270.这些事实可以证实,新教徒和改革宗教会所拥有的圣言通过属灵的联系启示各民族和人民。它们还说明,主规定,地上应该始终有一个阅读圣言,从而认识主的教会。因此,当天主教徒几乎完全拒绝接受圣言,按照主的圣治,宗教改革运动就发生了,圣言由此可以说从其隐藏之地被拖了出来,被投入使用。所以,当犹太民族所拥有的圣言被完全歪曲和玷污,以至于变得毫无效果时,主乐意从天上降下来,作为圣言到来并应验它,从而恢复并重建它,再次将光赋予地上的居民,就像主说的那样:
坐在黑暗里的百姓看见了大光;坐在死荫之地的人,有光出现照耀他们。(以赛亚书9:2;马太福音4:16)
270. 這些事實可以證實, 更正教與改革教所持有的聖言通過屬靈的交流成為所有民族和百姓的啟蒙之源。這些事實也表明, 主會確保地上一直有一個教會; 聖言在此被讀,因而主被認識。因此當聖言幾乎被羅馬天主教排斥時, 通過主的聖治, 以改革的教會取而代之。於是可以說, 聖言從其隱藏之所取出, 發揮用途。事實上, 當聖言在猶太民族完全被歪曲和污染時, 幾乎淪為虛無,不再是聖言, 於是主決定從天降世, 成為聖言, 並成全聖言的一切, 藉著如此行, 祂使聖言恢復並重建, 再次光照我們世上的居民, 正如主自己在下面這些話所講:"那坐在黑暗裡的百姓, 看見了大光; 坐在死蔭之地的人, 有光發現照著他們"(以賽亞書9:2;馬太福音4:16)。
270. You can see then that the Word that exists among Protestants and the Reformed enlightens all nations and peoples through a spiritual communication. You can also see that the Lord ensures that there is always a church on earth where the Word is being read and the Lord is becoming known through it. When the Word was virtually rejected by Catholics, in the Lord's divine providence the Reformation took place. As a result, the Word was taken from its hiding places, so to speak, and put to use. In fact, when the Word among the Jewish nation had been thoroughly falsified and contaminated, and more or less ceased to be the Word, then the Lord chose to come down from heaven, become the Word, and fulfill it. By doing this he put the Word back together and restored it, giving light once again to the inhabitants of our world, as the Lord himself says in these words: "The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light; on the people sitting in the realm and shadow of death the light has dawned" (Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:16).
270. These facts can establish that the Word possessed by the Protestants and the Reformed churches is the source of enlightenment to all nations and peoples by means of spiritual communication. They also show that the Lord provides that there should always be on earth a church where the Word is read and thus the Lord becomes known. Therefore when the Word was more or less rejected by the Roman Catholics, by the Lord's Divine providence the Reformation took place, and so the Word was, so to speak, dragged out of its hiding place and put to use. Also, when the Word possessed by the Jewish nation was utterly falsified and adulterated, so that it became practically null, then it pleased the Lord to come down from heaven, to come as the Word and fulfil it, thus renewing and restoring it, and to give light again to the inhabitants of the earth, as these words of the Lord relate:
The people that sat in darkness have seen a great light; for those who sat in the region and shadow of death, upon them a light has dawned, Isaiah 9:1 and Matthew 4:16.
270. From all this it can be seen that the Word which is in the possession of the Protestant and Reformed churches, enlightens by spiritual communication all nations and peoples; also that the Lord provides that there shall always be on earth a church where the Word is read, and thereby the Lord is made known. Therefore when the Papists had almost wholly rejected the Word, by the Lord's Divine Providence the Reformation took place, whereby the Word was drawn as it were from concealment and brought into use. So when the Word had been wholly falsified and adulterated by the Jewish nation, and, as it were, made of no effect, it , pleased the Lord to descend from heaven, and to come as the Word, and fulfill it, and thereby to restore and reestablish it, and give light once more to the inhabitants of the earth, according to the words of the Lord:
The people that sit in darkness saw a great light; and to them that sit in the land and shadow of death, to them did the light spring up (Isaiah 9:8; Matthew 4:16).
270. From these considerations it may be evident that the Word, possessed by Protestants and the Reformed, enlightens all nations and peoples by spiritual communication; and further, that the Lord provides that there should always be on earth a Church where the Word is read, and the Lord thereby made known. When, therefore, the Word was almost totally rejected by the Romish Church, through the Divine Providence of the Lord the Reformation took place, in consequence of which the Word was rescued from concealment, as it were, and brought into use. Moreover, when the Word with the Jewish nation was entirely falsified and defiled, and made as of none effect, it pleased the Lord to descend from heaven, and coming as the Word, to fulfil it, and thus to renew and restore it, giving light again to the inhabitants of the earth, according to His own words:
"The people which sat in darkness, saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up" Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:18.
270. Ex his constare potest, quod Verbum, quod est apud Protestantes et Reformatos, illustret omnes Gentes et Populos per communicationem spiritualem; tum quod provideatur a Domino, ut in Tellure semper sit Ecclesia ubi Verbum legitur, et per id Dominus notus fiat; Quare cum Verbum a Pontificiis paene rejectum est, ex Divina Domini Providentia Reformatio facta est, et inde Verbum sicut e latebris extractum est, et missum in usum. Quando etiam Verbum apud Gentem Judaicam prorsus falsificatum et adulteratum erat, et quasi nullum factum est, tunc placuit Domino e Coelo descendere, ac ut Verbum venire, ac implere illud, et per id redintegrare et restituere illud, ac iterum dare lucem Incolis telluris, secundum haec Domini verba, Populus sedens in tenebris vidit Lucem magnam; sedentibus in regione et umbra mortis, Lux exorta illis est, Esaias 9:1, 1 et Matthaeus 4:16.
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