Life9.迄今为止，几乎没有人知道他所行的良善是出于自己，还是出于神，因为教会将信与仁分离了，而良善与仁有关。一个人施舍穷人，救济穷乏的人，捐赠礼拜的场所或教堂和医院，关注教会、国家和同胞的福祉，勤去礼拜的场所，在那里虔诚地听道并祷告，阅读圣言和宗教经籍，思想救恩，却不知道他做这些事是出于自己还是出于神。他既可以出于神做这些事，也可以出于自己做这些事。如果他出于神做这些事，它们就是良善；如果他出于自己做这些事，它们就不是良善。事实上，还有一些出于自己所行的良善明显是邪恶，如伪善，其目的是欺骗和诡诈。
9. No One Can Do Anything Genuinely Good on His or Her Own
THE reason hardly any of us has known whether our good actions were coming from ourselves or from God is that the church has divorced faith from caring, and doing good comes from caring. We give to the poor; help those in need; endow churches and hostels; are considerate of our church, our country, and our fellow citizens; attend church regularly and worship and pray devoutly when we do; read the Word and religious literature; and think about our salvation - all without knowing whether our actions come from ourselves or from God. These same actions can come from ourselves or from God. If these actions come from God, they are good; if they come from ourselves, they are not good. In fact, there are acts that in and of themselves resemble good ones and yet are obviously evil - hypocritical good deeds, for example, that are deceptive and deliberately misleading.
9. No One Can of Himself Do Good That Is Good
No one has previously known whether the good he does originates from himself or from God, because the church has separated faith from charity, and goodness is an expression of charity. A person gives to the poor, donates to the needy, contributes to churches and shelters, looks out for the welfare of his church, country, and fellow citizens, regularly goes to church, devoutly listens then and prays, reads the Word and books of piety, and thinks about salvation; and this without knowing whether he does these things of himself or from God. He can do these very things from God, or he can do them of himself. If he does them from God, they are good. If he does them of himself, they are not good. In fact, we encounter goods of this kind, done by people of themselves, which are clearly evil, such as hypocritical goods, which are deceptive and fraudulent.
9. II. NO ONE CAN DO GOOD, WHICH IS GOOD, FROM HIMSELF
At this day scarcely any one knows whether the good which he does is from himself or from God, because the Church has separated faith from charity, and good has relation to charity. A man gives to the poor, assists the needy, endows churches and hospitals, promotes the welfare of the Church, of his country and of his fellow citizens, diligently attends places of worship and then devoutly listens and prays, reads the Word and books of piety, and thinks about salvation; and yet he knows not whether he does such things from himself or from God. It is possible that he may do the same things from God, and he may do them from himself. If he does them from God they are good; if from himself they are not good. Indeed, there are such good deeds done from self which obviously are evil, as hypocritical good deeds which are deceitful and fraudulent.
9. NO ONE CAN FROM HIMSELF DO WHAT IS GOOD THAT IS REALLY GOOD.
That hitherto scarcely anyone knows whether the good done by him is from self or from God, is because the church has sundered faith from charity, and good is of charity. A man gives to the poor; relieves the needy; endows places of worship and hospitals; has regard for the church, his country, and his fellow citizen; is diligent in his attendance at a place of worship, where he listens and prays devoutly; reads the Word and books of piety; and thinks about salvation; and yet is not aware whether he is doing these things from himself, or from God. He may be doing the very same things from God, or he may be doing them from self. If he does them from God they are good, if from self they are not good. In fact there are goods of this kind done from self which are eminently evil, such as hypocritical goods, the purpose of which is deception and fraud.
9. (II.) QUOD NEMO POSSIT BONUM FACERE, QUOD BONUM EST, A SE.
Quod hactenus vix aliquis sciat, num bonum quod facit sit a se, vel a Deo, est causa, quia ecclesia separavit fidem a charitate, et bonum est charitatis. Homo dat pauperibus, opitulatur egenis, impendit templis et xenodochiis, consulit ecclesiae, patriae et concivi, sedule invisit templum, tunc devote auscultat et orat, Verbum et libros pietatis legit, et cogitat de salute, et non scit num illa faciat a se vel a Deo. Eadem potest facere ex Deo, et potest facere ex se; si illa ex Deo facit, bona sunt; si ex se, non bona sunt. Immo dantur similia bona ex se, quae exstanter mala sunt; ut sunt bona hypocritica, quae deceptoria et fraudulenta.