BE79.根据上述预言，今天的基督徒众教会中存在着如此浓重的黑暗，以至于白天没有来自太阳，夜间没有来自月亮和众星的光，完全归因于唯信称义之教条；因为该教条断言：信是得救的唯一途径；信的流入、进程、内驻、运行和功效，迄今为止没有谁见过任何迹象；十诫的律法、義、好行为、悔改、生命的追求等都不是信的理由，或者说，与信没有丝毫关系；因为该教条断言，信了之后，这些事会自然而然地发生，对持守信仰或获得救恩没有丝毫用处。此外，这一教条还声称：唯信赋予重生之人、也就是赋予那些已经获得此信的人充分的自由，从而使他们不再受律法的约束；还有，基督在父上帝的面前遮盖了他们的罪，就像它们未被发现，于是父上帝宽恕了他们，并为他们冠以更新、圣洁和永生。这些以及其它许多性质相似的观点是该教条的内在事物；至于外在事物——不参与那些内在的事物——则是義、好行为、悔改的动作、律法的践行等宝贵之事；因为上述教条的拥护者认为这些只不过是奴隶和苦役，跟从在信这位女主人身后，连靠近她都不行。但是，正如这些领袖们知道平信徒们视義与信在得救一事上的作用同等重要，因此他们小心谨慎地将其纳入讲道和谈话中，并假装将它们与称义结合在一起并作为其中一部分。然而，他们这样做只是为了安抚百姓的耳朵，护卫自己的权威，以免这些说辞看起来像个难解之谜或占卜者的解说。
79. It is due solely to the Doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone that, in accordance with the above prediction, there is at this day such thick darkness in the Christian Churches that there is no light from the sun by day nor from the moon and stars by night. For this doctrine teaches that the only means of salvation is faith; the influx, progress, indwelling, operation and efficacy of which no one has hitherto seen any sign, and into which neither the Law of the Decalogue, nor repentance, nor concern for newness of life, nor charity, nor good works, enter; nor are they in any way connected with it. For it is asserted that these things follow spontaneously, without being of any use either for preserving faith or for procuring salvation. Further, this doctrine teaches that faith alone confers on the reborn, that is, on those who have acquired this faith, the badge of liberty, so that they are not subject to the law. In addition, it is taught that Christ covers over their sins in the presence of God the Father, Who remits them as though they were not seen, and crowns the reborn with renewal, holiness and eternal life. These and many other points of a similar nature are the inner things of that doctrine; whilst the outward things, which do not enter into those interior matters, are the precious things of charity, good works, acts of repentance, and exercises of the law. For these are accounted by the upholders of the aforesaid doctrine as merely slaves and drudges who follow their mistress, faith, without being permitted to come near her. But, as these leaders know that the laity esteem the things of charity as saving equally with faith, they carefully include them in their sermons and conversation, and pretend to join them with, and insert them into, justification. However, they do this only that they may soothe the ears of the common people and safeguard their oracles, lest these should appear like enigmas or the utterances of soothsayers.
79. That, according to the above prediction, there is at this day such thick darkness throughout the Christian churches, that the sun gives no light by day, nor the moon and stars any light by night, is occasioned solely by the doctrine of justification by faith alone; for it teaches faith as the only means of salvation; of the influx, progress, indwelling, operation, and efficacy of which no one has hitherto seen any sign; and into which neither the Law of the Decalogue, nor charity, nor good works, nor repentance, nor striving after a new life, have any entrance, or are in the smallest degree connected with it; for it is asserted, that they spontaneously follow, without being of any use either to contain faith or to procure salvation. The above doctrine likewise teaches, that faith alone imparts to the regenerate, or those who are possessed of it, full liberty, so as to be no longer under the law; moreover that Christ covers over their sins before God the Father, who forgives them as though they were not seen, and crowns them with renovation, sanctity, and eternal life. These and many other things of a like nature are the interiors of that doctrine; the exteriors, which do not gain admission, are valuable sayings concerning charity, good works, acts of repentance, and exercises of the law; yet these are accounted by them merely as slaves and drudges, which follow their mistress, faith, without contiguity. But because they know that the laity account these things as equally necessary to salvation with faith, they carefully subjoin them in their sermons and discourses, and pretend to conjoin them with and insert them into justification. This, however, they do merely to tickle the ears of the common people, and to defend their oracles, that they may not appear mere riddles, or like the vain responses of soothsayers.
79. Quod secundum praedictionem in Ecclesiis Christianis hodie talis caligo sit, ut non lux e Sole sit interdiu, nec lux e Luna et Stellis sit noctu, est DOCTRINA DE JUSTIFICATIONE PER SOLAM FIDEM, unice in causa; illa enim docet Fidem ut unicum medium Salutis , de cujus influxu, progressu, inhabitatione, operatione, efficientia, nondum aliquis signum vidit; et in quam non Lex decalogi, non charitas, non bona opera, nec paenitentia, neque studium novae vitae, intrant, aut ullo modo contingunt; asserentes quod illa sponte sequantur absque usu ad continendam fidem, aut ad comparandam salutem. Docet etiam, quod illa Fides donet renatos seu adeptos rude libertatis, ut non sub lege sint; tum quod Christus peccata illorum contegat coram Deo Patre, qui illa sicut non visa remittit, et illos innovatione, sanctimonia, et vita aeterna, coronat. Haec et similia plura sunt Interiora Doctrinae istius; Exteriora, quae non intrant illa, sunt pretiosa de Charitate, de Bonis operibus, de Actibus paenitentiae, de Exercitiis legis, sed haec sunt illis sicut mancipia 1et mediastini, quae Dominam fidem absque contiguitate sequuntur: verum quia sciunt, quod Laici pendant illa salvifica una cum fide, in sermonibus et colloquiis industrie subjungunt illa, ac simulant conjungere et insertare justificationi sed modo adblandiendi auribus vulgi causa, ac tutandi sua oracula, ne appareant aenigmatica, vel sicut pythonica.
Footnotes:
1. mancipia pro mancipi a.