434.至于聚会，在最早期的教会，这些聚会在那些在基督里视他们自己为兄弟的人当中举行。因此，它们是仁爱的聚会，因为那里有属灵的弟兄情谊。在教会面临困境时，这些聚会还用来安慰；在教会兴旺时，用来庆祝；还用于学习、工作之余恢复精神、讨论各种事务。由于它们以属灵之爱为源头，故其理性与道德也有属灵的源头。如今的聚会是在朋友当中进行的，其目的在于社交的乐趣，通过交谈愉悦心情，并因此开阔心胸，解放思想，从而恢复身体感官功能，全面恢复健康。然而，仁爱的聚会已不复存在。因为主说：在世代的末了（也就是教会的末期），只因不法的事增多，许多人的爱心才渐渐冷淡了（马太福音24:12）。原因在于，教会已不再承认主神救世主为天地之神，不再直接靠近祂，就是真正仁爱的唯一源头和给予者。然而，模仿仁爱的友谊若不能将心智结合在一起，这样的聚会只不过是友谊的伪装，相爱的虚假表演，使人感觉受到恩宠的诱惑性暗示，是向肉体、尤其感官的欢娱所献上的祭品。人们由此象帆船一样被风帆和顺流带走，而谄媚者和伪君子则站在船尾掌舵。
434. 至於聚會, 在最早期教會中, 這些聚會發生在那些視自己在基督裡為一家人的人們之中。因此, 這些是與義相關的聚會, 因為在此有屬靈上的弟兄情誼。在教會面臨困境時, 這些聚會還用來安慰; 在教會增長時, 用來慶祝; 還用於學習和工作之余疲憊心靈的安息; 還用來討論各樣的事務。因為這些聚會以屬靈之愛為源泉, 所以其理性與道德也有屬靈的源頭。
如今, 朋友間也有聚會, 其目的在於尋求社交的歡樂, 彼此激勵的交談。這可導致思想的拓寬, 受限的見解得以解放, 身體活力得以恢復, 讓全人的健康得以修復。
然而, 與義相關的聚會已不復存在。因為主說, 在世代的末了, 也就是教會的末期, 不義將增多, 愛將冷淡(馬太福音24:12)。因為教會已不承認主上帝拯救者為天地之上帝, 不直接地走向這位真義的唯一源泉與提供者。
然而, 沒有友誼的,模仿義的,聯絡感情的聚會, 僅僅是以友誼為藉口,彼此相愛的虛假見證,使別人領恩的手段,物質享受的沉迷——特別是肉欲的沉迷。人們被此類聚會迷戀牽引著, 如同船隻被風帆和暗湧牽引, 馬屁精與偽君子在船尾掌舵。
434. As for parties, there were some that were held in the early church by people who referred to themselves as a "family in Christ. " These were parties that related to goodwill, because the people felt a spiritual kinship. These parties were also a source of comfort during times of adversity in the church; they were celebrations of the church's growth; and they served as a rest for the soul from study and work, and a chance to have conversations on different topics. Because these parties flowed from spiritual love as their source, they were rational and moral with a spiritual origin.
Today friends have parties. The goal these events focus on is to have fun talking and to enjoy stimulating conversation. This leads to an expansion of mind, a liberation from limited thinking, a rejuvenation of the bodily senses, and a restoration to wholeness.
Parties related to goodwill do not yet exist, however, for the Lord says that at the close of the age, meaning the end of the church,
Injustice will increase and goodwill will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12)
The reason is that the church has not yet acknowledged the Lord God the Savior as the God of heaven and earth, and has not yet gone to him directly as the only source from which genuine goodwill emanates and flows.
Parties, however, where there is no friendship emulating goodwill to bring minds together are nothing but a pretense of friendship, a false witness to love for others, a seductive ploy to place others under obligation, and an indulgence in physical pleasures, especially sensory ones. People get carried away by these parties the way a ship gets carried away by its sails and a strong current; flatterers and hypocrites stand at the helm with the tiller in their hands.
434. As for parties, in the earliest church these took place among such people as called themselves brothers in Christ. They were therefore charitable parties, because there was a spiritual brotherhood. They served also as a consolation when the church encountered difficulties, as a celebration of its increase, and also to restore spirits exhausted by study and work, and for discussions of various matters. Since the source from which they sprang was spiritual love, their reason and morality had a spiritual origin. Parties are given at the present time among friends, the purpose of which is intended to be the pleasures of social intercourse, the cheering of the mind by conversation, and as a result the broadening of the mind, the release of bottled-up thoughts and so the revival of the sensory functions of the body, and their restoration to complete health.
[2] But charitable parties no longer exist; for the Lord says:
At the completion of the age (that is, the end of the church) injustice will increase greatly and charity will grow cold, Matthew 24:12.
The reason was that the church had ceased to acknowledge the Lord God the Saviour as God of heaven and earth, and approach Him directly, who is the only source and giver of real charity. Parties, however, where there is no friendship with its imitation of charity to link minds together, are nothing but pretences of friendship, specious demonstrations of mutual love, seductive attempts to worm one's way into favour, and indulgence in bodily pleasures, especially those of the senses. They sweep other people along, like ships with their sails filled and a following sea; and on them stand sycophants and hypocrites on the poop holding the tiller in their hands.
434. As to social gatherings, they were composed in the primitive church of such as called themselves brethren in Christ; they were therefore assemblies of charity, because there was spiritual brotherhood. They were also a consolation in the adversities of the church, seasons of rejoicing on account of its increase, recreations of mind after study and labor, and at the same time opportunities for conversation on various subjects; and as they flowed from spiritual love as from a fountain, they were rational and moral from a spiritual origin. There are at this day assemblies of friendship, which regard as an end the delights of sociability, the exhilaration of the mind by conversation, the consequent expansion of the feelings and the liberation of imprisoned thoughts, and thus the rekindling of the sensual faculties and the renewal of their state. But as yet there are no gatherings of charity; for the Lord says,
In the end of the age (that is, at the end of the church), iniquity will be multiplied and charity will grow cold (Matthew 24:12).
This is because the church has not yet acknowledged the Lord God the Savior as the God of heaven and earth, and gone to Him directly, from whom alone genuine charity goes forth and flows in. But social gatherings where friendship emulating charity does not bring minds together, are nothing but pretenses of friendship, deceptive attestations of mutual love, seductive insinuations into favor, and sacrifices offered to the delights of the body, especially the sensual, whereby people are carried away like ships by sails and favoring currents, while sycophants and hypocrites stand in the stem and hold the helm.
434. Meetings for social intercourse were held in the primitive Church among those calling themselves brethren in Christ. These were meetings of charity, because there was a spiritual brotherhood. This social intercourse served further to give consolation in the adversities of the Church, to express joy for its increase, and also as a recreation of mind after study and labor, and an opportunity for conversation on various subjects; and because all these flowed from spiritual love as from a fountain, they were rational and moral from their spiritual origin.
At the present day the social intercourse of friends has no end in view but the pleasures of conversation, intellectual exhilaration by interchange of ideas, and the consequent expansion of the mind, the expression of pent-up thoughts, and thus the refreshment of the bodily senses and their restoration to their wonted vigor. The social intercourse of charity, however, has not yet been revived; for the Lord says:
at the end of the age, that is, at the end of the Church, "iniquity shall abound, and charity (A.V., the love of many) shall wax cold" Matthew 24:12.
This is because the Church has not yet acknowledged the Lord God the Savior to be the God of heaven and earth, and has not directly approached Him from whom alone genuine charity proceeds and enters its members by influx. But social intercourse which fails to unite minds by a friendship akin to charity, is but a pretense of friendship, as it consists of deceptive attestations of mutual love, and seductive insinuations into the good graces of another, accompanied by indulgence in corporeal delights, particularly those of a sensual nature. By such blandishments as these others are swept along like ships under full sail with favoring currents, while sycophants and hypocrites stand at the stern in control of the helm.
434. Quod CONSORTIA attinet, fuerunt illa in Primitiva Ecclesia inter tales, qui se vocabant Fratres in Christo, quare erant Consortia Charitatis, quia spiritualis Fraternitas; erant quoque consolationes adversitatum Ecclesiae, laetificationes pro incrementis ejus, et quoque recreationes animarum a studiis et laboribus, et simul confabulationes de rebus variis; et quia ex amore spirituali ut ex fonte fluebant, erant rationales et morales ex origine spirituali. Dantur hodie Consortia amicitiae, quae pro fine spectant jucunda conversationis, exhilarationes mentis per colloquia, et inde pro expansione animi, et manumissione cogitationum inclusarum, et sic refocillatione sensualium corporis, et status eorum integratione.
[2] Sed nondum dantur Consortia charitatis, nam dicit Dominus, In Consummatione saeculi, hoc est, in fine Ecclesiae, multiplicabitur iniquitas, et frigescet Charitas, Matthaeus 24:12 causa est, quia Ecclesia nondum agnoverat Dominum Deum Salvatorem pro Deo Coeli et Terrae, et Ipsum immediate adiverunt, a Quo unice genuina Charitas procedit et influit. Consortia autem, ubi non amicitia aemulans charitatem conjungit animos, sunt illa non aliter quam simulationes amicitiae, et fallaces testificationes amoris mutui, pellaces insinuationes in favores, et litamina jucunditatum corporis, imprimis sensualium, a quibus alteri feruntur sicut Naves a velis et fluctibus secundis, in his Sycophantae et Hypocritae in puppi stant, et clavum gubernaculi tenent in manu.