489. 第7节 若没有属灵事物上的选择自由, 神就要为恶行负责, 因此也不会有任何归算
从当下流行的信仰可推知, 神是引发罪恶的原因, 这个信仰先是由尼西亚会议的参与者孵化出来。 他们在那里炮制并确立了持久稳固的异端邪说: 存在三个永恒的神性身位, 每一位自身都是神。 这个蛋一被孵出, 该信仰的追随者别无选择地靠近各自为神的每个身位。 他们编写了一个信条, 将主神, 救主的功或义归给人, 并且没人可以与主分享那功德, 他们将人在属灵事物上的选择自由全都拿走, 并裁定人在那信上的全然无能。 由于他们从唯信推导教会的一切属灵事物, 所以他们断言, 在涉及教会所教导的有关得救的一切事上, 人同样无能为力。 基于这信以及人在属灵事物上无能为力的可怕异端邪说, 由此接二连三地涌现出来, 包括前节讨论的最致命的异端—预定论。 所有这些异端邪说都在暗示: 神是引发罪恶的原因, 或神既创造善也创造恶。 但是, 我的朋友啊, 不要把信放在任何信经上, 而只放在主的圣言上, 圣言胜过一切信经。 罗马天主教会还有什么东西不能炮制? 这可憎的预定论不就出自多特会议吗? 或许有人会认为, 赋予人在属灵事物上的选择自由是罪恶的间接原因; 结果, 如果不赐下这样的自由, 他就不会犯罪。 但是, 我的朋友, 在此打住, 考虑一下, 人能否如此受造, 成为一个在属灵事物上没有选择自由的人。 若丧失这样的自由, 他就不再是人, 只是个雕像而已。 什么是选择自由? 不就是看上去貌似凭人自己意愿, 行动, 思考和说话的能力吗? 为了人可以象人一样活着, 这能力被赐给他, 所以两棵树被种在伊甸园中, 即生命树和善恶知识树。 这表示人凭所赐的自由能吃生命树的果子, 或善恶知识树的果子。
489. If We Had No Free Choice in Spiritual Matters, God Would Be the Cause of Evil, and We Could Not Be Credited [with Goodwill or Faith]
The notion that God is the cause of evil follows from the modern-day belief that was first hatched by those who participated in the Council of Nicaea. At that event a heresy was thrown together and cooked up that still persists today, which is that there are three divine persons from eternity, each of which is a God on his own. Once that egg was hatched, the followers had no choice but to turn to each divine person as an individual god. The participants at Nicaea put together a belief that the merit or justice of the Lord God the Savior is assigned to us. Then, to prevent the idea that we actually acquire the Lord's merit, they took away any idea that we have free choice in spiritual matters, and brought in the notion that we are completely powerless in regard to that faith. Because they centered all the spiritual teaching of the church on that belief alone, they declared the existence of a similar spiritual powerlessness in regard to everything the church teaches about salvation. As a result, horrific heresies came into being, one after another, founded upon that faith and the notion of human powerlessness in spiritual matters, including predestination, that most damaging of concepts, which was covered under the preceding heading [485-488]. All these teachings entail the idea that God is the cause of evil or that God created both good and evil.
My friend, do not put your trust in any council. Put your trust in the Lord's Word, which is high above councils. Look at all the notions hatched by Roman Catholic councils! Look at the egg the Synod of Dort laid from which the horrendous viper of predestination came forth!
[2] Now you might suppose that the free choice granted to human beings in spiritual matters is a mediate cause of evil, and therefore that if free choice of this kind had not been granted to us, we would not be able to sin. But, my friend, stop for a moment here and consider whether any human being could be created so as to be human without having free choice in spiritual matters. If this were taken away from us, we would be statues and no longer human. What is free choice except the power to will and do and think and speak to all appearances as if we did so on our own? Because this ability was granted to us so that we could live as human beings, two trees were placed in the Garden of Eden - the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This means that from the freedom that has been granted to us we can eat fruit from the tree of life and we can eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
489. VII. But for free will in spiritual matters God would be responsible for evil, and thus there could be no imputation of charity and faith. 1
It follows from the belief held at the present time, a belief which was first hatched by the members of the Council in the city of Nicaea, that God is the cause of evil. That was where the heresy was invented and devised which still persists, that there were three Divine Persons from eternity, and each of them was God in Himself. Once this theory was hatched, its followers had no alternative but to approach each Person singly as God. They put together a belief in the imputation of the Lord God the Saviour's merit or righteousness, and to prevent anyone intruding on the merit with the Lord , took away from man all free will in spiritual matters, and attributed to him utter impotence as far as faith is concerned. And because they deduced everything spiritual in the church solely from that faith, they claimed like impotence in regard to everything the church teaches about salvation. This was the source from which sprang a succession of dreadful heresies, based upon that faith and belief in man's impotence in spiritual matters, as well as that most harmful doctrine of predestination discussed in the preceding section. All these beliefs imply that God is the cause of evil, or that God created both good and evil.
But, my friend, do not place your trust in any Council, but in the Word of the Lord, which is superior to Councils. Is there anything the Roman Catholic councils have not hatched, anything the Council of Dort did not hatch, where that dreadful viper, predestination, was brought to light?
[2] It might be thought that giving man free will in spiritual matters was a mediate cause of evil, and consequently, that if he had not been given such free will, man could not have sinned. But, my friend, pause here for a moment and consider whether any man, if he was to be a man, could have been created without free will in spiritual matters; if that were taken from him, he would cease to be a man and be merely a statue. What is free will but the ability to will and do, to think and speak to all appearance as if from oneself? Since man was given this ability so that he could live as a man, two trees were placed in the Garden of Eden, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This means that he could use the freedom given him to eat the fruit of the tree of life or the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Footnotes:
1. The last four words are added from the Table of Contents.
489. VIII. IF THERE WERE NO FREEDOM OF CHOICE IN SPIRITUAL THINGS, GOD WOULD BE THE CAUSE OF EVILS AND THUS THERE WOULD BE NO IMPUTATION.
That God is the cause of evil follows from the prevailing belief, which was first hatched by those who held council in the city of Nice. There was concocted and established the still persistent heresy, that there were from eternity three Divine persons, each one a God by Himself. This egg being hatched, the adherents of the belief must needs approach each Person separately as God. They compiled a creed that imputed to men the merit or righteousness of the Lord God the Savior; and that no man might share with the Lord in that merit, they took away from man all freedom of choice in spiritual things, and decreed the utmost impotence as to that faith. And as they deduced everything spiritual pertaining to the church from that faith alone, they asserted a like impotence with reference to everything that the church teaches concerning salvation. Hence sprung, one after another, direful heresies based upon that faith and man's impotence in spiritual things, and also that most pernicious heresy, predestination, which was treated of in the preceding section; all of which imply that God is the cause of evil, or that He created both good and evil. But, my friend, put faith in no council, but in the Lord's Word, which is above councils. What have not Roman Catholic councils produced? Or that of Dort, from which came forth that terrible viper, predestination? It may be thought that giving to man freedom of choice in spiritual things was the mediate cause of evil; consequently, that if such freedom of choice had not been given him, he could not have transgressed. But, my friend, pause here, and consider whether any man could have been so created as to be a man without freedom of choice in spiritual things. If deprived of that, he would be no longer a man but only a statue. What is freedom of choice but the power to will and do, and to think and speak to all appearance as if of oneself? Because this power was given to man in order that he might live as a man, two trees were placed in the garden of Eden, the tree of life and the tree of the Knowledge of good and evil; and this signifies that because of the freedom given him, man is able to eat of the fruit of the tree of life or of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
489. VII. WITHOUT FREE WILL IN SPIRITUAL THINGS GOD WOULD BE THE CAUSE OF EVIL, AND THUS THERE WOULD BE NO IMPUTATION.
From the faith which now prevails, and which was first put forth by the Council of Nice, 1 it follows that God is the cause of evil. That Council devised and drew up the heresy still extant that three Divine Persons have existed from eternity, each of whom by Himself is God. After this doctrine was presented to the world like a viper hatched from the egg, its adherents could not but approach each Person separately as God. They formulated a faith that imputes the merit or righteousness of the Lord God the Savior; and to prevent any one from sharing merit with the Lord they deprived man of all free will in spiritual things, setting up the theory of man's utter impotence in the matter of that faith. Moreover, as they deduced from that faith alone all that was spiritual in the Church, they maintained that there was a similar impotence in everything that the Church teaches concerning salvation. Hence have sprung up dreadful heresies, one after another, based on that faith and on man's impotence in spiritual matters; especially that most pernicious one concerning predestination, discussed in the previous article. All these heresies imply that God is the cause of evil, or that He created both good and evil.
But, my friend, do not put your faith in any council, but in the Word of God, which is above all councils. What have not the Roman Catholic councils put forth, and that Council of Dort, 2 from which was brought forth that horrid viper, predestination? It may possibly be supposed that the free will granted to man in spiritual things was the mediate cause of evil; and consequently, if it had not been given, he could not have transgressed. But, my friend, pause here and consider whether any man could have been created without free will in spiritual things, and yet be a man. If he were deprived of that, he would no longer be a man, but only a statue. For what is free will but man's power to will and to act, to think and to speak to all appearance as from himself? As this was given him that he might live as a man, two trees were placed in the Garden of Eden, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; and this signifies that man, from the freedom given him, could eat of the fruit of the tree of life, and of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Footnotes:
1. Nice (Nicaea), city of Asia Minor, in Bithynia. In A.D. 325 it was the seat of a Council summoned to settle the Arian controversy. The creed there adopted is known as the Nicene Creed.
2. Dortdrecht or Dort, Synod of. This was held in 1618-19 to settle the disputes between the Arminians or "Remonstrants" who called in question the theory of Predestination, and the Calvinists. The Synod condemned the tenets of the Arminians.
489. Quod absque Libero Arbitrio in spiritualibus, Deus foret in causa mali, et sic nulla Imputatio.
Quod Deus sit causa mali, sequitur a fide hodierna, quae primum exclusa est ab illis qui sederunt Concilium in Nicaea urbe; ibi conficta et conflata est haeresis adhuc perstans, quod tres Personae Divinae fuerint ab aeterno, et quaelibet Deus per se; quo ovo excluso asseclae non potuerunt aliter, quam unamquamvis Personam ut Deum singulatim adire. Compilarunt fidem imputativam meriti seu justitiae Domini Dei Salvatoris, et ne quis homo intraret in meritum cum Domino, adempserunt homini omne Liberum arbitrium in spiritualibus, et extremam impotentiam quoad illam fidem induxerunt; et quia omne spirituale Ecclesiae ex sola illa fide deduxerunt, declaraverunt similem impotentiam quoad omne quod Ecclesia de salute docet; inde enatae sunt dirae haereses, una post alteram, super illa fide, et hominis impotentia in spiritualibus, fundatae, et quoque damnosissima illa de Praedestinatione, de qua in Articulo praecedente actum est; quae omnes involvunt, quod Deus sit causa mali, aut quod Deus creaverit et bonum et malum. Sed, mi amice, ne fide alicui Concilio, sed fide Verbo Domini, quod supra Concilia est; quid non excluserunt Concilia Romano Catholica, et quid non Dodrectanum, unde Praedestinatio, horrenda illa vipera educta est.
[2] Potest cogitari, quod Liberum Arbitrium datum homini in spiritualibus, fuerit causa media mali, consequenter, quod si tale liberum Arbitrium non ei datum fuisset, homo non potuisset praevaricari; sed, mi amice, siste gradum hic, et expende, num aliquis homo, ut sit homo, potuerit creari absque Libero Arbitrio in spiritualibus; si illud adimeretur ei, non amplius foret homo, sed modo statua: quid Liberum Arbitrium nisi posse velle et facere, ac cogitare et loqui in omni apparentia ut a se; quoniam hoc datum est homini, ut viveret homo, ideo positae fuerunt binae Arbores in Horto Edenis, Arbor vitae, et Arbor scientiae boni et mali, per quod significatur, quod ex Libero sibi dato posset edere ex fructu Arboris vitae, et ex fructu arboris scientiae boni et mali.