393.对于想要拥有属灵的生命，从而得救的人来说，信与仁不可分离，这是一个永恒不变的真理。这一事实谁都能理解，哪怕没有多少学问。当听到有人说，凡生活良善、信仰正确者皆能得救时，谁不能通过内在直觉明白、从而明智地接受这个观念？当听到有人说，只要信仰正确，没有良善的生活也能得救时，谁不会凭自己的理解力弃绝它如同弃绝落到眼里的沙子？因为他的内在直觉立刻会使他迸出这样想法：没有良善生活的人怎么可能有正确的信仰？这种情况下，有信仰不就是一幅信的图画，而非其活生生的形像吗？同样，若听到有人说，即便不信，只要过良善的生活，也能得救，他的理解力难道不会在脑子里反复思量，然后看到、觉察并思考，这也是行不通的，因为良善的生活来自神，一切本为善之善皆来自神？有良善的生活却无信仰，不就象陶匠手中的粘土，无法制成对属灵王国有用的任何器皿，只在属世王国能用吗？
此外，谁都不难看出以下两种说法都有矛盾之处：一种说法是，有信仰却没有良善生活者能得救；另一种说法是有良善的生活却无信仰者能得救。现在的人们既知道、又不知道何为良善的生活：在属世的层面知道它；在属灵的层面却不知道。由于这个问题涉及仁爱，故必须讨论它。我会将其分为若干个要点予以讨论。
393. 信與義不能分離, 這是個永恆不變的真理, 如果人想擁有屬靈的生活並被拯救。這事實能被任何人理解, 哪怕沒有受過教育之人。
假定某人說:"人若活出良善的生活,信正當的信仰, 就得救。"人若不是從內心感知,因而在認知上表示贊同, 就聽不進這一句話。假定某人說:"人若信正當的信仰, 卻不活出良善的生活, 也能得救。"任何人的理解都會拒絕這樣的說法, 如同沙塵掉進眼睛裡。他們內在的感知會即刻促使他們去想:"人不能活良善的生活, 他如何持有正當的信仰呢？那麼他所信的, 與其說是信的生活寫照, 不如說是一幅信的圖畫而已。"
同理, 如果聽到有人說:"人若活出良善的生活就可得救, 哪怕他沒有信仰。"人們將這句話翻來覆去再三掂量, 還是覺得怎麼也講不通。人們會想:"過良善的生活難道不是從上帝而來？因為真正的本質上為善的一切善事都從上帝而來。過良善的生活卻不信, 就好比陶匠手中的粘土, 不能製成心靈世界所用的任何器皿, 只能用在物質世界。"此外, 誰看不出以下兩種說法有明顯的矛盾呢？第一, 有信仰卻不過良善生活者, 被得拯救; 第二, 過良善生活卻無信仰者, 被得拯救。
如今, 人們知道,又不知道什麼是過良善的生活:在屬世層面的, 知道; 在屬靈層面的, 不知道。因為這個問題涉及到義, 有必要逐一討論。
393. It is an abiding truth that faith and goodwill cannot be separated if we are to have a spiritual life and be saved. The truth of this is understandable to everyone, even people without the refinement of a costly education.
Suppose someone says, "People who live good lives and have proper beliefs are saved. " No one could hear that without seeing it with an inner perception and therefore agreeing to it intellectually. Suppose someone says, "People who believe the right things but do not live good lives are also saved. " Any people who heard this statement would reject it from their intellect as they would remove a piece of dirt that had fallen in their eye. Their inner perception would immediately cause them to think, "People cannot have good beliefs when they do not live good lives. " What would those beliefs be except a painted model of faith rather than a living image of it?
Likewise, if people were to hear, "Those who live good lives but have no beliefs are saved, they would turn this over a few times and then perceive and think that this does not make sense either. " They would think, "Every good thing that is truly and intrinsically good comes from God; therefore living a good life comes from God. A good life without beliefs, then, is like clay in a potters hand that can be molded into forms that are only useful in the earthly kingdom, not in the spiritual kingdom. " Besides, there is an obvious contradiction in these statements, especially if you put them side by side: people are saved if they have beliefs but do not live good lives, and people are saved if they live good lives but have no beliefs.
What it is to live well, which is an aspect of goodwill, is partly known, partly unknown these days - people know what it is to live a good earthly life but not what it is to live a good spiritual life. Therefore I need to cover this point, inasmuch as it is an aspect of goodwill. The discussion will be broken into a series of individual topics.
393. It is an unchanging truth that faith and charity cannot be separated, if a person is to have a spiritual life and so be saved. This is a fact which falls within the grasp of any person's understanding, even if it has not been polished by vast amounts 1 of learning. Is there anyone who is not led by some inward perception to see and so to accept the idea intellectually, when he hears someone say that a person who lives a good life and holds a proper belief is saved? And is there anyone whose understanding does not reject, like a speck of dust getting into the eye, the statement that a person who holds a proper belief is saved too, even if he does not lead a good life? For his inward perception at once causes the thought to strike him, how could anyone hold a proper belief when he does not lead a good life? And what would believing be then but a painting of faith, rather than its living image? Likewise, if anyone were told that a person who lives a good life is saved even if he does not believe, does not his understanding, as he turns it over and over or considers it in his mind, see, perceive and think that neither is this a coherent statement, since leading a good life comes from God? For all good which is essentially good comes from God. Leading a good life then and not believing is like clay in the potter's hand, which cannot be formed into any vessel of use in the spiritual kingdom, but only in the natural one.
[2] Moreover, can anyone fail to see the contradiction in those two statements: the one, that a person is saved who believes but does not lead a good life, the other that a person is saved who leads a good life but does not believe? Now because at the present time it is known, yet not known, what leading a good life is - it is known what leading a good life is on the natural level, but not what it is on the spiritual level - since this concerns charity, it must be discussed. This will be done by splitting it up into a number of propositions.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin phrase is literally 'talents and minas', the largest units of weight employed in antiquity.
393. It is an unchanging truth, that, for man to have spiritual life, and therefore salvation, faith and charity must not be separated. This is self-evident to any man's understanding, even if it is not enriched with the treasures of learning. When one hears it said, that whoever lives well and believes aright is saved, does he not see this from a kind of interior perception and therefore assent to it with his understanding? And when he hears it said that he who believes aright and does not live well is also saved, does he not reject it from his understanding, as he would a piece of dirt falling into his eye? For from interior perception the thought instantly occurs, How can anyone believe aright when he does not live well? In that case, what is believing but a painted picture of faith, and not its living image? So again, if anyone hears it said, that whoever lives well is saved, although he does not believe, does not the understanding, while reflecting upon this or turning it over and over, see, perceive and think, that this also is not consistent, since right living is from God, because all good that is essentially good is from God? What then is living aright and not believing, but like clay in the hands of a potter, which cannot be formed into a vessel that would be of use in the spiritual kingdom, but only in the natural? Furthermore, cannot anyone see a contradiction in these two statements, namely, that he is saved who believes but does not live well, and that he is saved who lives well but does not believe? Since, then, living well, which pertains to charity, is at this day both understood and not understood - living well naturally being understood, while living well spiritually is not - therefore this subject, because it pertains to charity, shall be treated of, and this shall be done under a series of distinct propositions.
393. It is an unalterable truth that faith and charity cannot be separated, if a man is to enjoy spiritual life and be saved. This every man may understand, even if he is not endowed with talents and the treasures of learning. Everyone sees from a certain interior perception, and consequently gives the assent of his understanding, when he hears it stated that he who lives a good life and believes aright will be saved; while he rejects from his mind, as he would a speck of dust from his eye, the statement that he who believes aright, and does not live a good life, will also be saved. From interior perception the thought instantly arises, How can a man believe aright while he does not live a good life? What, then, is belief but the figure of a pictured faith, and not its living image? He may likewise hear it stated that he who lives a good life, although he does not believe, will be saved. If he gives this careful consideration he will form the clear opinion that it lacks consistency, since to live a good life is from God; for all good, which is really good, is from God. Therefore, the man who lives a good life and does not believe, is like clay in the hand of the potter, which cannot be formed into any useful vessel in the spiritual kingdom, but only in the natural kingdom. Further, who does not see the contradiction in these two statements, that he who believes but does not live well will be saved, and that he who lives a good life but does not believe will be saved? Now, because the nature of a good life, which is the life of charity, is understood to-day, and yet not understood, being understood naturally but not spiritually, therefore this subject, because it pertains to charity, shall be dealt with separately in the following series of articles.
393. Constans veritas est, quod Fides et Charitas non possint separari, ut homini Vita spiritualis sit, et inde salus; quod ita sit, cadit ex se in Intellectum cujusvis hominis, etiam non expolitum per talenta et minas eruditionis; quis non ex interiore quadam perceptione videt, et inde ex intellectu assentit, dum audit aliquem dicentem, Quod qui bene vivit, et recte credit, salvetur: et quis non ex intellectu rejicit, sicut grumum incidentem in oculum, dum audit, Quod qui recte credit, et non bene vivit, etiam salvetur, quoniam ex interiore perceptione tunc illico in cogitationem incidit, quomodo potest quis recte credere dum non bene vivit, et quid tunc credere nisi figura pictae fidei, et non aliqua imago viva ejus;
[2] similiter, si quis audiret, Quod qui bene vivit, tametsi non credit, salvetur, annon Intellectus dum hoc volvit et revolvit, seu versat, videt, percipit et cogitat, quod nec hoc cohaereat, quoniam bene vivere est a Deo, omne enim bonum, quod in se bonum est, a Deo est; quid tunc est bene vivere et non credere, nisi sicut lutum in manu figuli, quod non formabile est ad aliquod vas usus in Regno spirituali, sed modo in Regno naturali: et praeterea, quis non videt contradictionem in duobus illis, nimirum in hoc, Quod salvetur qui credit et non bene vivit, tum in hoc, Quod salvetur qui bene vivit et non credit. Nunc quia Bene vivere, quod est Charitatis, hodie scitur et non scitur, scitur quid naturaliter bene vivere, et non scitur quid spiritualiter bene vivere, 1 ideo de hoc, quia est charitatis, transigetur, quod distincte fiet in Serie per Articulos.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: vicere.