第二节 所谓先于信仰的“痛悔”并非悔改
512# 今日所谓先于信仰、随后有福音安慰相随的痛悔，并不是悔改
在改教后的基督教世界中，人们传授一种焦虑、悲伤与恐惧的状态，称之为痛悔；他们说，这种痛悔发生在将要重生的人里面，先于他们的信仰，而后有福音的安慰随之而来。
他们又说，这种痛悔在他们里面兴起，是由于惧怕上帝公义的忿怒，并由此惧怕永远的定罪；而这种惧怕，是由于亚当之罪以及由此而来的作恶倾向被认为附着于每一个人。他们还说，若没有这种痛悔，信仰便不会被赐下；而所谓信仰，就是把主拯救者的功德与公义归算给人的信仰。凡获得这种信仰的人，便领受福音的安慰；这安慰就是：他们被称义，也就是被更新、重生并成圣，而无须他们作任何配合；并且如此从定罪中被迁入永远的福分，即永生。
但关于这种痛悔，必须考察以下几点：第一，它是否就是悔改；第二，它是否有任何重要意义；第三，它是否真实存在。
512# 改革宗基督教界教导说，有一种他们称之为悔罪的焦虑、痛苦和恐惧会临到即将重生的人。在这些人身上，它先于信仰，随后是福音的安慰。他们声称，这些人身上的这种悔罪源于对神的公义愤怒和随之而来的永恒诅咒的惧怕；由于亚当的罪和由此产生的人向恶的倾向，这永恒的诅咒粘附在每个人身上，或说是每个人所固有的。他们说，没有这种悔罪，将主救主的功德和公义归算给人的信仰就不会被赐予；但那些获得这种信仰的人会得到福音的安慰，这安慰就是，他们无需自己的任何合作就会称义，也就是说，被更新、重生和成圣，因而从诅咒的状态转到永恒幸福的状态，即永生。但关于这种悔罪，接下来要考虑几个问题：（1）它是悔改吗？（2）它有什么价值吗？（3）它真的存在吗？
512. The "Contrition" That Is Nowadays Said to Precede Faith and to Be Followed by the Consolation of the Gospel Is Not Repentance
The Protestant Christian world holds that there is a certain type of anxiety, pain, and terror (which they call "contrition") that comes over people who are going to be regenerated. It comes on before they have faith and is followed by the consolation of the Gospel.
They claim that this contrition arises in them as the result of fear of the justifiable anger of God, and therefore fear of the eternal damnation that clings to us all because of Adam's sin and because of our resulting inclination toward evil. They say that the faith that ascribes the merit and justice of the Lord our Savior to us is not granted us if we lack that feeling of contrition. Those who have acquired this faith are said to receive "the consolation of the Gospel," which means that they are justified, that is, renewed, regenerated, and sanctified, without any cooperation on their part. In this way they are moved from damnation to the eternal blessedness that is everlasting life.
Let us examine this "contrition": (1) Is it the same as repentance? (2) Is it of any value? (3) Does it in fact exist?
512. II. Contrition, which is said at the present time to precede faith and to be followed by the consolation of the Gospel, is not repentance.
The Reformed Christian church has a tradition of a kind of anxiety, grief and dread which they call contrition; in those undergoing regeneration it precedes their acquisition of faith and is followed by the consolation of the Gospel. This contrition, they say, arises in them as a result of fearing the just wrath of God, leading to the everlasting damnation which is inherent in everyone as the result of Adam's sin and the consequent tendency to evils. Without this contrition, faith which imputes the merit and righteousness of the Lord the Saviour is not bestowed. Those who have acquired this faith receive the consolation of the Gospel, which is that they are justified, that is, made new, regenerated and sanctified without any cooperation on their part. They are thus rescued from damnation and given everlasting blessing, which is everlasting life. But there are three questions about contrition to be discussed: whether it is the same as repentance; whether it is of any importance; and whether there is such a thing.
512. II. THE CONTRITION, WHICH AT THE PRESENT DAY IS SAID TO PRECEDE FAITH, AND TO BE FOLLOWED BY THE CONSOLATION OF THE GOSPEL, IS NOT REPENTANCE.
In the Reformed Christian world a certain kind of anxiety, grief, and terror are spoken of, which they call contrition, which precedes faith in those who are about to be regenerated, and which is followed by the consolation of the Gospel They claim that this contrition in such persons arises from a fear of that just wrath of God and consequent eternal damnation which inheres in every man, owing to the sin of Adam and the resulting proclivity of man to evil; also, that without that contrition, the faith which imputes to man the merit and righteousness of the Lord the Savior, is not bestowed; and that those who have obtained this faith, receive the consolation of the Gospel, which is, that they are justified, that is, renewed, regenerated and sanctified, without any co-operation of their own, and are thus transferred from a state of damnation to one of eternal blessedness, which is life eternal. But respecting this contrition the following questions are to be considered: 1. Is it repentance? 2. Is it of any consequence? 3. Is there such a thing?
512. II. CONTRITION, WHICH AT THE PRESENT DAY IS SAID TO PRECEDE FAITH, AND WHICH IS FOLLOWED BY THE CONSOLATION OF THE GOSPEL, IS NOT REPENTANCE.
In the Reformed Christian Church it is taught that there is a certain kind of anxiety, grief and terror called contrition; and in those who are to be regenerated it precedes faith, and is followed by the consolation of the Gospel. It is said of this contrition that it arises from the fear of the just wrath of God and eternal damnation, man's heritage from Adam's sin and the consequent inherent propensity to evils. For it is said, without this contrition, the faith which imputes to man the merit and righteousness of the Lord the Savior, is not granted; but those who obtain this faith receive the consolation of the Gospel, which means that they are justified, that is, renewed, regenerated and sanctified, without any co-operation on their part, and are thus transferred from a state of damnation to that of everlasting blessedness, which is eternal life. But respecting this contrition, we must consider: (1) Is it repentance? (2) Is it of any importance? (3) Has it any real existence?
512. Quod Contritio, de qua hodie dicitur quod praecedat Fidem, et quam sequitur consolatio Evangelii, non sit Poenitentia.
In Christiano Reformato Orbe traditur quaedam species anxietatis, doloris, et terroris, quam vocant CONTRITIONEM, quae apud regenerandos praecedit illorum fidem, et quam sequitur consolatio Evangelii; dicunt, quod contritio illa apud eos exoriatur ex timore pro justa ira Dei, et inde aeterna damnatione, cuivis ex peccato Adami et inde proclivitate ad mala inhaerente, et quod absque illa Contritione, fides, quae est imputativa meriti et justitiae Domini Salvatoris, non donetur, et quod illi, qui hanc fidem adepti sunt, consolationem Evangelii recipiant, quae est, quod justificentur, hoc est, innoventur, regenerentur et sanctificentur, absque ulla illorum cooperatione, et quod sic a damnatione transferantur in aeternam 1 benedictionem, quae est vita aeterna. Sed de Contritione hac expendendum est. 1. Num sit poenitentia. 2. Num sit alicujus momenti. 3. Numeri detur.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: aeternom.