450. 非法之義,虛偽之義與無生命之義
除非義與信合為一, 並且除非義與信共同聚焦於主, 否則就不存在真正的,活生生的義。此三者(主,義,信)是得救的三大要素; 當它們聯合為一時, 義才是義, 信才是信, 主在義與信之中, 義與信在主之中(參看之前的363-367和368-372節)。當此三者並不聯合一起時, 義便是非法的, 或虛偽的, 或無生命的。
從基督的教會剛剛建立之時起, 各種異端便興起, 有些異端延續至今。然而, 每一個異端都承認這三個要素——上帝,義,信, 因為沒有這三要素, 就說不上是宗教信仰。
至於義, 它能被附上任何異端信仰, 例如索齊尼派信仰,狂熱者(信自己的神性啟示)信仰,猶太教信仰, 甚至拜偶像的信仰。所有這些信仰能相信其信仰擁有真正的義, 因為從外在形式看確實如此。義會改變性質, 這取決於它所依附或聯結的信仰。關於此點的證明, 請參看關於信的第六章。
450. There Are Such Things as Illegitimate Goodwill, Hypocritical Goodwill, and Dead Goodwill
Genuine, living goodwill does not exist unless it accompanies faith and unless both goodwill and faith jointly focus on the Lord. These three - the Lord, goodwill, and faith - are the three essential elements for salvation. When they are united, goodwill is goodwill, faith is faith, and the Lord is in them both and they are in the Lord (see 363-367, 368-372 above). When these three elements are not united, goodwill is illegitimate, hypocritical, or dead.
From the time Christianity was first established, various heresies have arisen; some are still in existence today. Even these heresies have all recognized these three essential elements: God, goodwill, and faith. Without these three elements there is no religion.
As for goodwill in specific, it can be attached to any heretical faith - Socinian faith, faith in one's own divine inspiration, Jewish faith, even idolatrous faiths. People in these faiths believe that they have goodwill since it looks the same in outward form; nevertheless, goodwill changes its quality depending on the faith it is attached or united to. (This point is clarified in the chapter on faith [367].)
450. XVI. Spurious charity, hypocritical charity and dead charity.
True charity which is alive is impossible except when it makes one with faith, and except when both jointly look to the Lord. For these three, the Lord, charity and faith, are the three essentials for salvation, and when they are one, charity is charity, faith is faith and the Lord is in them, and they are in the Lord (see above 363-372). However, where these three are not linked together, charity is either spurious or hypocritical or dead. From the time it was founded Christianity has been beset by various heresies, and these continue also at the present time; and in each one of these the three essentials - God, charity and faith - have been and are acknowledged, since in their absence there can be no religion, As regards charity specifically, it can be attached to any heretical belief, such as that of Socinians, Enthusiasts or Jews, even the belief of idolaters. And all these can believe that it is really charity, since it resembles that in outward form; but it actually changes its nature depending on the belief to which it is attached or linked. For a demonstration of this, see the chapter on faith.
450. XVI. THERE IS SPURIOUS CHARITY, HYPOCRITICAL CHARITY, AND DEAD CHARITY.
There is no genuine, that is, living charity, except that which makes one with faith, and the two look conjointly to the Lord; for these three, the Lord, charity, and faith, are the three essentials of salvation, and when they make one, charity is charity, and faith is faith; and the Lord is in them and they are in the Lord (see above, n. 363-367, and n. 368-372). On the other hand, when these three are not conjoined, charity is either spurious, or hypocritical, or dead. In Christianity since its establishment there have been various heresies, even down to the present day, in each of which these three essentials, God, charity, and faith, have been and still are acknowledged; for apart from these three, there is no religion. As to charity in particular, it may be joined to any heretical belief, as with that of the Socinians, the Enthusiasts, the Jews, and even to the faith of idolaters; and they may all believe it to be charity, since it appears like it in the external form. Nevertheless, the quality of charity is changed in accordance with the faith to which it is joined, as may be seen in the chapter on Faith.
450. XVI. THERE ARE SPURIOUS CHARITY, HYPOCRITICAL CHARITY AND DEAD CHARITY.
There can be no genuine, that is, living charity unless it forms one with faith, and unless both together look to the Lord. For the Lord, charity and faith are the three essentials of salvation; and when they form one, charity is charity and faith is faith, and the Lord is in them and they in the Lord, as may be seen above in 363-367, and 368-372. When, however, these three are not conjoined, charity is either spurious, or hypocritical, or dead. There have been various heresies in the Christian Church since it was first established, and they still exist in it; and in each of them these three essentials, God, charity, and faith were and are acknowledged, for without these there can be no religion. It is especially true of charity that it may be adjoined to any heretical faith, as to that of the Socinians, 1 the Enthusiasts, 2 the Jews, and even to that of idolaters. All these may believe it to be charity, because it appears like it in its external form; but the nature of charity varies in accordance with the faith to which it is adjoined or conjoined, as may be seen in the chapter on Faith.
Footnotes:
1. Socinians, members of a religious sect taking their name from Faustus Socinus, A.D. 1539-1604, and his uncle Laelius Socinus. They are antitrinitarians, denying the personality of the Holy Ghost and the Divinity of Christ. Early Socians believed in the miraculous conception and that Christ was entitled to Divine worship; but modern Socinians, chiefly Unitarians, deny both.
2. Enthusiasts (= fanatics), a sect of heretics in Cod. Theodosianus, c. A.D. 438, a record of the constitutions of the Roman Emperors from the time of Constantine, compiled by the Emperor Theodosius.
450. Quod detur Charitas spuria, Charitas hypocritica, et Charitas mortua.
Genuina charitas quae est viva, non datur nisi quae unum facit cum fide, et nisi utraque conjunctim spectet ad Dominum, nam haec tria, Dominus, Charitas et Fides, sunt tria essentialia salutis, quae dum unum faciunt, Charitas est Charitas, et Fides est Fides, et Dominus est in illis et illi in Domino, videatur supra 363-367, et 368-372. At vero, ubi Tria illa non conjuncta sunt, est Charitas vel spuria, vel hypocritica, vel mortua. Fuerunt in Christianismo a tempore fundationis ejus diversae Haereses, et quoque hodie sunt, in quarum singulis tria haec Essentialia, quae sunt Deus, Charitas et Fides, agnita sunt et agnoscuntur, nam absque Tribus illis non est Religio. Quod in specie Charitatem attinet, potest illa adjungi cuivis Fidei Haereticae; sicut Fidei Socinianorum, Fidei Enthusiastarum, Fidei Judaeorum, imo Fidei Idololatrarum, et ab omnibus illis credi quod sit Charitas, quoniam illa in externa forma apparet similis; sed usque mutat qualitatem secundum fidem cui adjungitur vel conjungitur; quod ita sit videatur in Capite de Fide.