526.在基督教界，还有比“人当检查自己”更广为人知的事吗？无论信奉天主教还是福音派的国家，领受圣餐前，都会教导和告诫人们要反省自己、认识并承认自己的罪，要有全新、不同的生活。在英国，这种告诫还伴随可怕的威胁，在圣餐仪式之前，牧师会在圣餐台朗读以下宣言：
配领圣餐的“途径与方法”，首先就是根据神的戒律检查自己的言行，觉察自己在什么地方，哪个方面冒犯了，要么通过意愿、话语，要么通过行为，要为自己罪恶的本性悲愁，向全能的神忏悔，以达到修正生活的全部目的。如果你发觉自己的罪行不但冒犯了神，还冒犯了你的邻舍，那么你必须与他和解，尽你最大的能力赔偿对他造成的所有伤害和罪过，同样也要准备宽恕得罪你的人，因为你在神手里的罪过也会得到宽恕，要不然领受圣餐只会加重你的诅咒。所以，如果你们当中有谁亵渎了神，或妨碍、诽谤了祂的圣言，或心怀恶意、嫉妒，以及犯下其它严重罪行，那么必须悔改你的罪，否则不要来这圣桌前，以免领受圣餐后，魔鬼象进入犹大那样进入你里面，使你充满一切罪恶，将你的身体与灵魂一起毁灭。
526. 在基督教界, 还有比“人当检查自己”更广为人知的事吗? 无论信奉天主教还是福音派的国家, 领受圣餐前, 都会教导和告诫人们要反省自己, 认识并承认自己的罪, 要有全新, 不同的生活。 在英国, 这种告诫还伴随可怕的威胁, 在圣餐仪式之前, 牧师会在圣餐台朗读以下宣言:
配领圣餐的“途径与方法”, 首先就是根据神的戒律检查自己的言行, 觉察自己在什么地方, 哪个方面冒犯了, 要么通过意愿, 话语, 要么通过行为, 要为自己罪恶的本性悲愁, 向全能的神忏悔, 以达到修正生活的全部目的。 如果你发觉自己的罪行不但冒犯了神, 还冒犯了你的邻舍, 那么你必须与他和解, 尽你最大的能力赔偿对他造成的所有伤害和罪过, 同样也要准备宽恕得罪你的人, 因为你在神手里的罪过也会得到宽恕, 要不然领受圣餐只会加重你的诅咒。 所以, 如果你们当中有谁亵渎了神, 或妨碍, 诽谤了祂的圣言, 或心怀恶意, 嫉妒, 以及犯下其它严重罪行, 那么必须悔改你的罪, 否则不要来这圣桌前, 以免领受圣餐后, 魔鬼象进入犹大那样进入你里面, 使你充满一切罪恶, 将你的身体与灵魂一起毁灭。
526. What could possibly be better known across the entire Christian world than the idea that we should examine ourselves? Everywhere in both Roman Catholic and Protestant empires and monarchies, as people approach the Holy Supper they are given teachings and warnings that they must examine themselves, recognize and admit to their sins, and start a new life of a different nature. In British territories this is done with terrifying threats. During the prayer that precedes communion, the priest by the altar reads and proclaims the following:
The way and means of becoming a worthy partaker in the Holy Supper is first to examine your life and your conversations by the rule of God's commandments. In whatever regard you notice that you have committed an offense of will, speech, or act, then bewail your own sinfulness and confess yourselves to Almighty God, with full purpose of amending your life. If you observe that your offenses are not only against God but also against your neighbors, you shall reconcile yourselves to them, being ready to make restitution and satisfaction to the utmost of your power for all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other, and being likewise ready to forgive others who have offended you, just as you wish to have forgiveness from God for your offenses. Otherwise receiving the Holy Supper does nothing but increase your damnation. Therefore if any of you is a blasphemer of God, or a hinderer or slanderer of his Word, or an adulterer, or someone taken with malice or ill will, or involved in any other grievous crime, repent of your sins. Or else do not come to the Holy Supper; otherwise, after you take it the Devil may enter into you as he entered into Judas, fill you with all wickedness, and bring you to destruction of both body and soul.
526. Is there anything better known throughout the Christian world than that a person ought to examine himself? Everywhere in the empires and kingdoms of Roman Catholic as well as Evangelical religion, people are taught and warned, before coming to the Holy Supper, to examine themselves, to recognise and acknowledge their sins, and to start a new life. This is accompanied by terrifying threats in English lands, where the exhortation read before communion by the priest standing at the altar contains the following declaration:
The way and means to become a worthy partaker of the Holy Supper is first to examine your lives and conversations by the rule of God's commandments, and whereinsoever ye shall perceive yourselves to have offended, either by will, word or deed, there to bewail your own sinfulness and to confess yourselves to Almighty God, with full purpose of amendment of life. And if ye shall perceive your offences to be such as are not only against God, but also against your neighbours, then ye shall reconcile yourselves unto them; being ready to make restitution and satisfaction according to the uttermost of your powers, for all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other; and being likewise ready to forgive others that have offended you, as ye would have forgiveness of your offences at God's hand; for otherwise the receiving of the holy communion doth nothing else but increase your damnation. Therefore, if any of you be a blasphemer of God, a hinderer or slanderer of His Word, an adulterer, or be in malice or envy, or in any other grievous crime, repent you of your sins, or else come not to that holy table; lest, after the taking of that holy sacrament, the devil enter into you, as he entered into Judas, and fill you full of all iniquity, and bring you to destruction both of body and soul. 1
Footnotes:
1. This quotation from The Book of Common Prayer is given in Latin translation in the original
526. Can there be anything better known in the Christian world than that man ought to examine himself? For everywhere in empires and kingdoms, whether in those adhering to the Roman Catholic or to the Evangelical religion, before approaching the holy supper, men are taught and admonished to examine themselves, to recognize and acknowledge their sins, and to live a new and different life. In the English dominions this exhortation is accompanied with fearful threatenings, where, from the address preceding the communion, the following is read and proclaimed by the priest from the altar:
"The way and means" to become a worthy partaker of the holy supper, "is first to examine the deeds and conversations of your life by the rule of God's commandments, and whereinever ye shall perceive yourselves to have offended, either by will, word, or deed, there to bewail your own sinful nature, and to confess yourselves to Almighty God, with full purpose of amendment of life. And if ye shall perceive your offences to be such as are not only against God but also against your neighbor, then ye shall reconcile yourselves unto him, being ready to make restitution and satisfaction, according to the uttermost of your powers, for all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other, and being likewise ready to forgive others that have offended you, as ye would have forgiveness of your offences at God's hand; for otherwise the receiving of the holy communion does nothing else but increase your damnation. Therefore if any of you be a blasphemer of God, a hinderer or slanderer of His Word, an adulterer, or be in malice or envy, or in any other grievous crime, repent ye of your sin, or else come not to that holy table, lest after the taking of that holy sacrament, the devil enter into you as he entered into Judas, and fill you full of all iniquity, and bring you to destruction both of body and soul."
526. 1 There is nothing more widely known throughout the Christian world than that a man ought to examine himself. For in all empires and kingdoms where both Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches find favor, a man is taught and admonished, before approaching the Holy Supper, to examine himself, to recognize and acknowledge his sins, and live a new and different life. And in the English Church this admonition is accompanied by terrible threats, for in the address that precedes the Communion, the following words are read by the priest from the altar:
"The way and means to become a worthy partaker of the Holy Supper is first to examine your lives and conversations by the rule of God's commandments, and wherein soever ye shall perceive yourselves to have offended, either by will, word, or deed, there to bewail your own sinfulness and to confess yourselves to Almighty God, with full purpose of amendment of life. And if ye shall perceive your offences to be such as are not only against God, but also against your neighbors, then ye shall reconcile yourselves unto them; being ready to make restitution and satisfaction according to the uttermost of your powers, for all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other; and being likewise ready to forgive others that have offended you, as ye would have forgiveness of your offences at God's hand; for otherwise the receiving of the holy communion doth nothing else but increase your damnation. Therefore, if any of you be a blasphemer of God, a hinderer or slanderer of His Word, an adulterer, or be in malice or envy, or in any other grievous crime, repent ye of your sins, or else come not to that holy table; lest, after the taking of that holy sacrament, the devil enter into you, as he entered into Judas, and fill you full of all iniquity, and bring you to destruction both of body and soul."
Footnotes:
526. Quid notius potest esse in toto Christiano Orbe, quam quod hominum oporteat se explorare, nam ubivis in Imperiis et Regnis tam Romano-Catholicae quam Evangelicae Religioni addictis, ante accessionem ad Sanctam Coenam docetur et monetur, ut homo exploret se, ac cognoscat et agnoscat sua peccata, et e novo vivat aliter; et hoc cum horribilibus minis in Dominiis Angliae, ubi ex Oratione praecedanea ante Communionem ex Altari ab Antistite leguntur et exclamantur haec, 1 "Haec est via, et hoc est medium, ut fiat dignus particeps sanctae Coenae: primarium est, ut exploret suae vitae facta et commercia secundum normam praeceptorum Dei, et in quibuscunque animadvertit se offendisse voluntate, loquela aut facto, tunc deploret vitiosam suam naturam, et confessionem faciat coram Omnipotente Deo, cum pleno proposito emendandi vitam; et si animadvertit offensas tales esse, ut non modo sint contra Deum, sed etiam contra proximum, tunc reconciliabat se illi, et promptus erit ad restitutionem et satisfactionem ex omni potentia sua, propter injurias et mala alicui facta, et similiter promptus erit ad remittendum aliis offensas, quemadmodum vult ut offensae suae remittantur a Deo; alioquin receptio Sanctae Communionis non aliud facit quam quod aggravet damnationem. Quapropter, si quis vestrum est blasphemator Dei, obtrectator et sugillator Verbi Ipsius, aut adulter, aut in malitia vel in malevolentia, aut in aliquo alio enormi crimine, poenitentiam a peccato age; si non, ad sanctam Communionem ne accedas; alioquin post receptionem ejus, diabolus intraturus est in te, sicut intravit in Judam, et impleturus est te omni iniquitate, et destructurus et corpus et animam." 2
Footnotes: