586# 人不能重生，除非是逐步成就的；这一点可由自然世界中一切总体与个别事物加以说明。树不能在一日之内长成树，而是先由种子开始，继而由根生发，再由嫩芽长出；嫩芽成为树干，树干生出带叶的枝条，最后才有花与果实。
小麦和大麦也不能一日之间长成庄稼；房屋不能一日建成；人也不能一日长成身量，更不能一日达到智慧。教会也不能一日建立并成全；若无一个作为起点的开端，也就没有任何向终点的进展。
那些以别样方式理解重生的人，对于仁义与信仰，对于二者如何随着人与主合作而增长，实在一无所知。由此可见，重生的成就，正如人受孕、在母腹中孕育、出生并受抚育一样。
586# 人只能逐渐重生，这一点可通过存在于自然界中的一切事物，无论总体还是细节来说明。一棵树不能在一天之内完全成熟，而是先从种子开始生长，然后从根生长，后来从形成茎或变成树干的嫩芽生长，再由此开枝散叶，最后开花和结果。小麦或大麦也不能在一天之内成熟、收割；房子不是一天建成的，人不是一天就长足身量，更不用说获得智慧了；教会也不是一天建立和完善的；除非从一个起点开始，否则就不可能有朝向目的的任何发展。那些对重生持有不同概念的人对仁爱和信仰一无所知，也完全不知道它们每一个都照着人与主的合作而增长。由此清楚可知，实现重生的方式类似于人受孕、在子宫里孕育、出生和接受教育的方式。
586. We can be regenerated only gradually. Each and every thing that exists in the physical world serves as an illustration of this fact. A seedling does not grow up into a mature tree in a single day. First there is a seed, then a root, then a shoot, which develops into a trunk; then branches come out of that and develop leaves and finally flowers and fruit. Wheat and barley do not spring up ready for harvest in a single day. A home is not built in a single day. We do not become full grown in a single day; reaching wisdom takes us even longer. The church is not established - let alone perfected - in a single day. We will make no progress toward a goal unless we first make a start.
People who have a different conception than this of regeneration know nothing about goodwill or faith, or how each of these qualities grows as we cooperate with the Lord. All this makes clear that regeneration progresses analogously to the way we are conceived, carried in the womb, born, and brought up.
586. The fact that a person can only be regenerated by stages can be illustrated by every single thing which comes into existence in the natural world. A tree cannot grow into a tree in a single day, but grows first from a seed, then a root, then a shoot which becomes a stem, from which branches develop with leaves, and finally flowers and fruits. Nor do wheat and barley produce a harvest in a single day. A house cannot be built in a single day: nor does a person reach full size in a single day, much less full wisdom. Nor is a church founded and brought to full development in a single day. No development towards an end is possible without a starting-point. Those who hold other ideas about regeneration know nothing about charity and faith, and how both of these grow in keeping with the person's co-operation with the Lord. All this makes it plain that regeneration is on the model of a person's conception, gestation in the womb, birth and upbringing.
586. That man can only be regenerated gradually, may be illustrated by each and all things that come into existence in the natural world. A tree cannot reach its full growth in a day, but there is first growth from the seed, then from the root, and then from the shoot, which becomes the trunk, and from this go forth branches and leaves, and finally blossoms and fruit. Wheat or barley does not ripen for the harvest in a day; a house is not built in a day, nor does a man acquire his full stature in a day, still less wisdom; a church is not established and perfected in a day, nor is there any progression to an end except from a beginning. Those who have a different conception of regeneration know nothing of charity and faith, nor of the growth of either according to man's cooperation with the Lord. From all this it is clear that regeneration is effected in a manner analogous to that in which man is conceived, carried in the womb, born and educated.
586. That a man can only be regenerated by successive stages may be illustrated by all things, in general and in particular, which exist in the natural world. A tree does not arrive at maturity in a single day; but it grows first from its seed, afterwards from its root, and then from its shoot, from which its stem is formed. From this proceed branches with their leaves, and lastly flowers and fruit. Nor does a crop of wheat or barley reach the harvest stage in one day. A house is not built in a day; nor does a man attain to his full bodily stature in a day, much less to the stature of wisdom; nor is the Church established and perfected in a day. No progression to an end is possible unless it has a beginning from which it starts. Those who think otherwise of regeneration know nothing of charity and faith, and of the growth of each according to man's co-operation with the Lord. It is, therefore, evident that regeneration takes place in a manner analogous to that in which a man is conceived, carried in the womb, born and educated.
586. Quod homo non possit regenerari nisi successive, illustrari potest ab omnibus et singulis, 1 quae in Mundo naturali existunt; Arbor non potest in arborem crescere intra unum diem, sed primum ex semine, postea ex radice, et deinde ex surculo, ex quo fit caudex, et ex hoc procedunt rami cum foliis, et demum flores et fructus: nec surgit triticum ac hordeum in messem uno die; non aedificatur domus uno die; nec assurgit homo in staturam uno die, minus in sapientiam: nec Ecclesia instauratur et perficitur uno die; nec datur aliqua progressio ad finem, nisi sit initium a quo. Qui aliter concipiunt Regenerationem, non sciunt aliquid de Charitate et Fide, et de crescentia utriusque secundum cooperationem hominis cum Domino. Ex his patet, quod Regeneratio fiat, ad instar 2 sicut homo concipitur, gestatur in utero, nascitur et educatur.
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