434# 至于交谊，在初期教会中，是存在于那些自称为“在基督里的弟兄”的人中间；因此，那些交谊乃是仁义的交谊，因为它们出于属灵的弟兄关系。它们也是教会在患难中的慰藉，是因教会增长而有的欢欣，也是心灵从研习与劳作中所得的休养；同时，也是关于各种事务的交谈。又因这些交谊如从源头一般流自属灵之爱，所以它们在属灵的根源上，是理性而合乎道德的。
今日也有友谊的交谊，其目的在于交谈之愉悦，在于借着谈话使心思欢畅，并由此使心意得以舒展，使被拘闭的思想得以释放，从而使身体的感官得以复苏，其状态得以恢复。然而，仁义的交谊尚不存在；因为主说：“只因不法的事增多，许多人的爱心（仁义）才渐渐冷淡了”（太24:12）。
其原因在于，教会尚未承认主上帝拯救者为天地的上帝，也尚未直接亲近祂；而真正的仁义，唯独从祂发出，并流入人里面。
但若在交谊中，并非有一种效法仁义的友谊将众人的心意结合起来，那么这样的交谊，就不过是友谊的伪装、彼此相爱的虚假见证、为取得恩宠而施行的诱媚性引导，以及献给身体快感、尤其是感官快感的祭物；人们由此被牵引，如同船只被顺风与顺流所推动。在这些交谊中，谄媚者与伪善者站在船尾，手握舵柄，操纵方向。
434# 至于社交聚会，在初期教会，它们是在那些自称基督里的弟兄或家庭的人中间举行的。因此，它们是仁爱的聚会，因为那里有属灵的弟兄情谊。它们也是教会逆境中的慰藉，因教会成长而欢喜庆祝的时刻，是学习和劳作后心智的娱乐和休憩，同时是谈论各种话题的机会。它们因从属灵之爱流出，如同从一个源头流出，故因属灵的源头而是理性和道德的。如今，朋友之间的社交活动只以社交的乐趣、谈话带来的心灵的兴奋，以及随之而来的感觉的膨胀和压抑思维的释放，因而以重新点燃感官能力，或恢复身体感官和更新状态为目的。然而，仁爱的聚会或社交还没有恢复；因为主说：
在时代的完结（即教会的末了），罪孽将增多，仁爱渐渐冷淡。（马太福音24:12）
这是因为教会尚未承认主神救主为天地之神，没有直接靠近祂，而真正的仁爱唯独从祂那里出来并流入。然而，如果在社交聚会中，模仿仁爱的友谊不能带来心智的结合，那么这样的聚会只不过是友谊的伪装，相爱的欺骗性证明，或说爱他人的虚假见证，讨好别人的诱人暗示，是向肉体的快乐，尤其感官性质的快乐献上的祭物；通过这样的花言巧语，人们被冲走，就像船只满帆顺流而走一样，而马屁精和伪君子则站在船尾掌舵。
XII. 仁爱的第一步是除去邪恶；第二步是做对邻舍有用的良善
434. As for parties, there were some that were held in the early church by people who referred to themselves as a "family in Christ. " These were parties that related to goodwill, because the people felt a spiritual kinship. These parties were also a source of comfort during times of adversity in the church; they were celebrations of the church's growth; and they served as a rest for the soul from study and work, and a chance to have conversations on different topics. Because these parties flowed from spiritual love as their source, they were rational and moral with a spiritual origin.
Today friends have parties. The goal these events focus on is to have fun talking and to enjoy stimulating conversation. This leads to an expansion of mind, a liberation from limited thinking, a rejuvenation of the bodily senses, and a restoration to wholeness.
Parties related to goodwill do not yet exist, however, for the Lord says that at the close of the age, meaning the end of the church,
Injustice will increase and goodwill will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12)
The reason is that the church has not yet acknowledged the Lord God the Savior as the God of heaven and earth, and has not yet gone to him directly as the only source from which genuine goodwill emanates and flows.
Parties, however, where there is no friendship emulating goodwill to bring minds together are nothing but a pretense of friendship, a false witness to love for others, a seductive ploy to place others under obligation, and an indulgence in physical pleasures, especially sensory ones. People get carried away by these parties the way a ship gets carried away by its sails and a strong current; flatterers and hypocrites stand at the helm with the tiller in their hands.
434. As for parties, in the earliest church these took place among such people as called themselves brothers in Christ. They were therefore charitable parties, because there was a spiritual brotherhood. They served also as a consolation when the church encountered difficulties, as a celebration of its increase, and also to restore spirits exhausted by study and work, and for discussions of various matters. Since the source from which they sprang was spiritual love, their reason and morality had a spiritual origin. Parties are given at the present time among friends, the purpose of which is intended to be the pleasures of social intercourse, the cheering of the mind by conversation, and as a result the broadening of the mind, the release of bottled-up thoughts and so the revival of the sensory functions of the body, and their restoration to complete health.
[2] But charitable parties no longer exist; for the Lord says:
At the completion of the age (that is, the end of the church) injustice will increase greatly and charity will grow cold, Matthew 24:12.
The reason was that the church had ceased to acknowledge the Lord God the Saviour as God of heaven and earth, and approach Him directly, who is the only source and giver of real charity. Parties, however, where there is no friendship with its imitation of charity to link minds together, are nothing but pretences of friendship, specious demonstrations of mutual love, seductive attempts to worm one's way into favour, and indulgence in bodily pleasures, especially those of the senses. They sweep other people along, like ships with their sails filled and a following sea; and on them stand sycophants and hypocrites on the poop holding the tiller in their hands.
434. As to social gatherings, they were composed in the primitive church of such as called themselves brethren in Christ; they were therefore assemblies of charity, because there was spiritual brotherhood. They were also a consolation in the adversities of the church, seasons of rejoicing on account of its increase, recreations of mind after study and labor, and at the same time opportunities for conversation on various subjects; and as they flowed from spiritual love as from a fountain, they were rational and moral from a spiritual origin. There are at this day assemblies of friendship, which regard as an end the delights of sociability, the exhilaration of the mind by conversation, the consequent expansion of the feelings and the liberation of imprisoned thoughts, and thus the rekindling of the sensual faculties and the renewal of their state. But as yet there are no gatherings of charity; for the Lord says,
In the end of the age (that is, at the end of the church), iniquity will be multiplied and charity will grow cold (Matthew 24:12).
This is because the church has not yet acknowledged the Lord God the Savior as the God of heaven and earth, and gone to Him directly, from whom alone genuine charity goes forth and flows in. But social gatherings where friendship emulating charity does not bring minds together, are nothing but pretenses of friendship, deceptive attestations of mutual love, seductive insinuations into favor, and sacrifices offered to the delights of the body, especially the sensual, whereby people are carried away like ships by sails and favoring currents, while sycophants and hypocrites stand in the stem and hold the helm.
434. Meetings for social intercourse were held in the primitive Church among those calling themselves brethren in Christ. These were meetings of charity, because there was a spiritual brotherhood. This social intercourse served further to give consolation in the adversities of the Church, to express joy for its increase, and also as a recreation of mind after study and labor, and an opportunity for conversation on various subjects; and because all these flowed from spiritual love as from a fountain, they were rational and moral from their spiritual origin.
At the present day the social intercourse of friends has no end in view but the pleasures of conversation, intellectual exhilaration by interchange of ideas, and the consequent expansion of the mind, the expression of pent-up thoughts, and thus the refreshment of the bodily senses and their restoration to their wonted vigor. The social intercourse of charity, however, has not yet been revived; for the Lord says:
at the end of the age, that is, at the end of the Church, "iniquity shall abound, and charity (A.V., the love of many) shall wax cold" Matthew 24:12.
This is because the Church has not yet acknowledged the Lord God the Savior to be the God of heaven and earth, and has not directly approached Him from whom alone genuine charity proceeds and enters its members by influx. But social intercourse which fails to unite minds by a friendship akin to charity, is but a pretense of friendship, as it consists of deceptive attestations of mutual love, and seductive insinuations into the good graces of another, accompanied by indulgence in corporeal delights, particularly those of a sensual nature. By such blandishments as these others are swept along like ships under full sail with favoring currents, while sycophants and hypocrites stand at the stern in control of the helm.
434. Quod CONSORTIA attinet, fuerunt illa in Primitiva Ecclesia inter tales, qui se vocabant Fratres in Christo, quare erant Consortia Charitatis, quia spiritualis Fraternitas; erant quoque consolationes adversitatum Ecclesiae, laetificationes pro incrementis ejus, et quoque recreationes animarum a studiis et laboribus, et simul confabulationes de rebus variis; et quia ex amore spirituali ut ex fonte fluebant, erant rationales et morales ex origine spirituali. Dantur hodie Consortia amicitiae, quae pro fine spectant jucunda conversationis, exhilarationes mentis per colloquia, et inde pro expansione animi, et manumissione cogitationum inclusarum, et sic refocillatione sensualium corporis, et status eorum integratione.
[2] Sed nondum dantur Consortia charitatis, nam dicit Dominus, In Consummatione saeculi, hoc est, in fine Ecclesiae, multiplicabitur iniquitas, et frigescet Charitas, Matthaeus 24:12 causa est, quia Ecclesia nondum agnoverat Dominum Deum Salvatorem pro Deo Coeli et Terrae, et Ipsum immediate adiverunt, a Quo unice genuina Charitas procedit et influit. Consortia autem, ubi non amicitia aemulans charitatem conjungit animos, sunt illa non aliter quam simulationes amicitiae, et fallaces testificationes amoris mutui, pellaces insinuationes in favores, et litamina jucunditatum corporis, imprimis sensualium, a quibus alteri feruntur sicut Naves a velis et fluctibus secundis, in his Sycophantae et Hypocritae in puppi stant, et clavum gubernaculi tenent in manu.