591. 当今教会普遍承认, 内在人必须先被改造, 然后外在人通过它被改造。 但当他们提到内在人时, 所想到的无非是信, 这信就是父神将祂儿子的功和义归于人, 并派出圣灵。 他们认为这信构成内在人, 外在人源自内在人, 这外在人就是属世层面的道德之人。 他们视外在人为内在人的附属, 比较象马, 牛的尾巴, 或孔雀, 极乐鸟的尾巴, 这尾巴延伸到脚底, 却没有和它们连结起来, 因为他们说, 仁紧随信来, 但若出于人意的仁爱进入, 这信就会消失。 事实上, 由于当今教会只承认这样的内在人, 所以不存在任何内在人, 因为没人知道这信是否被赐下。 另外, 如前所述, 这样的信是不可能的, 因而纯粹是想象。 由此可知, 如今执着这信的人没有内在人, 只有与生俱来, 充满罪恶的外在人。 当今教会还补充说, 重生与成圣自动随那信而来, 人的配合 (它是实现重生的唯一途径) 必须被排除在外。 因此, 对当今教会来说, 要认识到重生是不可能的, 尽管主说, 人若不重生, 就不能见神的国。
591. Our Inner Self Has to Be Reformed First; Our Outer Self Is Then Reformed through Our Inner Self - This Is How We Are Regenerated
It is a common saying in the church today that our inner self has to be reformed first and that our outer self is then reformed through our inner self. The church, however, takes the "inner self" to mean faith and nothing else - specifically, the faith that God the Father assigns us the merit and justice of his Son and sends us the Holy Spirit. They believe that this faith constitutes our inner self, and that our outer self, which is our moral, earthly self, is derived from it. To them, our moral, earthly self is an appendage to that faith, like the tail on a horse or a cow; or like the tail of a peacock or a bird of paradise, which is long and feathery, but is completely separate from the real wings. According to the church, some type of goodwill follows that faith, but if a goodwill that comes from our own volition ever becomes present it will destroy our faith.
[2] Since faith is the only inner self that is recognized by the church today, there is no inner self, because according to the church none of us know whether that faith has been granted to us or not. As I have shown above, this faith is not actually possible, and is therefore fictional. It follows, then, that for people today who have convinced themselves of that faith, the only "inner self" they have is their earthly self, which has been teeming since birth with evils in great abundance. To this view they have added the notion that regeneration and sanctification spontaneously result from this faith, and that any cooperation on our part is excluded (although in reality regeneration only happens through our cooperation). As a result, the regeneration taught by the church of today is unrecognizable, even though the Lord says that those who are not regenerated cannot see the kingdom of God [John 3:3].
591. VI. The internal man must be reformed first, and the external by means of the internal; that is how a person is regenerated.
It is commonly said in the church at the present time that the internal man must be reformed first, and the external by means of the internal. But when they say the internal man, they think of nothing but faith, their belief that God the Father imputes the merit and righteousness of His Son, and sends the Holy Spirit. They believe that this faith makes up the internal man, and is the source from which the external man, who is moral at the natural level, flows. They regard the external as an appendage, to use a comparison, like a tail on a horse or an ox, or the tail of a peacock or a bird of paradise, which is a continuation of the soles of its feet except that it is not attached to them. For they say that charity follows that faith, but if charity came in from a person's will, his faith would perish.
[2] In fact, there is no internal man in the church at the present time, since no other internal man is recognised there. For no one can tell whether he has been granted that faith; and I showed above that this faith is impossible and thus a figment of the imagination. It follows from this that those who at the present time have convinced themselves of this faith have no other internal man than the natural one they acquired by birth, overflowing with evils. A further consequence is that regeneration and sanctification follow that faith automatically, and that a person's co-operation must be excluded, although it is the only way to regeneration. That is why it is impossible for the present-day church to know about regeneration, although the Lord says that anyone who is not regenerated cannot see the kingdom of God.
591. THE INTERNAL MAN MUST FIRST BE REFORMED, AND BY MEANS OF IT THE EXTERNAL; AND THUS IS MAN REGENERATED.
That the internal man must first be regenerated, and by means of it the external, is generally conceded in the church at the present day; but "internal man" suggests nothing to the thought but faith, which faith is that God the Father imputes to men the merit and righteousness of His Son, and sends the Holy Spirit. It is believed that this faith constitutes the internal man, and that from the internal the external flows forth, which is the moral natural man, this being an appendage to the former, comparatively like the tail of a horse or cow, or like the tail of a peacock or bird of paradise which extends to the feet without being connected with them; for it is said that while charity follows that faith, the faith perishes if charity from man's will comes in. But this being the only internal man recognized in the church at the present day, there is no internal man, for no one knows whether such a faith has been bestowed upon him or not; moreover, as has been shown above, it is an impossible thing and therefore purely imaginary. From this it follows, that at the present day, among those who are confirmed in that faith there is no other internal man than that natural man which from birth overflows in evils of every kind. To this it may be added, that regeneration and sanctification are said to follow that faith of themselves, and that man's co-operation, which is the only means by which regeneration is effected, must be excluded. Therefore it is that no knowledge of regeneration in the present church is possible, when yet the Lord says that he who is not regenerated cannot see the kingdom of God.
591. VI. THE INTERNAL MAN MUST BE REFORMED FIRST, AND THE EXTERNAL BY MEANS OF IT; AND IN THIS WAY THE MAN IS REGENERATED.
That the internal man must be regenerated first, and by means of it the external, is a doctrine commonly insisted upon in the Church at the present day; but by the internal man nothing else is thought of than the faith that God the Father imputes the merit and righteousness of His Son, and sends forth the Holy Spirit. It is believed that this faith constitutes the internal man, from which proceeds the external or moral natural man, forming an appendage to it, much like the tail of a horse or a cow, or like that of a peacock or bird of paradise, which reaches down to the feet but does not unite with them; for it is asserted that charity follows that faith, but should charity enter from a man's will, the faith is destroyed. Since, however, the Church at this day knows no other internal man than this, there exists for the Church no internal man; for no one knows whether that faith has been given to him. Moreover, it was shown above that it cannot be given, and is consequently a mere figment of the imagination. It follows, therefore, that for those who have confirmed themselves in that faith at this day there is no internal man, but only the natural man which by birth is full of evils in all abundance. It is also asserted that regeneration and sanctification follow that faith of themselves, and that man's co-operation, by which alone regeneration is really effected, must be excluded. Hence it is that a knowledge of regeneration is not attainable in the Church of the present day, although the Lord says that he who is not born again cannot see the kingdom of God.
591. Quod Internus homo primum reformandus sit, et per hunc Externus, et quod homo sic regeneretur.
Quod Internus homo primum regenerandus sit et per illum Externus, in Ecclesia hodie communiter dicitur, sed per Internum hominem non aliud cogitatur, quam fides, quae est, ut Deus Pater imputet meritum et justitiam Filii sui, et mittat Spiritum sanctum; hanc fidem credunt facere Internum hominem, et ex illo profluere Externum, qui est moralis naturalis homo, et quod hic sit appendix ejus, comparative sicut cauda equi aut bovis, aut sicut cauda pavonis vel avis paradisiacae, quae continuatur volis ejus, praeter quod cohaereat, nam dicitur, quod charitas sequatur fidem illam, sed si charitas ex voluntate hominis intrat, fides illa pereat.
[2] Verum quia non alius Internus homo in Ecclesia hodie agnoscitur, non est aliquis Internus homo, nam nemo scit, num fides illa ei donata sit; quod etiam non dabilis sit, et inde imaginaria, supra ostensum est: inde sequitur, quod hodie apud illos, qui se in fide illa confirmaverunt, non sit alius Internus homo, quam naturalis ille, qui a nativitate scatet malis in omni copia; accedit, quod regeneratio et sanctificatio sequatur fidem illam ex se, et quod cooperatio hominis, per quam unice fit regeneratio excludenda sit; inde est, quod Regeneratio non sit scibilis in Ecclesia hodierna, cum tamen Dominus dicit, quod qui non regeneratur, non videre possit regnum Dei.