351、⒂在这些人当中，那些承认神，并出于宗教信仰按照正义的世间法律生活的人会得救。全世界所有承认神，并出于宗教信仰照世间法律生活的人都会得救。我们所说的世间法律是指包含在十诫中的那类戒律。这些戒律是：不可杀人，不可奸淫，不可偷盗，不可作假见证。这些戒律成为地上所有国家的世间法律，因为没有它们，国家就无法维系。
不过，有些人照这些戒律生活，是出于对法律制裁的畏惧，有些人则出于对世间权力的顺服，也有些人是出于宗教信仰。得救的，正是那些出于宗教信仰如此行的人。原因在于，神在他们里面，有神在里面的人就得救了。谁看不出，以色列人在离开埃及之前，他们的法律也禁止杀人、奸淫、偷盗、作假见证？因为没有这些法律，他们的团体或社会就无法维系。然而，在西乃山上，耶和华神在惊心动魄的奇迹中却颁布了同样的律法。但颁布它们为的是使这些法律也变成宗教律法；这样，人们遵守它们就不再只是为了社会利益，还为了神的缘故；当他们出于宗教信仰为了神的缘故服从这些法律时，就得救了。
由此明显可知，承认神并照公义的世间法律生活的异教徒得救了。因为对主一无所知，因而对与一位妻子的婚姻贞洁一无所知，并非他们的过错。事实上，将那些承认神，出于规定当避开邪恶，因它们违反神，当行善事，因它们讨神喜悦的宗教信仰，照公义的法律生活之人定罪，那才叫违背神的公义。
351、（15）世间一切承认神并遵守法律的人都能获救。所谓的法律是指与十诫中相通的那些法律。即不去杀害别人，不犯奸淫罪，不偷盗，不作伪证。法律中与十诫相通的这些内容是一切国家都应遵守的。没有这些，没有任何国家能够存在。但是，有些人遵守是出于对惩罚的惧所，一些是出于对律法的服从，一些是出于宗教的原因。那些将律法同时做为宗教信条而服从的人会得救。这是因为神此时存在于他们中，有神存在于其中的人是会得救的。
人们会看到，以色列人离开埃及时，他们中有不谋杀，不犯奸淫，不偷盗，不作伪证的法律，他们的社会若没有这些就可能存在。主又在西奈山上宣布了同样的律法以便使之成为宗教信条。以便人们不仅要出于对社会的利益的考虑而服从它，还要出于宗教，为了神而服从法律，以便得救。
所以那些承认神并按律法生活的异教徒能够得救。因为对一个妻子的婚姻的无知不是他们的错。神圣律法，不会归罪于那些承认神，出于宗教而遵守法律，并且拒绝罪恶的人。
351. (xv) Of these those are saved who, despite being polygamists, acknowledge God, and live for religious reasons in accordance with the civil laws of justice.
All throughout the world are saved, who acknowledge God and live from a religious motive in accordance with the civil law-code. By civil law-code we mean the kind of precepts contained in the Ten Commandments, prohibitions of murder, adultery, theft and false witness. These precepts are incorporated into the civil law-code in all the kingdoms of the earth, because without them no kingdom could hold together.
[2] But some people live by these precepts out of fear of legal penalties, some out of obedience to civil power, some also for religious reasons. It is those who do this for religious reasons who are saved. The reason is that God is in them, and a person who has God in him is saved. Can anyone fail to see that the Children of Israel on their departure from Egypt had among their laws the prohibitions of murder, adultery, theft and false witness, since their community or society would not have been able to hold together without them? Yet those same laws were proclaimed by Jehovah God on Mount Sinai amid an astonishing miracle. But the reason they were proclaimed was so that these same laws should become also laws of religion. They were thus to observe them not merely for the good of the community, but also for God's sake; and when they did so for religious reasons, for God's sake, they were saved.
[3] From this it can be established that the heathen who acknowledge God and live in accordance with a civil law-code are saved. For they cannot be blamed for knowing nothing of the Lord, and consequently nothing of the chastity of marriage with one wife. For it is contrary to Divine justice that those should be condemned, who acknowledge God and live for religious reasons in accordance with the laws of justice, which prescribe the shunning of evils, because they are offences against God, and doing good deeds, because they are pleasing to God.
351. 15. Of the latter, even though polygamous, those are saved who acknowledge God and from religion live according to civil laws of justice. All in the entire world are saved who acknowledge God and live according to civil laws of justice as a matter of religion. By civil laws of justice we mean such injunctions as are found in the Ten Commandments, namely, not to commit murder, not to commit adultery, not to steal, and not to bear false witness. These injunctions are civil laws of justice in all countries of the earth, for without them no state would survive.
[2] However, some people live according to them out of fear of the law's penalties, some out of a civic obedience, and some as a matter of religion as well; and those who live according to them as a matter of religion as well are saved. That is because God is then in them; and any person who has God in him is saved.
Who does not see that when the children of Israel set out from Egypt, they had among their laws not to commit murder, not to commit adultery, not to steal, and not to bear false witness, since their fellowship or society could not have survived without those laws? And yet the same laws were then proclaimed by Jehovah God on Mount Sinai in a stupefying and miraculous manner. But the reason they were so proclaimed was to make those laws also laws of religion, so that people might do them not only for the good of society, but also for God, and in doing them for God out of religion, be saved.
[3] It can be seen from this that pagans who acknowledge God and live according to civil laws of justice are saved. For it is not their fault that they know nothing regarding the Lord, consequently nothing regarding the chastity of marriage with one wife. Indeed, it is contrary to Divine justice that any be condemned who acknowledge God and live according to laws of justice as a matter of religion, which is to abstain from evils because they are against God and do good things because they accord with God.
351. 15. Even the polygamists among Mohammedans are saved if they acknowledge God and from religion live according to the laws of civil justice. Everyone in the entire world who acknowledges God and lives by laws of civil justice because of religion is saved. Laws of civil justice means rules like the ones in the Commandments, which are not to kill, not to commit adultery, not to steal, not to testify falsely. These rules are the laws of civil justice in all countries on earth, for a country would not survive without them. But some people live according to the laws from fear of the law's penalties, some from civil obedience, and some also from religion. Those who live by them also from religion are saved.
The reason is that then God is in them, and the person whom God is in is saved. Who does not see that before the departure from Egypt, not to kill, not to commit adultery, not to steal, and not to testify falsely were among the Children of Israel's laws because their community or society could not have survived without them? And yet Jehovah God pronounced these same laws on Mount Sinai with a stupendous miracle. But the reason for those pronouncements was to make the laws religious laws, too, and in this way make them not just for the good of society, but also for God, and so that when the people did them from religion, for God, they would be saved.
These things may establish that pagans who acknowledge God and live by laws of civil justice are saved. For it is not their fault that they know nothing about the Lord, consequently nothing about the chastity of marriage with one wife. For it is against Divine Justice for people to be damned when they acknowledge God and on account of religion live the laws of justice - to avoid wrongs because they are against God and do good things because good things are for God.
351. XV. THAT OF THESE, THOSE ARE SAVED, ALTHOUGH POLYGAMISTS, WHO ACKNOWLEDGE GOD AND FROM RELIGION LIVE ACCORDING TO THE CIVIL LAWS OF JUSTICE. All men throughout the whole globe who acknowledge God and from religion live according to the civil laws of justice are saved. By the civil laws of justice are meant precepts such as are in the Decalogue. These are: That one must not kill, must not commit adultery, must not steal, must not bear false witness. These precepts are civil laws of justice in all kingdoms on earth, for without them no kingdom could stand.
[2] But by some they are obeyed from fear of legal penalties, by some from civil obedience, and by some from religion also; and those by whom they are obeyed from religion also, are saved. The reason is because then God is in them, and the man in whom God is, is saved. Who does not see that with the sons of Israel, before 1their departure from Egypt, it was among their laws that one must not kill, or commit adultery, or steal, or bear false witness? for without these laws their community or society could not have stood. And yet the same laws were promulgated by Jehovah God upon Mount Sinai with a stupendous miracle; but the cause of this promulgation was that these same laws might be made laws of religion also; thus that men might obey them not only for the sake of the good of society but also for the sake of God; and that when they obeyed them from religion for the sake of God, they might be saved.
[3] From the above it is evident, that pagans who acknowledge God and live according to the civil laws of justice are saved, it not being their fault that they know nothing about the Lord and consequently nothing about the chastity of marriage with one wife. It is contrary to Divine Justice that those should be condemned who acknowledge God and from religion obey the laws of justice, which are, to shun evils because they are against God, and to do goods because they are with God.
Footnotes:
1. The text reads: postquam, but see Doct. of Life, no. 53.
351. (xv) Among these those are saved, though they are polygamists, who acknowledge God and for religion's sake live according to the civil laws of justice. All are saved throughout the world who acknowledge God and on account of religion live according to the civil laws of justice. By civil laws of justice are meant such precepts as those of the Decalogue, that adultery is not to be committed, nor murder, nor theft, nor false witness. These precepts are civil laws of justice in all kingdoms of the earth, for no kingdom would survive without them.
[2] But some live according to them for fear of the law's penalties, some out of civic obedience, and some also for religion's sake. Those who live according to them for religion's sake, too, are saved. For then God is in the man, and the man in whom God is, is saved. Who does not see that when the children of Israel left Egypt they must already have had such laws as that murder was not to be done, nor adultery, nor theft, nor false witness, since their community or society could not have subsisted without such laws? Yet the very same laws were promulgated from Jehovah God on Mount Sinai with an astonishing miracle. The reason for that promulgation was that the selfsame laws might be made laws of religion, too, and that thus men might do them not only for the good of society, but on God's account, and that in observing them for religion's sake on account of God, might be saved.
[3] It can be seen from this that pagans who acknowledge God and live according to the civil laws of justice are saved. It is not their fault that they know nothing of the Lord, consequently nothing of the chastity of marriage with one wife. It is contrary to Divine justice that any should be condemned who acknowledge God and from religion live according to the laws of justice, which are to shun evils because they are against God and to do goods because they are in accord with God.
351. (15) That of these, they are saved, although polygamists, who acknowledge a God, and from religion live according to the civil laws of justice. All, throughout the whole world, who acknowledge a God and live according to the civil laws of justice, from religion, are saved. By the civil laws of justice are meant precepts such as are in the Decalogue, which are: That a man must not kill must not commit adultery; must not steal; must not bear false witness. These precepts are civil laws of justice in all kingdoms on earth; for without them no kingdom could endure. But they are lived by some for fear of the penalties of the law, by some from civil obedience, and by some from religion also; and they by whom they are lived also from religion are saved. The reason is that then God is in them, and the man in whom God is, is saved. Who does not see that with the sons of Israel, from the time they went forth out of Egypt, it was among their laws that one must not kill, must not commit adultery, must not steal, must not bear false witness, since without these laws their community or society could not have subsisted? And yet the same laws were promulgated by Jehovah God upon Mount Sinai with a stupendous miracle. But the reason of their promulgation was, that the same laws might also be made laws of religion, and so, that they should do them not only for the good of society but also for the sake of God, and that through doing them from religion for the sake of God they might be saved.
From these considerations it is evident that pagans who acknowledge a God and live according to the civil laws of justice are saved. For it is not their fault that they know nothing about the Lord, and consequently nothing about the chastity of marriage with one wife. For it is contrary to Divine justice that they who acknowledge a God and from religion live the laws of justice-which are, to shun evils because they are sins against God and to do goods because they are with God, should be condemned.
351. XV: Quod ex his illi, tametsi polygami, salventur, qui agnoscunt Deum, et ex religione vivunt secundum leges justitiae civiles. Omnes in Universo terrarum Orbe, qui agnoscunt Deum, et vivunt secundum leges justitiae civiles ex religione, salvantur: per leges justitiae civiles, intelliguntur praecepta, qualia sunt in Decalogo, quae sunt, quod non occidendum, non moechandum, non furandum, non false testandum; haec praecepta sunt leges justitiae civiles in omnibus Regnis terrae, nam sine illis Regnum non subsisteret.
[2] Sed vivuntur a quibusdam ex timore poenarum legis, a quibusdam ex obedientia civili, a quibusdam etiam ex religione, et illi, a quibus vivuntur etiam ex religione, salvantur; causa est, quia tunc Deus in illis est, et homo, in quo est Deus, salvatur. Quis non videt, quod apud filios Israelis, postquam ex Aegypto profecti sunt, inter Leges illorum fuerint, quod non occidendum sit, non moechandum, non furandum, non false testandum, quoniam communio seu societas illorum absque illis legibus non potuisset subsistere; et tamen eaedem Leges a Jehovah Deo super monte Sinai cum stupendo Miraculo promulgatae sunt; sed causa promulgationis illarum fuit, ut eaedem Leges fierent etiam leges religionis, et sic quod facerent illas non solum propter Societatis bonum, sed etiam propter Deum, et quod cum facerent illas ex religione propter Deum, salvarentur.
[3] Ex his constare potest, quod Pagani, qui agnoscunt Deum, et vivunt secundum leges justitiae civiles, salventur; non enim illorum culpa est, quod non sciant aliquid de Domino, consequenter non aliquid de castitate conjugii cum una uxore: nam contra Divinam Justitiam est, quod qui agnoscunt Deum, ac vivunt ex religione leges justitiae, quod est 1fugere mala quia contra Deum sunt, et facere bona quia cum Deo sunt, condemnentur.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: quae sunt