442.必须明白的是，仁与对主之信紧密结合，因此，信的性质决定了仁的性质。主、仁和信构成一体，就象人的生命、意愿和理解力，若将其分开，它们各自会象化为粉末的珍珠那样消亡（对此，参看362，363节）；仁与信一起存在于善行中（373－377节）。由此可知，信的性质决定了仁的性质，而仁与信一起的性质决定了善行的性质。如果信声明人貌似凭自己所行的一切善皆来自主，那么此人就是这善的辅助因素，而主是它的主要因素，这两个因素在人看来是一个，然而，主要因素却是辅助因素的全部中的全部。由此可知，当人相信一切本为善之善皆来自主时，他就不会将功劳归于行为；这信在人里面被完善的程度，就是有关功劳的幻觉被主移除的程度。
在这种情况下，人完全融入到仁爱的操练中，毫不挂念功劳，并且最终感受到仁爱的属灵快乐，然后开始厌恶邀功，视之为危害其生命之物。对那些在所从事的工作、生意和职务中，并对所交往的人公正忠实行事之人来说（参看422－424节），功劳感很容易被主清洗掉。但对那些认为通过救济施舍才能获得仁爱之人来说，这种功劳感很难被除去；因为他们在做这些事时，心里渴望回报，起初是公开地，后来则是暗地里地，并寻求回报。
442. 有必要知道, 義與信在主裡緊密相連, 以至於信的性質如何決定了義的性質如何。之前曾講過, 主,義和信為一, 如同生命,意志與認知為一, 如果將它們分開, 就如同一顆珍珠碾為粉末(362節以及之後)。義與信匯合於善行之中(373-377)。於是可知, 信的性質決定了義的性質; 信與義的性質一起決定了行為的性質。
如果人聲稱, 自己所行的一切善都來自於主, 於是這人便成為善行的輔助之因, 而主是根本原因。在人看來, 這兩個原因好像一個, 然而根本原因事實上影響著輔助原因的方方面面。於是得出, 如果一個人相信所有真正的良善都來自於主, 他就不會將功勞歸於自己所做的行為。當這樣的信念在這人的裡面越來越完全, 將功勞歸於自己的想法就會被主從他裡面移走。
[2]當一個人處於這種狀況下, 他行善時就不用擔心自己居功, 最終能感覺到屬靈之義的喜樂, 並開始厭惡邀功, 視之為對生命的傷害。
對於那些在工作,商業或職務中公正誠實行事之人, 這種將功勞歸給自己行為的想法, 容易被主除去(參閱422-424節)。但對那些認為能通過捐款與幫助窮人獲得義的人, 就很難將他們自認應得功勞的想法除去。因為這些人在做這樣的事情時, 他們的思想期盼從中得到回報與功勞; 儘管最開始公然明顯, 之後只是默許。
442. It is extremely important to realize that goodwill is closely linked to faith in the Lord. The quality of the faith determines the quality of the goodwill. For the point that the Lord, goodwill, and faith form a unity in the same way our life, our will, and our intellect form a unity, and that if we separate them, each one crumbles like a pearl that is crushed to powder, see 362 and following above. Also see the point that goodwill and faith come together in good actions, 373-377. From those teachings it follows that the quality of our faith determines the quality of our goodwill; and the quality of our faith and goodwill combined determines the quality of our actions.
Now, if we believe that everything good that we do as if we are doing it on our own actually comes from the Lord, then we are the instrumental cause of that good and the Lord is its principal cause. These two causes seem to us to be one thing, but in fact the principal cause affects every aspect of the instrumental cause. It follows then that if we believe that everything truly good comes from the Lord, we do not take credit for what we do. The more developed this faith becomes in us, the more the Lord takes away our fantasies about getting credit for what we have done. In this state we can practice goodwill abundantly without a fear of taking credit. Eventually we sense the spiritual pleasure in goodwill. Then we become averse to taking credit because doing so is damaging to our life.
It is easy for the Lord to erase people's idea that they deserve credit, provided those people attain goodwill primarily through working justly and faithfully in the position, business, or line of work they are in and with the people with whom they interact (see 422, 423, 424 above). If, however, people believe that they attain goodwill through making charitable donations and helping the needy, it is difficult to rid them of the idea that they deserve credit, because as they make those contributions their desire for reward and credit, although obvious to them at first, becomes less noticeable [to them] as time goes by.
442. It needs to be thoroughly known that charity and faith in the Lord are closely linked, so that the nature of faith determines the nature of charity. It may be seen above that the Lord, charity and faith make one, like life, will and understanding, and if they are separated each of them is destroyed like a pearl collapsing into dust (362ff); and charity and faith are present together in good deeds (373-377). It follows from this that the nature of faith determines the nature of charity; and the nature of faith and charity taken together determines the nature of deeds. Now if faith claims that all the good a person does as if of himself is from the Lord, then the person is its instrumental cause, and the Lord is its principal cause. To human sight these two causes appear as one, yet in fact the principal cause is all-important to the instrumental cause. It follows from this that if a person believes that all good which is essentially good is from the Lord, he does not ascribe merit to deeds; and as this belief becomes more and more perfect in a person, this imagined notion of merit is removed from him by the Lord.
[2] When a person is in this condition he exercises charity freely with no fear that he is seeking merit, and eventually feels the spiritual joy of charity; and then he begins to loathe merit as injurious to his life. The notion of merit is easily wiped out by the Lord in the case of those who absorb charity by acting fairly and faithfully in their work, business or position and with those with whom they have any dealings (on this 422-424 above). But the idea of merit is very hard to remove from those who think charity is acquired by alms-giving and helping the needy. For when these people do such things, their minds are at first openly, and later tacitly, wanting to be rewarded, and they seek for merit.
442. It must be well understood that charity and faith in the Lord are closely conjoined, consequently, such as the faith is such is the charity. That the Lord, charity, and faith make one, like life, will, and understanding [in man], and if they are divided each perishes like a pearl reduced to powder, may be seen above (n. 362-363); and that charity and faith are together in good works (n. 373-377). From this it follows that such as faith is, such is charity, and that such as charity and faith are together, such are works. If then there is a faith that all the good that a man does as if of himself is from the Lord, man is the instrumental cause of that good, and the Lord the principal cause, which two causes appear to man to be one, and yet the principal cause is the all in all of the instrumental cause. From this it follows that when a man believes that all good that is good in itself is from the Lord, he does not ascribe merit to works; and in the degree in which this faith is perfected in man, the fantasy about merit is taken away from him by the Lord. In this state man enters fully into the exercise of charity with no anxiety about merit, and at length perceives the spiritual delight of charity, and then begins to be averse to merit as a something harmful to his life. The sense of merit is easily washed away by the Lord with those who become imbued with charity by acting justly and faithfully in the work, business, or function in which they are engaged, and towards all with whom they have any dealings (see above, n. 422-424). But the sense of merit is removed with difficulty from those who believe that charity is acquired by giving alms and relieving the needy; for when they do these things, in their minds they desire reward, at first openly and then secretly, and draw to themselves merit.
442. It should be clearly understood that charity and faith in the Lord are closely united, so that the nature of charity depends on that of faith. That "The Lord, charity and faith make one, like life, will, and understanding; and if they are divided, each perishes like a pearl reduced to powder," may be seen above in 362 and following numbers; and that "Charity and faith are together in good works," in Nos. 373-377. It follows, therefore, that the nature of charity depends on that of faith, and that the nature of works depends on that of faith and charity together. Now, if a man's faith is that all the good which he does as of himself is from the Lord, then he is the instrumental cause of the good, and the Lord the principal cause. These two causes appear identical to the man, when yet the principal cause is the all in all of the instrumental. It follows that, if a man believes that all good, which is in itself good, is from the Lord, he will not place merit in works; and in the degree that this belief becomes more perfect with him, the delusion respecting merit is removed by the Lord. A man in this state performs innumerable acts of charity without any fear of merit intruding, and finally enters into the spiritual delight of charity; and he then shuns the idea of merit as something injurious to his life. This idea is easily removed by the Lord from those who habitually practice charity by acting justly and faithfully in the office, business or employment in which they are engaged, according to what was said above in 422-424. It is difficult, however, to remove the idea of merit from those who believe that charity is acquired by giving alms and assisting the needy; for in doing these works they at first openly, and afterwards tacitly, desire reward and claim merit.
442. Probe sciendum est, quod Charitas et Fides in Dominum arcte conjunctae sint, inde qualis est Fides talis est Charitas. Quod Dominus, Charitas et Fides unum faciant, sicut vita, voluntas et intellectus, et quod si dividuntur, unumquodvis pereat, sicut unio dilapsa in pollinem, videatur supra 362 seq. Et quod Charitas et Fides simul sint in Operibus bonis, 373-377, 1
[2] Homo in hoc statu exercitia Charitatis in abundantia absque timore meriti facit, et demum percipit jucundum spirituale Charitatis, et tunc incipit aversari meritum ut noxium vitae suae. Meritum a Domino facile abstergitur apud illos qui imbuunt Charitatem per quod juste 2 et fideliter agant in opere, negotio et officio in quo sunt, et cum quibus in aliquo commercio sunt, de quibus supra 422-424 3 sed meritum aegre aufertur ab illis, qui credunt Charitatem comparari per eleemosynas et opitulationes indigentium, nam hi dum operantur illa, mente sua primum aperte, et dein tacite, mercedem volunt, et meritum attrahunt.
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