530.因此，问题是，人应如何悔改？答案是，实实在在地行出来，也就是说，必须检查自己，认识并承认自己的罪，向主祈求帮助，并开启新生活。前几节（525－527）已说明，人若不自我反省，悔改是不可能的。但是，除非人认识到自己的罪，否则自我反省有什么用呢？除非他承认自己有罪，否则他为何要认识自己的罪呢？除非人在主面前忏悔他的罪，祈求帮助，从此刻起开启新的生活，否则这三件事又有何用呢？这就是真正的悔改。人一旦过了童年，越来越自主，并开始运用自己的理智，首先会通过代表重生之洗的洗礼知道，人应该这样发展与行事。因为洗礼时，他的监护人会代表他承诺，他将弃绝魔鬼及其一切行为。而且还通过圣餐这样做，因为恭领圣餐前，所有人会被警告说，必须悔改自己的罪，转向神，开始新生活。通过十诫或所有基督徒手上的教义手册更能看出来，十诫当中有六条是告诫他们不要去行恶。除非通过悔改移走邪恶，否则人不会爱邻舍，更别说爱神了。然而，律法和先知（即圣言）、因而救赎都取决于爱邻爱神这两条诫命。若时常践行真正的悔改，甚至象预备自己领受圣餐那么经常，若他此后避开自己身上发现的这样那样的罪，那么就足以使悔改成为现实。当他处于悔改的现实时，就踏上了去往天堂的路，因为此时他从属世开始变成属灵，并从主新生。
530. 因此, 问题是, 人应如何悔改? 答案是, 实实在在地行出来, 也就是说, 必须检查自己, 认识并承认自己的罪, 向主祈求帮助, 并开启新生活。 前几节 (525-527) 已说明, 人若不自我反省, 悔改是不可能的。 但是, 除非人认识到自己的罪, 否则自我反省有什么用呢? 除非他承认自己有罪, 否则他为何要认识自己的罪呢? 除非人在主面前忏悔他的罪, 祈求帮助, 从此刻起开启新的生活, 否则这三件事又有何用呢? 这就是真正的悔改。 人一旦过了童年, 越来越自主, 并开始运用自己的理智, 首先会通过代表重生之洗的洗礼知道, 人应该这样发展与行事。 因为洗礼时, 他的监护人会代表他承诺, 他将弃绝魔鬼及其一切行为。 而且还通过圣餐这样做, 因为恭领圣餐前, 所有人会被警告说, 必须悔改自己的罪, 转向神, 开始新生活。 通过十诫或所有基督徒手上的教义手册更能看出来, 十诫当中有六条是告诫他们不要去行恶。 除非通过悔改移走邪恶, 否则人不会爱邻舍, 更别说爱神了。 然而, 律法和先知 (即圣言), 因而救赎都取决于爱邻爱神这两条诫命。 若时常践行真正的悔改, 甚至象预备自己领受圣餐那么经常, 若他此后避开自己身上发现的这样那样的罪, 那么就足以使悔改成为现实。 当他处于悔改的现实时, 就踏上了去往天堂的路, 因为此时他从属世开始变成属灵, 并从主新生。
530. The question then is, How are we to repent? The answer is, we are to do so actively. That is, we are to examine ourselves, recognize and admit to our sins, pray to the Lord, and begin a new life.
The fact that repentance is not possible without examining ourselves was shown under the previous heading [526-527]. And what is the point of examining ourselves unless we recognize our sins? What is the point of that recognition unless we admit that those sins are in us? What is the point of all three of these steps unless we confess our sins before the Lord, pray for his help, and then begin a new life, which is the purpose of the whole exercise? This is active repentance.
[2] The fact that this is the sequence of actions to take is something we are all capable of realizing as we leave childhood and become more and more independent and able to reason for ourselves. We can see this from thinking of our baptism. The washing of baptism means regeneration; and during the ceremony our godparents promised on our behalf that we were going to reject the Devil and all his works. Likewise thinking of the Holy Supper, we have all been warned that in order to approach it worthily we have to repent from our sins, turn ourselves to God, and start a new life. We can also think of the Ten Commandments - the catechism that is in the hands of all Christians. Six of the ten simply command us not to do evil things. If we do not remove these evils through repentance, we are unable to love our neighbor and even less able to love God, even though the Law and the Prophets, that is, the Word and therefore salvation, hinge on these two commandments [Matthew 22:40].
[3] Repentance becomes effective if we practice it regularly - that is, every time we prepare ourselves to take the Communion of the Holy Supper. Afterward, if we abstain from one sin or another that we have discovered in ourselves, this is enough to make our repentance real. When we reach this point, we are on the pathway to heaven, because we then begin to turn from an earthly person into a spiritual person and to be born anew with the help of the Lord.
530. The question then is asked: how is one to repent? The answer is, in deed; that is, by examining oneself, recognising and acknowledging one's sins, praying to the Lord, and starting a new life. The previous section [525-527] showed that repentance is impossible without self-examination. But what purpose does self-examination serve, but to enable us to recognise our sins? Or what purpose does their recognition serve, unless we acknowledge their presence in us? Or what purpose would these three actions serve, if not to enable us to confess them before the Lord, to appeal for His help, and from this point on to start a new life, which is the end in view? This is real repentance.
This is the way we need to develop and act, as every person may know, once he has left childhood behind, and more and more as he becomes his own master and knows his own mind, if he considers baptism, which is a kind of washing standing for regeneration. For at baptism his godparents promised on his behalf that he would renounce the devil and all his works. The same is true on considering the Holy Supper: all are warned that before they are fit to approach they must repent of their sins, turn towards God, and embark on a new life. The same may be seen on considering the Ten Commandments or the Catechism which all Christians have before them; here six of the Ten Commandments are simply instructions not to do evil deeds, and unless one puts them away by repentance, one cannot love the neighbour, much less love God. Yet on these two commandments the Law and the Prophets, that is, the Word, depend, and consequently so too does one's salvation. If real repentance is practised from time to time, in fact as often as one prepares oneself to partake of the Holy Supper, and if one thereafter refrains from one or two sins one caught oneself committing, this is enough to start the process of making it real. Anyone at that point is on his way to heaven, for that is when a person begins to become spiritual instead of natural, and to be born anew under the Lord's guidance.
530. The question therefore is, How ought man to repent? And the reply is, Actually; that is to say, he must examine himself, recognize and acknowledge his sins, pray to the Lord, and begin a new life. That without examination repentance is not possible, has been shown in the preceding section. But of what use is examination except that one may recognize his sins? And why should he recognize his sins, except that he may acknowledge that they are in him? And of what use are these three things, except that man may confess his sins before the Lord, pray for help, and then begin a new life, which is the end sought? This is actual repentance. That man ought so to proceed and do, everyone may know (after he has passed the first period of life, and more and more as he comes under his own control and into the exercise of his own reason) first, from his baptism, the washing of which means regeneration; for in baptism his sponsors have promised for him that he will reject the devil and all his works, and also from the holy supper, for all are forewarned that before they can worthily approach it, they must repent of their sins, turn to God, and enter upon a new life; and still further, from the Decalogue or Catechism which is in the hands of all Christians, where, in six of the commandments nothing is commanded but that they should not do what is evil. And unless evils are removed by repentance, man cannot love his neighbor, still less God; yet on these two commandments hang the law and the prophets, that is, the Word, consequently salvation. If at recurring seasons there is actual repentance, as often, for instance, as a man prepares for the communion of the holy supper, and if he afterward abstains from one or another sin which he then discovers in himself, this is sufficient to initiate him into the actuality [of the repentance], and when he is in that he is on the way to heaven, for he then from being natural begins to be spiritual, and to be born anew from the Lord.
530. The question then is, How ought a man to repent? The answer is, Actually; that is, by examining himself, recognizing and acknowledging his sins, praying to the Lord and beginning a new life. There can be no repentance for a man without self-examination, as was shown in the previous article; but examination must lead to a recognition of his sins, their recognition to the acknowledgment that they are in him; and these three duties to the confession of his sins before the Lord, prayer for help, and then the beginning of a new life. This is actual repentance.
Every one who has passed through the early stages of life and has at length attained a state of responsibility and the exercise of his own reason, may know that this is the course he should follow. It is plain from the rite of baptism, in which the washing signifies regeneration; for at its celebration the sponsors promise for the child that he will renounce the devil and all his works. It is evident from the Holy Supper, for all who approach it worthily are previously admonished to repent of their sins, to turn to God, and to begin a new life. It is plain also from the Decalogue or Catechism, which is in the hands of all Christians; for in six of its precepts nothing else is commanded but that a man should not commit evils. Unless these evils are removed by repentance, he cannot obey the command to love the neighbor, and to love God; and yet on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets, that is, the Word, and consequently salvation. If actual repentance is practiced at stated times, especially when a man prepares himself for the communion of the Holy Supper, provided that he afterwards abstains from one or more sins which he then discovers in himself, this is sufficient to initiate him into the real practice of it. When in this state, he is on the way to heaven; for then he begins from being natural to become spiritual, and to be born anew of the Lord.
530. Quaeritur itaque quomodo Poenitentia agenda est; respondetur quod actualiter, et hoc est, explorare se, cognoscere et agnoscere sua peccata, supplicare ad Dominum, et novam vitam inchoare: quod Poenitentia non dabilis sit absque exploratione, in Articulo, qui praecedit, ostensum est; sed ad quid exploratio, nisi ut cognoscat sua peccata, et ad quid cognitio nisi agnoscat quod illa in illo sint, et ad quid tria illa, nisi ut confiteatur illa coram Domino, et supplicet de suppetiis, et ab hoc inchoare novam vitam, quae est finis propter quem; haec est actualis poenitentia. 1
[2] Quod ita progrediendum et faciendum sit, scire potest unusquisque homo post primam aetatem, et plus et plus sicut sui juris et suae rationis fit ex Baptismo, per cujus lavationem intelligitur Regeneratio, nam in illo patrini pro illo sposponderunt, quod rejecturus sit diabolum, et omnia ejus opera: similiter ex Sancta Coena, ante cujus accessionem 2 dignam praemonentur omnes, ut a peccatis poenitentiam agant, et se ad Deum convertant, et novam vitam ingrediantur: et praeterea ex Decalogo seu Cathechismo, qui in omnium Christianorum manibus est, ubi in sex praeceptis Decalogi non aliud mandatur, quam ut non mala faciant; quae nisi quis per poenitentiam removet, non potest amare proximum, et minus Deum; cum tamen ex duobus his mandatis pendent Lex et Prophetae, hoc est, Verbum, proinde salus.
[3] Actualis poenitentia, si alternis vicibus agitur, nimirum quoties homo ad communionem sanctae Coenae se praeparat, si postea ab uno seu altero 3 peccato, quod tunc deprehendit apud se, abstineat, satis est ad initiandum se in actualitatem, in qua cum est, in via est ad Coelum, nam tunc homo incipit a naturali spiritualis fieri, et nasci novus a Domino.
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