560.崇拜地上的某个牧师为神，或召唤某个圣徒为神，就象向日月星辰祈求，或到占卜算卦的人那里寻求答案，相信他毫无根据的说词一样，在天堂没有一点用。这也好比敬拜一座神殿，而非神殿里的神；还好比向手里拿着权杖与王冠的国王仆人、而非国王本人祈求荣耀；又好比试图亲吻太阳的紫色光辉，威名，光明，金光，或纯粹一个名称，而非事物本身一样，没有任何效果。约翰福音里的这些话说得就是这种人：
我们在那位真实的里面，就是在他儿子耶稣基督里面。这是真神，也是永生。小子们哪，你们要自守，远避偶像！（约翰一书5:20－21）
560. 崇拜地上的某个牧师为神, 或召唤某个圣徒为神, 就象向日月星辰祈求, 或到占卜算卦的人那里寻求答案, 相信他毫无根据的说词一样, 在天堂没有一点用。 这也好比敬拜一座神殿, 而非神殿里的神; 还好比向手里拿着权杖与王冠的国王仆人, 而非国王本人祈求荣耀; 又好比试图亲吻太阳的紫色光辉, 威名, 光明, 金光, 或纯粹一个名称, 而非事物本身一样, 没有任何效果。 约翰福音里的这些话说得就是这种人:
我们在那位真实的里面, 就是在他儿子耶稣基督里面。 这是真神, 也是永生。 小子们哪, 你们要自守, 远避偶像! (约翰一书5:20-21)
560. Giving adoration to some vicar [of Christ] on earth as we would to God or calling on some saint as we would call on God has no more effect on heaven than worshiping the sun, the moon, and the stars, or seeking for a response from fortune-tellers and believing in their meaningless utterances. Doing this would be like worshiping a church building but not God, who is in that church. It would be like submitting a request for glorious honors not to the king himself but to a servant of the king who is carrying his scepter and crown. This would be pointless, like paying deference to a gleaming scarlet robe but not the person who is wearing it; like praising the glorious light and golden rays from the sun but not the sun itself; like saluting names but not people. The following statement in John is for people who do such things: "We must remain in truth in Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, beware of idols" (1 John 5:20-21).
560. 1 Adoring anyone as Christ's vicar on earth, or invoking any saint as God, is no more effective in heaven than praying, as it might be, to the sun, the moon and the stars and seeking a fortune-teller and believing what he says, which is useless. This would also be like adoring a church and not God in the church. It would be like begging a king's servant, who carries in his hand the sceptre and crown, for honours and distinction, and not the king himself. This would be as empty as embracing the brightness of purple, the glory, light and golden rays of the sun, and its mere name, without thinking of the things themselves. These words in John are for those who behave like this:
We remain in the truth in Jesus Christ. He is the true God and everlasting life; my children, beware of idols. 1 John 5:20-21.
Footnotes:
1. The numbering of sections in the original goes from 539-560 without anything intervening.
560. To adore as God some vicar on earth, or to invoke as God some saint, has no more weight in heaven than to make supplication to the sun, moon, and stars, or to ask for a response from a diviner and believe what he puts forth, which is idle. It would be also like worshiping a temple, and not worshiping God in the temple; it would be like supplicating a king's servant carrying the scepter and crown in his hand, for the honors of glory, instead of the king himself; and this would be as useless as trying to kiss the splendor of purple, renown, light, the golden rays of the sun, or a mere name, apart from their subjects. For those who do such things are these words in John:
We abide in the truth in Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, guard yourselves from idols (1 John 20-21).
560. 1 To adore any one as God's vicar on earth, or to invoke any saint, is of no more avail in heaven than to pray to the sun, the moon and the stars, or to seek a response of a diviner and believe what he says. This would be like adoring a temple and not the God who dwells there; or like making supplication for the honors that are the reward of distinguished service to the king's servant who bears his sceptre and crown instead of addressing the king himself. All this would be as vain as regarding with veneration the splendor of the regal purple and not the royal wearer, glory in the abstract and not the man who wins it, light and not its source, the golden rays of the sun and not the sun itself, a mere name apart from what it represents. Those who do such things ought to consider these words in John,
"We are in the truth in Jesus Christ (A.V., we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ). This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols." 1 John 5:20-21.
Footnotes:
1. The numbering here follows the original.
560. 1 Adorare aliquem Vicarium super terra, aut invocare aliquem Sanctum, ut Deum, non plus valet in Coelo, quam sicut supplicare ad Solem, Lunam, et Astra, et quaerere Divinatorem de responso, et credere effato ejus, quod vanum est; hoc foret etiam sicut adorare Templum et non Deum in Templo: et foret sicut supplicare servum Regis, portantem manu sceptrum et coronam ejus, de honoribus 2 gloriae, et non ipsum Regem: et hoc irritum foret, sicut abstracte a subjectis osculari splendorem purpurae, gloriam, lucem, aureos radios solis, et solum nomen: Pro illis, qui talia faciunt, sint haec, apud Johannem, Manemus in veritate in Jesu Christo, Hic est verus Deus et Vita aeterna; filioli, cavete vobis ab idolis, I Epist. 5:20-21.
Footnotes: