616# 你们若能，请说：论重生之事，世间还能有比那些坚执当今信仰者更盲目之愚昧吗？他们主张：当人如树桩、如石块一般时，信仰便被注入其内；而此信仰一经注入，随之而来的便是称义，即赦罪、重生，以及其他诸多恩赐；并且人的作为必须一概排除，理由是免得对基督的功德有所侵犯。为使这一教义更加坚固，他们又剥夺人在属灵事上的一切自由选择，宣称人在其中全然无能；于是仿佛唯有上帝从祂一方独自行作，而人这一方并无任何能力可以合作，并由此与上帝结合。
那么，在重生之事上，人究竟成了什么呢？岂不如一个手脚俱缚之人，像船中，亦即所谓桨船中，被锁链拘系的囚徒？若他挣脱手铐脚镣，便要像他们一样受罚，并被判死罪；也就是说，若他出于自由选择向邻舍行善，并为得救而由自己信上帝，便要遭受同样的定罪。
一个人在此类观念中坚固自己，却仍怀有对天堂的虔诚愿望，他会成为什么呢？岂不像一个幽影，站在那里观望：那信仰及其恩惠是否已经注入；若尚未注入，是否将要注入；因而又观望父上帝是否已经施怜悯，祂的儿子是否已经代求，圣灵是否因忙于别处而没有运行。最后，他因对此全然无知而退去，并以此自我安慰：“也许那恩典已经寓于我的生活道德之中；我如今在其中，且仍如从前一样持守其中；这样，这道德在我里面便是圣的，而在那些未获得此信仰的人里面则是亵渎的。因此，为使圣洁仍留在我的道德中，从今以后，我必须谨慎，不可由自己行出信仰，也不可由自己行出仁义。”诸如此类，不胜枚举。
凡离开属灵事上的自由选择而思想重生的人，都会成为这样的幽影；或者，你若愿意说，都会成为这样的盐柱。
616# 如果可以的话，请告诉我，关于重生，是否还有比普遍存在于那些确认当今教会信仰的人中间的更盲目的愚蠢吗？该信仰教导说，信仰被注入人，而他就像一根木头或一块石头，当它被注入时，随之而来的是称义，称义就是罪的赦免，重生和其它好处；人的努力必须完全排除在外，以免它向基督的功德施暴。为了更加牢固地确立这一教义，他们剥夺了人在属灵事物上的一切自由意志或自由选择，坚持认为人在这些事物上绝对无能为力。这就好像只有神在祂那一方运作，而人没有被赋予在他那一方合作，从而与神结合的任何能力。在这种情况下，人在重生方面，不就像一个被捆住手脚的人，像船上那些被称为桨奴的囚犯吗？
和这些人一样，他若挣脱了手铐脚镣，就会受到惩罚，或被判处死刑。他们还坚持认为，他若出于自己的自由意志或自由选择向邻舍行善，为了救赎凭自己信神，就会受到同样的惩罚。如果一个人确认这些观点，然而又虔诚地渴望天堂，那么他就像一个幽灵，站着并猜想，那信仰及其好处是否已经注入他；或若没有，它是否会注入，因而猜想父神是否怜悯他，或祂的儿子是否为他代求，或圣灵是否因在其它地方忙碌而没有在他里面运作。最后，由于他对这个问题的完全无知，他可能会离开，并安慰自己说：“或许那恩典存在于我生活的道德中，我像以前一样保留着这种道德，或说那恩典存在于我现在仍在实践的道德中，就像我以前一样；因此，对我来说，这种道德是神圣的，而对那些没有获得这信仰的人来说，它是亵渎的。因此，为叫这种神圣留在我的道德中，以后我要小心，不可凭我自己行使仁爱或信仰。”还有更多。凡思想重生，却不相信在属灵事物上的自由意志或自由选择的人，都会变成这样的幽灵，或若你更喜欢，变成这样的盐雕像（创世记19:26）。
616. Tell me, if you can, whether any blinder stupidity about regeneration could possibly exist than the one exhibited by people who have convinced themselves of the modern-day faith. That belief holds that although we are like a log or a stone, that faith is poured into us. Once it is poured in, then our justification follows, which means that our sins are forgiven and we are regenerated (not to mention many other gifts we are given). Any work on our part must be strictly excluded from this process to prevent us from doing any violence to the merit of Christ. In order to establish this dogma with even greater solidity, they take away any notion that we have free choice in spiritual matters and replace it with the idea that we are completely powerless in those respects. Since God alone then does his part of the work, and no power has been granted to us to do our part in cooperating and therefore forming a partnership with God, how are we different in regard to regeneration from someone who is shackled hand and foot? We are like so-called galley slaves, who are chained inside ships. What happens to them if they take the chains off their hands and feet? Like them, [under this teaching] we too are punished and condemned to death if we exercise our free choice and do anything good for our neighbor or make any effort to believe in God for the sake of our salvation.
[2] Where does that leave people who are convinced of these views and yet feel a devout desire to go to heaven? What can they do but wait like a ghost in limbo, trying to guess whether that faith and all its benefits have already been poured into them, or if not, whether they are being poured in now? "Has God the Father shown mercy? Has his Son interceded for me? Is the Holy Spirit tied up elsewhere or is it working on me yet?" After a while without any information to go on, they would stop posing these questions and just comfort themselves with these thoughts: "Perhaps that grace is present in the morality I am still practicing now just as much as I was before. Maybe morality is actually sacred in my case, although the same quality is admittedly profane in people who have not acquired this faith. To preserve the holiness present in my morality I will be careful from now on not to work on faith or goodwill at all on my own. " And so on.
Everyone who thinks about regeneration but does not believe in free choice in spiritual matters is a ghost like this, or, if you prefer, a pillar of salt [Genesis 19:26].
616. Tell me, if you can, whether there can ever be such blind stupidity about regeneration as that displayed by those convinced of present-day faith. This is a belief that faith is poured into a person while he is like a block of wood or a stone, and that infusion is followed by justification, which is the forgiveness of sins, regeneration and many other gifts; and that any activity on the person's part is to be utterly ruled out in order to avoid doing any damage to Christ's merit. To establish this dogma even more securely, they have snatched away from people any free will in spiritual matters, making them totally powerless in this respect; as if God would then act alone on His part, and no power would be given to the person to co-operate on his part, and so to link himself with God. If that were so, what would a person be as regards regeneration but tied hand and foot like the slaves chained in galleys? 1 If he got free from his manacles and leg-irons, he would, like the slaves, be punished and condemned to death - that is, if he used his free will to do good to his neighbour, and believed in God of his own accord so as to be saved.
[2] If a person were to convince himself of such beliefs, although he piously hoped to go to heaven, he would be nothing but a ghost, standing waiting to see whether that faith with the benefits it conveys had been poured into him, or if not, whether it was being poured in; and likewise whether God the Father had shown mercy, or whether His Son had interceded, or whether the Holy Spirit was too busy elsewhere to act on him. In the end he would in his total ignorance about this go away and console himself with this reflexion: 'Perhaps that grace may be present in the moral behaviour I adopt in life and in which I continue as formerly, so that in me it is holy, but in those who have not acquired that faith, unholy. So to ensure that holiness remains in my moral behaviour, I shall take care in future not to exercise faith or charity of my own accord' - and more of the same sort. Such a ghost, or if you prefer such a pillar of salt, is what everyone becomes who thinks about regeneration unaccompanied by free will in spiritual matters.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin text here uses the French word for 'galleys', galeres.
616. Tell me, if you can, whether a blinder stupidity respecting regeneration is possible than that which prevails with those who have confirmed themselves in the faith of the present day, which is, that faith is infused into man while he is like a stock or a stone, and that when it has been infused, it is followed by justification, which is forgiveness of sins, and regeneration, and other gifts besides; and also that man's effort must be wholly excluded, that it may not do violence to the merit of Christ. In order that this dogma might be still more firmly established, they have deprived man of all freedom of choice in spiritual things, by asserting his complete impotence therein. It is, then, as if God alone were to operate on His part, and no power were given to man to operate on his part, and thus conjoin himself with God. In that case what is man in respect to regeneration, but like one bound hand and foot, like the prisoners on ships called galley-slaves? And like these, if he were to free himself from those manacles and fetters, he would be punished or condemned to death, that is, if, from freedom of choice he were to do good to the neighbor, and of himself were to believe in God for the sake of salvation. If a man were confirmed in such opinions, and yet had a pious desire for heaven, what would he be like but a specter standing and speculating as to whether that faith with its benefits has been infused into him; or if not, whether it will be infused, therefore whether God the Father has taken pity on him, or whether His Son has interceded for him, or whether the Holy Spirit is inoperative because employed elsewhere? And yet, because of his complete ignorance of the matter, he might go away and console himself by saying, "Perhaps that grace is in the morality of my life, which I have and which I retain as formerly, and in me therefore it may be holy, while in those who have not attained to that faith it is profane. Therefore, in order that this holiness may remain in my morality, I will be careful hereafter not to exercise either charity or faith of myself;" with much more. Such a specter, or if you prefer, such a statue of salt, does everyone become who thinks of regeneration separated from freedom of choice in spiritual things.
616. Say, if you can, whether there can be anywhere a more stupid conception of regeneration than exists with those who confirm themselves in the faith of the present day. This teaches that faith is infused into a man as if he were a stock or a stone; that justification follows it, which means the remission of sins, regeneration and many other gifts; and that operation on man's part must be entirely excluded, lest it should do any violence to the merit of Christ. In order that this doctrine might be more firmly established, its advocates have taken away from man all free will in spiritual things, by insisting on his absolute impotence in these matters. It is, then, as if God alone were operating on His part, and no power were given to man of co-operating on his part, and thus of conjoining himself with God. As regards regeneration, man would then be as one bound hand and foot, like those chained in ships called "the galleys," who are punished and even condemned to death if they should free themselves from their fetters. He also, they insist, would suffer like punishment if he, from his own free will, were to do good to the neighbor, and of himself were to believe on God for the sake of salvation.
A man confirmed in such opinions, who yet had a pious longing for heaven, would be like a lay-figure standing with uplifted eyes to see whether that faith with its benefits has been infused into him, or if not, whether it may be infused; consequently, whether God the Father has had compassion upon him, or whether His Son has interceded for him, or whether the Holy Spirit, being engaged elsewhere, is not operating in him. At length, from his entire ignorance of the matter, such a one might go away and comfort himself with this reflection: "Possibly that grace is present in the morality of my life, in which I remain as heretofore; and thus, in my case, that morality is holy, but in the case of those who have not acquired that faith, it is profane. Therefore, in order that holiness may remain in my morality, I will take care after this not to exercise either faith or charity of myself;" and much more to the same effect. Such a lay-figure, or if you prefer it, such a pillar of salt, does every one become who thinks about regeneration without free will in spiritual things.
616. Dicite si potestis, num usquam dari possit stupiditas caecior de Regeneratione, quam qualis est apud illos, qui se in hodierna Fide confirmant, quae est, quod fides infundatur homini cum est sicut truncus aut lapis, et quod tunc illam infusam sequatur justificatio, quae est, remissio peccatorum, regeneratio, praeter plura dona; et quod operatio hominis prorsus excludenda sit, propter causam, ne merito Christi aliquam vim inferat; quod dogma ut adhuc firmius stabiliretur, homini omne liberum arbitrium in spiritualibus praeripuerunt, inducendo plenariam impotentiam in illis; et tunc sicut Deus solum operaretur a sua parte, et nulla potentia data foret homini cooperandi a sua, et sic se conjungendi; quid tunc homo quoad regenerationem, nisi sicut vinctus quoad manus et pedes, similis vinctis in navibus, galeras, 1 vocatis, qui si manicis et pedicis se exsolverent, similiter ut illi puniretur et morti damnaretur, hoc est, si ex libero arbitrio bonum faceret proximo, et ex se crederet in Deum, salutis causa.
[2] Quid foret homo in talibus confirmatus, et tamen in pio desiderio Coeli, nisi sicut larva stans in visione, num fides illa cum suis beneficiis infusa sit, aut si non, Numeri infundatur, proinde Numeri Deus Pater misertus sit, aut num Filius Ipsius intercesserit, aut num Spiritus sanctus alibi occupatus non operetur; et tandem ex plenaria ignorantia de hoc recederet, et se consolaretur per hoc, quod forte gratia illa moralitati vitae meae, in qua sum et maneo sicut prius, insit, et sic illa in me sancta, at in illis, qui fidem illam non adepti sunt, prophana; quare ut sanctitas in moralitate mea remaneat, cavebo posthac ne ex me operer fidem, nec charitatem; praeter plura; talis larva, aut si mavis, talis statua salis fit omnis, qui cogitat de Regeneratione absque Libero arbitrio in spiritualibus.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: galeres, nisi legeris galeris, sic Worcester, seu gal�res, sic Chadwick.