484.若人阅读名为《协同信条》的基督教着作的摘录（n.464），连同在此引用的经文以及别处的经文，谁看不出（我真不愿说出愚蠢二字）那些摘录何等空洞？难道他就不会思考一下：假如“人在属灵事物上没有选择自由”的教导真得正确，那么本为行善的宗教不就成了一句毫无意义的空话吗？脱离宗教的教会岂不就像包着木头的树皮，只能用来烧掉吗？而且，人还会想，如果由于没有宗教而没有了教会，那么天堂与地狱岂不是教会领袖和牧师们杜撰的传说，用来迷惑百姓，提升自己名气？这就是很多人口中可憎说辞的起源：谁能靠自己行善，或得信？结果，他们漠视这些事，其生活和异教徒没什么两样。可是，我的朋友，离恶行善，尽心尽意信主，主将爱你，赐你行动的爱心和相信的信心。然后，出于爱，你将行善；出于信，也就是信靠，你将相信。若持之以恒这么做，就会产生相互结合，这结合将是永恒的，这就是得救本身，也是永生。如果人不凭所赐的能力行善，凭自己的心智信主，那么他不就成了一片荒野和沙漠吗？或完全就象干涸的土地，不接受雨水滋润，却将雨水弹回去；或象一片沙地平原，有羊却没有草。他还象枯干的源泉，或象由于河道堵塞而停滞的一潭死水，又或象既没有收成也没有水的居住地，除非速速逃离，另觅他处，否则会饥渴而死。
484. 若人阅读名为《协同信条》的基督教著作的摘录 (n。464), 连同在此引用的经文以及别处的经文, 谁看不出 (我真不愿说出愚蠢二字) 那些摘录何等空洞? 难道他就不会思考一下: 假如“人在属灵事物上没有选择自由”的教导真得正确, 那么本为行善的宗教不就成了一句毫无意义的空话吗? 脱离宗教的教会岂不就像包着木头的树皮, 只能用来烧掉吗? 而且, 人还会想, 如果由于没有宗教而没有了教会, 那么天堂与地狱岂不是教会领袖和牧师们杜撰的传说, 用来迷惑百姓, 提升自己名气? 这就是很多人口中可憎说辞的起源: 谁能靠自己行善, 或得信? 结果, 他们漠视这些事, 其生活和异教徒没什么两样。 可是, 我的朋友, 离恶行善, 尽心尽意信主, 主将爱你, 赐你行动的爱心和相信的信心。 然后, 出于爱, 你将行善; 出于信, 也就是信靠, 你将相信。 若持之以恒这么做, 就会产生相互结合, 这结合将是永恒的, 这就是得救本身, 也是永生。 如果人不凭所赐的能力行善, 凭自己的心智信主, 那么他不就成了一片荒野和沙漠吗? 或完全就象干涸的土地, 不接受雨水滋润, 却将雨水弹回去; 或象一片沙地平原, 有羊却没有草。 他还象枯干的源泉, 或象由于河道堵塞而停滞的一潭死水, 又或象既没有收成也没有水的居住地, 除非速速逃离, 另觅他处, 否则会饥渴而死。
484. After reading these quotations and others from one end of the Word to the other, who fails to see the emptiness (I would prefer not to say "idiocy") of the quotations given above in 464 from the ecclesiastical book called the Formula of Concord? Would we not think to ourselves, "If what we are taught there is true - that we have no free choice in spiritual matters - wouldn't that make religious practice, which is the doing of what is good, a meaningless expression? And without religious practice, what is the church except the bark from a piece of wood, which is only useful as kindling?" We would also think, "If the church does not really exist, because it has no religious practice, what then are heaven and hell but fables made up by the ministers and leaders of the church to captivate common people and to elevate themselves to high honors?" This is the source of that detestable popular phrase: "Who can do what is good on their own? Who can acquire faith on their own?" Therefore people do not bother and live a hedonistic life.
[2] But, my friend, abstain from evil, and do what is good, and believe in the Lord with your whole heart and your whole soul; and the Lord will love you and give you love for what you do and faith in what you believe. Then you will do what is good because of love and you will believe because you have faith, which is confidence. And if you persevere like this, a reciprocal partnership [with the Lord] will develop and become permanent. This is salvation itself and eternal life.
If we did not use the powers that have been granted to us to do what is good, and we did not use our minds to believe in the Lord, what would we be except a wasteland or a desert, like ground that is so utterly dry that it repels rather than absorbs rain? We would be like a sandy field where there are sheep that have nothing to eat. We would be like a spring that has dried up, or like stagnant water around a spring that is blocked. We would be like a home where there is no harvest and no pond; unless we left there immediately and looked for an inhabitable spot elsewhere, we would die of hunger and thirst.
484. Can anyone fail to see the inanity - I would rather not say folly - of the passages quoted in 464 above from the church's book called the Formula of Concord, once he has read them and then a few passages taken at random from the Word? Would he not think to himself: 'Suppose what is taught there were right, that man has no free will in spiritual matters, what would religion, which is doing good, be but a meaningless term? And what would the church be without religion but like the bark around timber, of no use except for burning?' Then he would go on to think, 'If there were no church because there was no religion, what then would heaven and hell be, but stories invented by ministers and prelates of the church to control the common people and secure their own promotion to higher honours?' It is from this there comes that detestable utterance in many mouths: 'Who can do good by himself, and who can acquire faith by himself?' So they give up the effort and live like heathens.
[2] Ah, my friend, shun evil and do good, and believe in the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul, and the Lord will love you, and give you love so that you can act, and faith so that you can believe. Then you will be impelled by love to do good, and by faith, which is trust, to believe. And if you persevere in this, you will be linked with Him and He with you, and this for ever; and this is the essence of salvation and everlasting life. If a person were not to use the strength he has been given to do good, and use his mind to believe in the Lord, what would man be but a wilderness and a desert, and exactly like dried up ground, which does not absorb rain, but makes it bounce off; or like a sandy heath, where sheep can find no pasture. He would also be like a dried up spring; or like the stagnant pool there, when the source is obstructed, or like a dwelling where there is no harvest nor any pool - if he does not flee from such a place at once, and look for a place to live elsewhere, he would die of hunger and thirst.
484. Who does not see the emptiness (I do not wish to say the foolishness) of the extracts quoted above (n. 464) from the ecclesiastical work entitled Formula Concordiae, when he has read them, together with some passages quoted here and elsewhere from the Word? Would he not think to himself: If it were as there taught, that man has no freedom of choice in spiritual things, what but an idle word would religion be, which is doing good? And what is the church apart from religion but like a bark about a stick which is fit for nothing but to be burned? And he would think, moreover, If there is no church because no religion, what are heaven and hell but the fables of ministers and rulers of the church to ensnare the people, and elevate themselves to higher honors? And this is the source of that detestable saying on the lips of many: Who can do good, or acquire faith of himself? Consequently they disregard these things, and live like pagans.
But my friend, shun evil and do good and believe in the Lord from all your heart and in all your soul, and the Lord will love you, and will give you a love of doing and faith to believe. Then from love you will do good, and from faith, which is trust, you will believe; and if you persevere in so doing, a reciprocal conjunction will be effected, which will be perpetual, and this is salvation itself and eternal life. If man from the powers given him should fail to do good, and from his mind should fail to believe in the Lord, what would he be but a wilderness and a desert, or altogether like dry ground, which does not receive the rain, but throws it off or like a sandy plain where there are sheep without pasture? And he would be like a dried-up fountain, or like stagnant water therein, its course being obstructed; or like an abode where there is neither harvest nor water, where, unless he quickly fled from the place and sought a habitable abode elsewhere, he would perish with hunger and thirst.
484. Who does not see the emptiness, not to say the folly, of the passages quoted above in 464 from the theological book entitled Formula Concordiae, 1 after reading them and then reading passages from various parts of the Word? If it were true, as is taught in that book, that man has no free will in spiritual things, one must conclude that the voice of religion, which consists in doing good, is but an empty sound; and that the Church without religion is like the bark round the tree trunk fit only for burning. One would also suppose that the Church has no reality, because religion has no existence; and that heaven and hell are but fables invented by the ministers and priests of the Church to ensnare the people and raise themselves to high honors. Hence has arisen that detestable saying repeated by many men, "Who can do good and who can acquire faith of himself?" They, therefore, cease to have any regard for faith and good works, and live like pagans.
But, my friend, shun evil and do good, and believe on the Lord with your whole heart and your whole soul. The Lord will then love you, and bestow upon you the love to do and the faith to believe. If you persevere in this course, reciprocal and perpetual conjunction will then be effected between you and the Lord; and this is salvation itself and eternal life. If a man, from the strength given him, were not to do good, and from his own intellect were to believe on the Lord, he would be but a desert waste, and like parched ground which does not absorb rain but throws it off; or like a sandy plain where there are sheep, but no pasture for them; or like a fountain whose spring has dried up; or like water rendered stagnant by the blocking of its channel; or like a homestead where there is neither crop nor water, from which a man must instantly depart and seek a habitable abode elsewhere, or perish of hunger and thirst.
Footnotes:
1. Form of Concord, Formula Concordiae, designed to effect an amicable adjustment of the differences among the Lutherans, by drawing them more closely to their principal standard, the Augsburg or Augustan Confession. Most of the Lutheran Churches add this Formula to their standard creeds.
484. Quis non videt inanitatem, non volo dicere fatuitatem, in illis, quae supra 464, 1 ex Libro Ecclesiastico FORMULA CONCORDIAE vocato, adducta sunt, postquam legit illa, et insuper aliqua hinc et illinc in Verbo; numne cogitaret secum, si foret sicut ibi docetur, quod homini nullum Liberum Arbitrium in spiritualibus sit, quid foret religio, quae est facere bonum, nisi vana vox, et quid Ecclesia absque religione, nisi sicut cortex circum lignum, qui non inservit alii usui, quam ut comburatur; et insuper cogitaret, si non Ecclesia, quia non religio, quid tunc Coelum et Infernum, nisi fabulae ministrorum et praesulum Ecclesiae ad captandum plebem, et ad se elevandum ad honores superiores: inde est detestabile illud enuntiatum oris apud plures, quis potest bonum facere a se, et quis potest fidem captare a se, et inde omittunt illa, et paganice vivunt.
[2] At mi amice, fuge malum, et fac bonum, et crede in Dominum ex toto corde tuo, et in tota anima tua, et Dominus amabit te, et dabit amorem ad faciendum, et fidem ad credendum, et tunc ex amore facies bonum, et ex fide, quae est fiducia, credes, et si perseveras ita, fiet conjunctio reciproca, et haec perpetua, quae est ipsa salus et vita aeterna. Si homo ex datis viribus non faceret bonum, et ex sua mente crederet in Dominum, quid foret homo nisi solitudo et desertum, et prorsus sicut terra sicca, quae pluviam non recipit, sed repercutit. Aut sicut arenarius 2 campus, ubi oves, quibus non pascuum. Ac foret sicut fons exsiccatus; aut ibi sicut aqua stagnata, obstructa vena; aut sicut habitatio, ubi nulla messis, nec ullus lacus, a quo loco nisi actutum fugeret, et quaereret sedem habitabilem alibi, fame et siti moreretur.
Footnotes: