's work. But by kindnesses we mean the secondary actions which go beyond the first group. They are called kindnesses, because a person is free to do them as he chooses; and when they are done, they are regarded by the recipient as nothing but kindnesses. They are distributed in accordance with the reasons and intentions the person who does them has in mind. It is generally believed that charity consists only in giving to the poor, helping the needy, taking care of widows and orphans, making donations to the building of hospices and hospitals, hostels, orphanages, and above all churches, and to their decoration and their income. But the majority of these are not the proper work of charity, but are additional to it.
[2] Those who suppose these kindnesses to be real charity cannot help believing their deeds are meritorious; and despite their verbal protestations that they do not want them to be meritorious, they still have lurking in them the belief that they are. This is plain to see after their death. Then they count up their deeds and demand salvation as their reward. But then enquiry is made into the origin and thus the nature of their deeds; and if it is found that they arose either from pride, or seeking a reputation, or from mere generosity, or from friendship, or from purely natural inclination, or from hyprocrisy, then that origin judges them, since the nature of its origin is present in every deed. True charity, however, is the product of those who have employed fairness and careful judgment in their deeds, which they perform without any intention of being rewarded, in accordance with the Lord's words (Luke 14:12-14). These people also call the sort of actions mentioned above kindnesses, as well as duties, though they are a part of charity.
425. IX. THE BENEFACTIONS OF CHARITY ARE GIVING TO THE POOR AND RELIEVING THE NEEDY, BUT WITH PRUDENCE.
We must distinguish between the obligations of charity and its benefactions. By the obligations of charity those exercises of it that proceed directly from charity itself are meant. These, as has just been shown, relate primarily to one's occupation. But benefactions mean such acts of assistance as are given apart from these obligations. These are called benefactions because doing them is a matter of free choice and pleasure; and when done they are regarded by the recipient simply as benefactions, and are bestowed according to the reasons and intentions that the benefactor has in mind. In common belief charity is nothing else than giving to the poor, relieving the needy, caring for widows and orphans, contributing to the building of hospitals, infirmaries, asylums, orphans' homes, and especially of churches, and to their decorations and income. But most of these things are not properly matters of charity, but extraneous to it. Those who make charity itself to consist in such benefactions must needs claim merit for these works; and although they may profess with their lips that they do not wish them to be considered meritorious, still a belief in their merit lurks within. This is clearly evident from the conduct of such after death, when they recount their works, and demand salvation as a reward. But the origin of their works and the resulting quality of them is then inquired into, and if it is found that they proceeded from pride or a striving for reputation, or from bare generosity, or friendship, or merely natural inclination, or hypocrisy, from that origin the works are judged, for the quality of the origin is within the works. But genuine charity proceeds from those who are imbued with charity because of the justice and judgment in the works, and they do the works apart from any remuneration as an end, according to the Lord's words in Luke (14:12-14). They also call such things as are mentioned above, benefactions as well as duties, although they pertain to charity.
425. IX. THE BENEFACTIONS OF CHARITY ARE GIVING TO THE POOR AND RELIEVING THE NEEDY, BUT WITH PRUDENCE.
It is necessary to distinguish between the duties of charity and its benefactions. By the duties of charity are meant those exercises of charity which proceed immediately from charity itself, and which, as has just been shown, belong primarily to the employment in which each is engaged. By benefactions, on the other hand, are meant those helpful services which are rendered outside the ordinary duties of one's occupation. They are called benefactions, because in doing them a man is left to his own freedom and good pleasure; and when they are done, they are regarded by the recipient as benefits conferred upon him in accordance with reasons and intentions which the benefactor himself has deemed sufficient and proper. It is a prevailing idea that charity consists solely in giving to the poor, relieving the needy, providing for widows and orphans, contributing towards the building of hospitals, infirmaries, homes for strangers and orphans, and especially towards churches, and also towards their adornment and endowment. Many of these things, however, are not the proper works of charity, and bear no relation to it.
Those who make charity itself consist in such benefactions cannot but regard them as meritorious; and although they do not say in so many words that they desire credit for them, yet belief in their merit lurks within. This becomes very evident after death; for then they reckon up their works and demand salvation as a reward. Inquiry, however, is made into the origin and consequent nature of their works; and if it is found that they proceeded from vainglory, or a desire for fame, from mere munificence, or friendship, or simply from natural disposition or hypocrisy, they are judged according to their origin, the quality of which characterizes their works. But genuine charity proceeds from those who habitually practice it with justice and judgment, and with no regard to recompense as an end, according to the Lord's words in Luke 14:12. They also call such things as have been mentioned above benefactions, and even obligations, although with them they are works of charity.
425. Quod Beneficia Charitatis sint, dare pauperibus et opitulari indigentibus, sed cum prudentia.
Distinguendum est inter Charitatis officia, et inter ejus beneficia: per Charitatis officia intelliguntur Charitatis exercitia, quae ab ipsa Charitate immediate procedunt, quae quod primario sint functionis, in qua quisque est, mox supra ostensum est; per Beneficia autem intelliguntur illa auxilia, quae extra illa fiunt. Beneficia vocantur, quia in hominis libertate et placito est illa facere, et cum fiunt, non aliter spectantur a recipiente, quam sicut beneficia, et haec dispensantur secundum rationes ac intentiones, quas benefactor mente versat. In communi fide est, quod Charitas non aliud sit, quam dare pauperibus, opitulari indigentibus, curam viduarum et pupillorum gerere, spartas conferre ad aedificandum hospitalia, nosocomia, xenodochia, orphanotrophia, imprimis Templa, et ad horum ornamenta et reditus; sed plura ex his non sunt propria Charitatis, sed extranea ejus.
[2] Illi qui in Beneficiis illis ipsam Charitatem ponunt, non possunt aliter quam in Operibus illis meritum ponere, et hi tametsi ore faterentur, quod non velint ut sint merita, usque intus latet fides meriti: hoc manifeste patet ab illis post mortem; enumerant tunc opera sua, et salutem ut praemium postulant; sed tunc inquiritur, ex qua origine sunt, et inde ex qua qualitate, et si invenitur quod processerint vel ex fastu, vel ex aucupatione famae, vel ex nuda munificentia, vel ex amicitia, vel ex inclinatione mere naturali, vel ex hypocrisi, tunc ex origine illa judicantur, nam qualitas originis inest operibus; genuina vero Charitas procedit ex illis, qui imbuerunt illam ex justitia et judicio in operibus, quae faciunt absque fine remunerationis secundum Domini verba Luca 14:12-14; hi quoque vocant talia, quae supra memorata sunt, beneficia, ut et debita, tametsi sunt Charitatis.