BE14.《协和信条》中关于功德的内容： （a）认为我们的行为配得诸罪赦免，是错误的；凭借理性的正义，人被算为正义，这也是错误的；以为靠自己理性的能力就可以爱上帝胜过一切并遵守上帝的律法，这也是错误的（p.64）。 （b）因为信自己行为上的良好，道德上的优胜，这样的信不使人称义，而是因为它紧抓着福音之中所应许的基督之功（p.76，684）。 （c）罪得赦免以及因基督的缘故而被称为义的应许不涉及功德的任何条件，因为它是白白地恩赐（p.67）。 （d）人——一个罪人——在上帝面前被称义，或者从他的诸罪以及从对刑罚最公正的审判中被宣告无罪，被接纳为上帝众子之列，全然出于恩典，无需他自己任何功德，无需他自己的任何行为——无论是过去的、现在的或将来的，完全由于基督独自的功德为了正义而归算给他（n.684）。 （e）好行为当紧随着信、罪得赦免和重生之后；因基督的缘故，无论什么污染或瑕疵在他们里面，都不算为有罪或者缺陷；于是，全人——关于他的人，还关于他的行为——已被成为并宣告为正义和圣洁，这出于基督里的纯粹的恩典和怜悯，流向我们、向我们展现并显明；因此，我们不能因自己的功德而骄傲（p.74，92，93，336）、 （f）有人信靠行为、因而认为他配得什么，他会轻视基督的功德和恩典，以人力来寻求一条基督之外的通往天上的路（p.16，17，18，19）。 （g）无论谁期望将称义归给好行为并应得上帝的恩典，对这人来说，好行为不仅无用，甚至有害（p.708）。 （h）遵守十诫的行为被列举出来，还有其它一些必要的行为，上帝应允为这些行为赐予奖赏（p.176，198）。 （i）我们教导好行为值得称赞，但实际上并非在罪得赦免、恩典和称义上值得，而是值得一些世上的奖赏，甚至此生与来世一些属灵的奖赏，因为保罗说：“各人要照自己的工夫得自己的赏赐”；基督说：“你们在天上的赏赐是大的”；经上常说“要照各人的行为报应各人”；于是，我们承认永生是个赏赐，因为照着应许，这是我们应得的东西，又因为这是上帝将他自己的恩赐加在我们头上，并不是因为我们的功德（p.96，133，134，135，136，137，138）。 （k）信徒的好行为，出于正确的原因并引向适合的目标而践行的好行为——正如上帝要求重生者所当行的——是永远得救的标记；父上帝为基督的缘故接受并悦纳这些行为，还允诺给他们今生和来世的赏赐（p.708）。 （l）尽管好行为值得奖赏，但是对于罪得赦免或永生荣耀的功德上既没有价值也不适合（p.96，135，139，附录p.174）。 （m）在最后的审判中，基督将判决善与恶的行为，作为人们信仰相应的果效和证据（p.134，附录p.187）。 （n）上帝奖赏好行为，但那是出于恩典，将他自己的恩赐赏给人，这是低地国家中众教会的信仰告白。
14. From the Formula Concordiae concerning Merit.
(a) It is false to suppose that our works merit remission of sins; false, also, that men are accounted righteous by the righteousness of reason and false to suppose that reason of its own power is capable of loving God above all things and of keeping the law of God. Page 64.
(b) Faith does not justify because it is in itself so good a work and so excellent a virtue, but because it lays hold of Christ's merit in the promise of the Gospel. Pages 76, 684.
(c) The promise of remission of sins and justification for Christ's sake does not involve any condition of merit, because it is freely offered. Page 67.
(d) Man, a sinner, is justified before God, or absolved from his sins and from the most just sentence of damnation, and adopted into the number of the children of God, by pure grace, without any merit of his own, and without any works of his own, whether past, present or future and this purely on account of the sole merit of Christ which is imputed to him for righteousness. Page 684.
(e) Good works follow faith, remission of sins and regeneration, and whatever pollution or imperfection is in them is not accounted sinful or defective; and this for Christ's sake. Thus the whole man, both as to his person and works, is rendered and pronounced righteous and holy from Christ's pure grace and mercy shed, displayed and increased, upon us; wherefore we cannot glory on account of merit. Pages 74, 92-93, 336.
(f) Whoever trusts in works as being meritorious to himself, despises the merit and grace of Christ, and seeks a way to heaven by human power without Christ. Pages 16-19.
(g) Works are not only unprofitable but even harmful to such as desire to mingle good works with the doctrine of justification, and by them to merit the grace of God. Page 708.
(h) The works of the Decalogue are specified, and other necessary works, which God honours with rewards. Pages 176, 198.
(i) We teach that good works are meritorious, not indeed as regards remission of sins, grace and justification, but as regards other bodily rewards, as also spiritual rewards in this life and after this life; for Paul says that everyone will receive a reward according to his work, and Christ says that great will be your reward in heaven. Moreover, it is frequently said that to everyone will be rendered according to his works. Wherefore we acknowledge eternal life to be a reward, because it is our due according to the promise, and because God crowns his own gifts, but not on account of our merit. Pages 96, 133-138.
(k) When the good works of believers are done for right reasons and directed to right ends, such as God requires from the reborn, they are signs of eternal salvation; and God the Father accounts them acceptable and pleasing for Christ's sake, and promises them excellent rewards in this life and in the life to come. Page 708.
(l) Although good works merit rewards, yet neither by their worthiness nor fitness do they merit remission of sins or the glory of eternal life. Pages 96, 135, 139, etc. Appendix, page 174.
(m) At the last judgment Christ will pass sentence on good and evil works as being the proper effects and evidences of men's faith. Page 134. Appendix, page 187.
(n) God rewards good works, but it is of grace that He crowns His own gifts: this is asserted in the Confession of the Churches in the Low Countries.
14. Concerning merits, from the Formula Concordiae.
(a) That it is false that our works merit remission of sins; false, that men are accounted just by the justice of reason; and false, that reason of its own strength can love God above all things, and do the law of God (p. 64).
(b) That faith does not justify because it is in itself so good a work, and so excellent a virtue, but because it lays hold of the merit of Christ in the promise of the gospel (pp. 76, 684).
(c) That the promise of remission of sins, and justification for Christ's sake, does not involve any condition of merit, because it is freely offered (p. 67).
(d) That a sinner is justified before God, or absolved from his sins, and from the most just sentence of damnation, and adopted into the number of the sons of God, without any merit of his own, and without any works of his own, whether past, present, or future, of mere grace, and only on account of the sole merit of Christ, which is imputed to him for justice (p. 684).
(e) That good works follow faith, remission of sins, and regeneration; and whatever of pollution or imperfection is in them, is not accounted sinful or defective, and that for Christ's sake; and thus that the whole man, both as to his person and his works, is rendered and pronounced just and holy, out of mere grace and mercy in Christ, shed abroad, displayed, and magnified towards us; wherefore we cannot glory on account of merit (pp. 74, 92, 93, 336).
(f) He who trusts in works, thinking he can merit anything thereby, despises the merit and grace of Christ, and seeks a way to heaven without Christ, by human strength (pp. 16, 17, 18, 19).
(g) Whosoever desires to ascribe something to good works in the article of justification, and to merit the grace of God thereby, to such a man works are not only useless, but even pernicious (p. 708).
(h) The works of the Decalogue are enumerated, and other necessary works, which God vouchsafes to reward (pp. 176, 198).
(i) We teach that good works are meritorious, not indeed of remission of sins, grace, and justification, but of other temporal rewards, and even spiritual rewards in this life, and after this life, because Paul says, "Every one shall receive a reward according to his labor"; and Christ says, "Great will be your reward in the heavens"; and it is often said, that "it shall be rendered unto every one according to his works"; wherefore we acknowledge eternal life to be a reward, because it is our due according to promise, and because God crowns His own gifts, but not on account of our merits (pp. 96, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138).
(k) That the good works of believers, when they are performed on account of true causes, and directed to right ends, such as God requires from the regenerate, are signs of eternal salvation; and that God the Father accounts them acceptable and pleasing for Christ's sake, and promises to them excellent rewards of the present life, and of that which is to come (p. 708). (That although good works merit rewards, yet neither from their worthiness nor fitness do they merit the remission of sins, or the glory of eternal life (pp. 96, 135, 139, seq.; Appendix, p. 174).
(m) That Christ at the Last Judgment will pass sentence on good and evil works, as the proper effects and evidences of men's faith (p. 134; Appendix, p. 187).
(n) That God rewards good works, but that it is of grace that He crowns His own gifts, is asserted in the Confession of the Churches in the Low Countries.
14. DE MERITIS, EX FORMULA CONCORDIAE.
(a) Quod falsum sit, opera nostra mereri remissionem peccatorum; falsum, homines reputari justos per justitiam rationis; ac falsum, rationem propriis viribus posse supra omnia amare Deum, ac legem Dei facere, p. 64.
(b) Quod fides non propterea justificet, quod ipsa tam bonum opus sit, tamque praeclara virtus, sed quia in promissione Evangelii Meritum Christi apprehendit, p. 76, 684.
(c) Quod promissio remissionis peccatorum et justificationis propter Christum non habeat conditionem meritorum, quia gratis offertur, p. 67.
(d) Quod homo peccator coram Deo justificetur seu absolvatur a suis peccatis, et a judicio justissimae damnationis, et adoptetur in numerum filiorum Dei, sine ullis nostris meritis, et absque ullis praecedentibus, praesentibus, et sequentibus nostris operibus, ex mera gratia, tantummodo propter unicum meritum Christi, quod nobis ad justitiam imputatur, p. 684.
(e) Quod fidem, remissionem peccatorum, et regenerationem, sequantur bona opera, et quod in illis pollutum et imperfectum est, pro peccato et defectu non censeatur, idque propter Christum; et quod ita totus homo tam quoad personam quam quoad opera justus et sanctus sit et nominetur, ex mera gratia et misericordia in Christo super nos effusa, expansa et amplificata, quare gloriari ob merita non possumus, p. 74, 92, 93, 336.
(f) Qui confidit operibus se mereri, is aspernatur Christi meritum et gratiam, et quaerit 1sine Christo humanis viribus vitam ad caelum, p. 16, 17, 18, 19.
(g) Si quis bona opera Articulo justificationis vult immiscere et gratiam Dei iis promereri, tali homini opera non tantum sunt inutilia, sed etiam perniciosa, p. 708.
(h) Enumerantur opera decalogi, et plura quae facienda sunt, et quae Deus ornat praemiis, p. 176, 198.
(i) Docemus bona opera meritoria esse, non remissionis peccatorum, gratiae, et justificationis, sed aliorum praemiorum corporalium, ut et spiritualium in hac vita et post hanc vitam, quia Paulus dicit, unusquisque recipiet mercedem secundum laborem, et Christus merces vestra erit multa in caelis, ac saepius dicitur quod unicuique reddetur secundum opera ejus; quare nos fatemur vitam aeternam mercedem esse, quia est res debita propter promissionem, et quia Deus coronat sua dona, sed non propter nostra merita, p. 96, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138.
(k) Quod bona Opera in credentibus, cum propter veras causas fiunt, et ad veros fines referuntur, sicut Deus ea a Renatis exigit, indicia sint aeternae salutis; et quod Deus Pater illa propter Christum accepta et grata habeat, et praeclara illis praemia hujus et futurae vitae promittat, p. 708.
(l) Quod bona opera licet merentur praemia, tamen neque ex condigno, neque ex congruo remissionem peccatorum, aut vitae aeternae gloriam mereantur, p. 96, 135, 139, seq. App. p. 174.
(m) Quod Christus in extremo judicio laturus sit sententiam de operibus bonis et malis tanquam effectis propriis et testantibus de hominum fide, p. 134. App. p. 187.
(n) Quod Deus bona Opera remuneret, sed quod gratiae sit quod coronet sua dona, IN CONFESS. ECCLESIARUM BELGICARUM.
Footnotes:
1. quaerit pro quaerit.