642# 会议的决议和信条的条款，即更正教徒所宣誓承认的那些文件中说，上帝借着基督被注入的功德，使不敬虔的人称义。然而，不敬虔的人甚至不能与一位天使的良善相通，更不能与之结合；否则，这良善必被排斥并反弹回来，如同弹性球被掷向墙壁一样；或者被吞没，如同钻石被投入沼泽一样。甚至若有某种真正的良善被强行塞入他里面，就如同把珍珠系在猪鼻上。因为谁不知道，怜悯不能被注入无怜悯之中，纯真不能被注入报复之中，爱不能被注入仇恨之中，和谐不能被注入纷争之中；这就如同把天堂与地狱混合在一起。
未重生的人，就其灵而言，如同豹，又如同猫头鹰，也可比作荆棘和荨麻；但重生的人则如同绵羊，又如同鸽子，也可比作橄榄树和葡萄树。请你们思想一下，若愿意的话，一个豹一样的人怎能借着神性公义的某种归算、裁定或应用，变成绵羊一样的人？猫头鹰怎能变成鸽子？荆棘怎能变成橄榄树？荨麻怎能变成葡萄树？这种神性公义反而会定他的罪，而不是使他称义。若要发生转变，难道不必须先除去豹和猫头鹰的兽性，或荆棘和荨麻的有害性质，并在其位置上植入真正人性的、无害的东西吗？至于这是如何实现的，主也在约翰福音中教导了（约15:1—7）。
642# 在议会的法令和改革宗发誓遵守的《信仰告白》的条款中，我们读到，神通过将基督的功德注入恶人而使他称义；而事实上，甚至连任何天使的良善都不能传给恶人，更不用说与他结合了，它会像扔到墙上的弹性球一样被弹回来，或像沉入沼泽的钻石一样被吞没；实际上，如果有什么真正的良善被强加给他，这就像把一颗珍珠拴在了猪鼻子上。因为谁不知道，怜悯不能注入无情或残忍，纯真不能注入报复，爱不能注入仇恨，或和谐不能注入不和谐？这就像把天堂和地狱混在一起。没有重生的人在灵里就像豹子或猫头鹰，可以比作荆棘或荨麻；而重生的人就像绵羊或鸽子，可以比作橄榄树或葡萄树。你若愿意，请你考虑一下，通过神性公义的任何归算、归给，或应用，人豹或豹-人怎能变成人羊或羊-人，或猫头鹰怎能变成鸽子，荆棘怎能变成橄榄树，荨麻怎能变成葡萄树呢？这与其说使他称义，不如说诅咒他，或给他定罪。在这种转变能发生之前，豹子和猫头鹰的野蛮性质，或荆棘和荨麻的有害品质或性质，必须先除去，一种真正人性和无害的性质才能被植入，以取而代之。主在约翰福音（15:1-7）中也教导了这是如何实现的。
642. In the decrees of the councils and the articles of the confessions that Protestants swear to observe, we read that through an infusion of Christ's merit God justifies the godless. In fact, though, not even the goodness of an angel can be communicated to a godless person, much less joined to that person, without either being rejected and bouncing back like a rubber ball thrown against a solid wall, or being swallowed up like a diamond thrown into a swamp. In fact, forcing something truly good on such a person would be like tying a pearl to the snout of a pig.
Surely everyone realizes that you cannot inject mercy into ruthlessness, or innocence into revenge, or love into hatred, or harmony into discord. Doing so would be like mixing heaven and hell.
People who have not been reborn are, in spirit, like panthers and eagle-owls; they can be compared to brambles and stinging nettles. People who have been reborn are like sheep and doves, and they can be compared to olive trees and grapevines. Please consider, if you will, how panther-people could possibly be converted into sheep-people, or eagle-owls into doves, or brambles into olive trees, or stinging nettles into grapevines, through any assignment or attribution or application of divine justice. Would that process not sooner condemn them than justify them? In reality, in order for that conversion to take place the predatory nature of the panther and the eagle-owl and the damaging nature of the brambles and the stinging nettles must first be removed and something truly human and harmless implanted in their place. The Lord in fact teaches in John 15:1-7 how this transformation occurs.
642. The decrees of the Councils and the articles of the Confessions which the members of Reformed churches swear to uphold state that God justifies the ungodly man by infusing into him Christ's merit. Yet the good of any angel cannot be shared with, much less linked to an ungodly person, without being rejected and bouncing back like a rubber ball thrown against a wall, or without being swallowed up like a diamond dropped into a marsh. In fact, if anything truly good were forced into him, it would be like a pearl tied to the snout of a pig. Everyone knows that compassion cannot be injected into mercilessness, innocence into revenge, love into hatred, concord into discord - it would be like mixing heaven and hell together.
A person who has not been born again is, as far as his spirit is concerned, like a panther or an owl, and can be likened to a briar or a nettle. But one who is reborn is like a sheep or a dove, and can be likened to an olive tree or a vine. Just consider, if you please, how a panther-man can be turned into a sheep-man, or an owl into a dove, or a briar into an olive tree or a nettle into a vine, by means of any imputation, attribution or application of Divine righteousness. It would be more likely to damn him than to justify him. Surely if anything is to be turned into anything else, the bestiality of the panther and the owl, or the harmfulness of the briar and nettle, must first be removed, and in its stead what is truly human and harmless implanted? How this may be is also taught by the Lord in John (John 15:1-7).
642. In the decrees of the Councils and in the articles of the Confessions to which the Reformed make oath, it is declared that God justifies the wicked man by means of the merit of Christ infused into him, when, in fact, not even the good of any angel can be communicated to a wicked person, still less conjoined to him, without being thrown back and rebounding like an elastic ball thrown against a wall, or swallowed up like a diamond sunk in a marsh; and indeed, if anything truly good was thrust upon him, it would be like a pearl fastened to a swine's snout. For who does not know that clemency cannot be introduced into unmercifulness, innocence into vindictiveness, love into hatred, or concord into discord, which would be like mixing together heaven and hell? The man who has not been born again, is in the spirit like a panther or an owl, and may be likened to a thorn or a nettle; while the man who has been born again is like a sheep or a dove, and may be likened to an olive tree or a vine. Reflect, I pray you, if you will, how a human panther can be converted into a human sheep, or an owl into a dove, or a thorn tree into an olive tree, or a nettle into a vine, by any imputation, ascription, or application of the Divine righteousness, which would rather damn than justify him. Before such a conversion could take place, must not the ferine nature of the panther and owl, or the noxious qualities of the thorn and nettle first be taken away, and what is truly human and harmless be implanted in their place? How this is effected the Lord also teaches in John (15:1-7).
642. It is said in the decrees of the Councils, and in the Articles of the Confessions to which the Reformed 1 subscribe, that God justifies the wicked by the merit of Christ infused into them. Yet the good of any angel cannot even be communicated, still less conjoined, to a wicked man. It would be rejected, rebounding like a rubber ball thrown against a wall, or be swallowed up like a diamond thrown into a marsh; indeed, if anything really good were to be forced upon him it would be like a pearl tied to a swine's snout. For who does not know that mercy cannot be infused into cruelty, innocence into revenge, love into hatred, concord into discord? This would be like mingling heaven and hell.
The man who has not been born again as to his spirit is like a panther or an owl, and may be likened to a thorn and a nettle; but the man who has been born again is like a sheep or a dove, and may be compared to an olive-tree or a vine. Please consider, I pray, how a human panther can be converted into a sheep, an owl into a dove, a thorn into an olive-tree, or a nettle into a vine, by any imputation, ascription, or application of Divine righteousness; this would condemn rather than justify. For this conversion to take place, the savage nature of the panther and of the owl, or the noxious nature of the thorn and of the nettle must first be removed, and a nature truly human and harmless be implanted in their stead. How this is effected, the Lord teaches in John 15:1-7.
Footnotes:
1. Reformed, Protestants.
642. Dicitur in Decretis Conciliorum et in Articulis Confessionum, in quos Reformati jurant, quod Deus per meritum Christi infusum justificet impium, cum tamen impio ne quidem communicari, minus conjungi potest bonum alicujus Angeli, quin rejiciatur et resiliat sicut globus elasticus conjectus in parietem, aut absorbeatur sicut adamas immissa in paludem, imo si aliquod vere bonum intruderetur, foret sicut margarita alligaretur naribus porci; nam quis non scit, quod clementia non possit injici in immisericordiam, innocentia in vindictam, amor in odium, concordia in discordiam, quod foret sicut commiscere Coelum et Infernum: homo non renatus est quoad spiritum suum sicut panthera aut sicut bubo, et assimilari potest senti et urticae, at homo renatus est sicut ovis aut sicut columba, et assimilari potest oleae aut viti; cogitate, quaeso, si libet, quomodo potest homo panthera converti in hominem ovem, aut bubo in columbam, aut sentis in oleam, aut urtica in vitem, per aliquam imputationem, addicationem, applicationem Divinae justitiae, quae potius illum damnaret, quam justificaret; annon ut conversio fiat, ferinum pantherae et bubonis, aut noxium sentis et urticae, prius auferendum est, et loco ejus vere humanum et innocuum implantandum est: quomodo hoc fit, etiam docet Dominus apud Johannem 15:1-7.