529.凭赋予人的理智，谁不能明白，仅仅口头忏悔是罪人，或如518节提到的伪君子那样发表很多悔改的言论，并不是悔改？对人来说，当他陷入烦恼痛苦时，还有什么比从肺和嘴里发出叹息呻吟声，并且还捶胸顿足，纵容自己犯下所有罪行，却仍意识不到自己任何罪过更容易的呢？潜伏在他爱里的群魔会因为他的叹息而离去吗？难道他们不会对着那些事嘘声四起，仍象呆在自己家一样呆在他里面，一如从前吗？由此清楚看出，这种悔改不是圣言的意思，圣言所说的悔改是指从恶行中悔改。
529. 凭赋予人的理智, 谁不能明白, 仅仅口头忏悔是罪人, 或如518节提到的伪君子那样发表很多悔改的言论, 并不是悔改? 对人来说, 当他陷入烦恼痛苦时, 还有什么比从肺和嘴里发出叹息呻吟声, 并且还捶胸顿足, 纵容自己犯下所有罪行, 却仍意识不到自己任何罪过更容易的呢? 潜伏在他爱里的群魔会因为他的叹息而离去吗? 难道他们不会对着那些事嘘声四起, 仍象呆在自己家一样呆在他里面, 一如从前吗? 由此清楚看出, 这种悔改不是圣言的意思, 圣言所说的悔改是指从恶行中悔改。
529. With the reasoning powers we have been given, surely we are all able to understand that repentance does not consist of a mere oral confession that we are a sinner and of listing a number of things about sin, like a hypocrite (see 518 above). What is easier for us, when we feel anguish and agony, than breathing out and emitting sighs and groans through our lips, beating our chests, and declaring ourselves guilty of sins of every kind, even if we are actually unaware of a single sin within ourselves? Does the Devil's gang, which lives inside our loves, go out of us along with our sighing? Surely they whistle contemptuously at our histrionics, and stay inside us as before, since we are their home.
These points serve to clarify that by "repentance" the Word does not mean mere confession; as I said before, it means a repentance from evil actions.
529. Can anyone fail to understand by the faculty of reason with which he is endowed that it is not repentance merely to confess verbally that one is a sinner, and to make many other pronouncements on the subject, like the hypocrite who was described above in 518? What is easier, when one is in anguish and agony than to heave from the lungs and so pour from the lips sighs and groans, to beat one's breast, and accuse oneself of every sin, while being unaware that there is any in oneself? Does the devil's crew, which lurks in his loves, depart together with that sigh? Do they not rather whistle at all that and stay in the person as before and make themselves at home? Such considerations make it plain that this is not the kind of repentance meant in the Word, but it is repenting of evil deeds, as it is called.
529. Cannot any man understand, from the reason given him, that the mere lip-confession of being a sinner is not repentance, or the recounting of various particulars in regard to it, as the hypocrite did who was mentioned above (n. 518)? For what is easier for a man when he is in trouble and agony, than to utter sighs and groans from his lungs and lips, and also to beat his breast and make himself guilty of all sins, and still not be conscious of any sin in himself? Do the diabolical horde who then occupy his loves, depart along with his sighs? Do they not rather hiss at those things, and remain in him as before, as in their own house? From this it is clear that such repentance is not what is meant in the Word; but repentance from evil works, as is said.
529. Any one may understand from the reason with which he is endowed, that it is not repentance for a man to confess with his lips only that he is a sinner, and to utter many things about sin, like the hypocrite mentioned above in 518. Nothing is easier for a man, when he is in distress and anguish, than to breathe out sighs and utter groans, and also to beat his breast and make himself guilty of every sin, when yet he is conscious of none in himself. Do the hordes of devils that infest his loves depart with his sighs? Do they not rather jeer at all this, and still remain in him, as in their own home? From what has been said it may be clear that such repentance is not meant in the Word, but repentance from evil works.
529. Quis non potest ex ratione sibi data intelligere, quod non sit poenitentia solum ore confiteri quod peccator sit, ac enuntiare 1 plura de eo, sicut hypocrita, de quo supra 518, memoratum est, nam quid facilius homini cum in angore et agone est, quam ex pulmone exspirare, et inde per labra effundere suspiria et gemitus, et quoque pulsare pectus, et facere se reum omnium peccatorum, cum tamen nullius apud se conscius est; num simul tunc cum suspirio diabolica turba, quae amoribus ejus inest, exit; numne haec potius sibilat ad illa, et remanet in illo ut prius sicut in sua domo. Ex his patet, quod talis poenitentia non intellecta sit in Verbo, sed quod ab operibus malis, ut dicitur.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: enuntiate.