616.如果可以，请告诉我，对于重生的盲目愚蠢，还有比执着于当今之信者更甚的吗？这是一个信念，即信被注入人内，而他就象一块木头或石头，随后被注入的就是称义，即罪的赦免，以及重生和很多其它礼物，而且人的努力必须被完全排除在外，以免损害基督功德。为牢固确立这一信条，他们剥夺了人在属灵事上的一切选择自由，声称人在其中无能为力，然后似乎唯独神这一方运作，人那一方没有被赋予配合、从而与神结合的力量。若是这样，那么在重生方面，人不就成了束手束脚如船上戴锁链的奴隶吗？如果他挣脱手铐脚镣，即如果他出于选择自由对邻行善，并为了救恩凭自己信靠神，就会像奴隶一样被惩罚，判为死刑。如果一个人真的确信这种观点，然而又虔诚渴望天堂，那么，他不就成了一个幽灵，站在那里思索，那信及其恩惠究竟注入到他里面没有，或若没有，它是否会被注入，因而父神是否施怜悯于他，或圣子究竟有没有为他说情，或是不是圣灵在其它地方忙碌以至于没来得及顾上他？最后，他由于对此毫不知情，可能会离去，并用下面的话安慰自己：“或许那恩典就在我生活的道德行为中，这种道德行为我一贯拥有，并会如从前那样继续下去，因此，在我里面的恩典是神圣的，而在那些没有获得信的人里面，是污秽的。所以，为了确保这种神圣存留在我的道德行为中，我今后必小心谨慎，不去行那出于自己的仁或信”，等等。凡认为通过属灵事上的选择自由无法实现重生之人，就会变成这样一个幽灵，或若你喜欢的话，这样一个盐的雕像。
616. 如果可以, 请告诉我, 对于重生的盲目愚蠢, 还有比执着于当今之信者更甚的吗? 这是一个信念, 即信被注入人内, 而他就象一块木头或石头, 随后被注入的就是称义, 即罪的赦免, 以及重生和很多其它礼物, 而且人的努力必须被完全排除在外, 以免损害基督功德。 为牢固确立这一信条, 他们剥夺了人在属灵事上的一切选择自由, 声称人在其中无能为力, 然后似乎唯独神这一方运作, 人那一方没有被赋予配合, 从而与神结合的力量。 若是这样, 那么在重生方面, 人不就成了束手束脚如船上戴锁链的奴隶吗? 如果他挣脱手铐脚镣, 即如果他出于选择自由对邻行善, 并为了救恩凭自己信靠神, 就会像奴隶一样被惩罚, 判为死刑。 如果一个人真的确信这种观点, 然而又虔诚渴望天堂, 那么, 他不就成了一个幽灵, 站在那里思索, 那信及其恩惠究竟注入到他里面没有, 或若没有, 它是否会被注入, 因而父神是否施怜悯于他, 或圣子究竟有没有为他说情, 或是不是圣灵在其它地方忙碌以至于没来得及顾上他? 最后, 他由于对此毫不知情, 可能会离去, 并用下面的话安慰自己: “或许那恩典就在我生活的道德行为中, 这种道德行为我一贯拥有, 并会如从前那样继续下去, 因此, 在我里面的恩典是神圣的, 而在那些没有获得信的人里面, 是污秽的。 所以, 为了确保这种神圣存留在我的道德行为中, 我今后必小心谨慎, 不去行那出于自己的仁或信”, 等等。 凡认为通过属灵事上的选择自由无法实现重生之人, 就会变成这样一个幽灵, 或若你喜欢的话, 这样一个盐的雕像。
616. Tell me, if you can, whether any blinder stupidity about regeneration could possibly exist than the one exhibited by people who have convinced themselves of the modern-day faith. That belief holds that although we are like a log or a stone, that faith is poured into us. Once it is poured in, then our justification follows, which means that our sins are forgiven and we are regenerated (not to mention many other gifts we are given). Any work on our part must be strictly excluded from this process to prevent us from doing any violence to the merit of Christ. In order to establish this dogma with even greater solidity, they take away any notion that we have free choice in spiritual matters and replace it with the idea that we are completely powerless in those respects. Since God alone then does his part of the work, and no power has been granted to us to do our part in cooperating and therefore forming a partnership with God, how are we different in regard to regeneration from someone who is shackled hand and foot? We are like so-called galley slaves, who are chained inside ships. What happens to them if they take the chains off their hands and feet? Like them, [under this teaching] we too are punished and condemned to death if we exercise our free choice and do anything good for our neighbor or make any effort to believe in God for the sake of our salvation.
[2] Where does that leave people who are convinced of these views and yet feel a devout desire to go to heaven? What can they do but wait like a ghost in limbo, trying to guess whether that faith and all its benefits have already been poured into them, or if not, whether they are being poured in now? "Has God the Father shown mercy? Has his Son interceded for me? Is the Holy Spirit tied up elsewhere or is it working on me yet?" After a while without any information to go on, they would stop posing these questions and just comfort themselves with these thoughts: "Perhaps that grace is present in the morality I am still practicing now just as much as I was before. Maybe morality is actually sacred in my case, although the same quality is admittedly profane in people who have not acquired this faith. To preserve the holiness present in my morality I will be careful from now on not to work on faith or goodwill at all on my own. " And so on.
Everyone who thinks about regeneration but does not believe in free choice in spiritual matters is a ghost like this, or, if you prefer, a pillar of salt [Genesis 19:26].
616. Tell me, if you can, whether there can ever be such blind stupidity about regeneration as that displayed by those convinced of present-day faith. This is a belief that faith is poured into a person while he is like a block of wood or a stone, and that infusion is followed by justification, which is the forgiveness of sins, regeneration and many other gifts; and that any activity on the person's part is to be utterly ruled out in order to avoid doing any damage to Christ's merit. To establish this dogma even more securely, they have snatched away from people any free will in spiritual matters, making them totally powerless in this respect; as if God would then act alone on His part, and no power would be given to the person to co-operate on his part, and so to link himself with God. If that were so, what would a person be as regards regeneration but tied hand and foot like the slaves chained in galleys? 1 If he got free from his manacles and leg-irons, he would, like the slaves, be punished and condemned to death - that is, if he used his free will to do good to his neighbour, and believed in God of his own accord so as to be saved.
[2] If a person were to convince himself of such beliefs, although he piously hoped to go to heaven, he would be nothing but a ghost, standing waiting to see whether that faith with the benefits it conveys had been poured into him, or if not, whether it was being poured in; and likewise whether God the Father had shown mercy, or whether His Son had interceded, or whether the Holy Spirit was too busy elsewhere to act on him. In the end he would in his total ignorance about this go away and console himself with this reflexion: 'Perhaps that grace may be present in the moral behaviour I adopt in life and in which I continue as formerly, so that in me it is holy, but in those who have not acquired that faith, unholy. So to ensure that holiness remains in my moral behaviour, I shall take care in future not to exercise faith or charity of my own accord' - and more of the same sort. Such a ghost, or if you prefer such a pillar of salt, is what everyone becomes who thinks about regeneration unaccompanied by free will in spiritual matters.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin text here uses the French word for 'galleys', galeres.
616. Tell me, if you can, whether a blinder stupidity respecting regeneration is possible than that which prevails with those who have confirmed themselves in the faith of the present day, which is, that faith is infused into man while he is like a stock or a stone, and that when it has been infused, it is followed by justification, which is forgiveness of sins, and regeneration, and other gifts besides; and also that man's effort must be wholly excluded, that it may not do violence to the merit of Christ. In order that this dogma might be still more firmly established, they have deprived man of all freedom of choice in spiritual things, by asserting his complete impotence therein. It is, then, as if God alone were to operate on His part, and no power were given to man to operate on his part, and thus conjoin himself with God. In that case what is man in respect to regeneration, but like one bound hand and foot, like the prisoners on ships called galley-slaves? And like these, if he were to free himself from those manacles and fetters, he would be punished or condemned to death, that is, if, from freedom of choice he were to do good to the neighbor, and of himself were to believe in God for the sake of salvation. If a man were confirmed in such opinions, and yet had a pious desire for heaven, what would he be like but a specter standing and speculating as to whether that faith with its benefits has been infused into him; or if not, whether it will be infused, therefore whether God the Father has taken pity on him, or whether His Son has interceded for him, or whether the Holy Spirit is inoperative because employed elsewhere? And yet, because of his complete ignorance of the matter, he might go away and console himself by saying, "Perhaps that grace is in the morality of my life, which I have and which I retain as formerly, and in me therefore it may be holy, while in those who have not attained to that faith it is profane. Therefore, in order that this holiness may remain in my morality, I will be careful hereafter not to exercise either charity or faith of myself;" with much more. Such a specter, or if you prefer, such a statue of salt, does everyone become who thinks of regeneration separated from freedom of choice in spiritual things.
616. Say, if you can, whether there can be anywhere a more stupid conception of regeneration than exists with those who confirm themselves in the faith of the present day. This teaches that faith is infused into a man as if he were a stock or a stone; that justification follows it, which means the remission of sins, regeneration and many other gifts; and that operation on man's part must be entirely excluded, lest it should do any violence to the merit of Christ. In order that this doctrine might be more firmly established, its advocates have taken away from man all free will in spiritual things, by insisting on his absolute impotence in these matters. It is, then, as if God alone were operating on His part, and no power were given to man of co-operating on his part, and thus of conjoining himself with God. As regards regeneration, man would then be as one bound hand and foot, like those chained in ships called "the galleys," who are punished and even condemned to death if they should free themselves from their fetters. He also, they insist, would suffer like punishment if he, from his own free will, were to do good to the neighbor, and of himself were to believe on God for the sake of salvation.
A man confirmed in such opinions, who yet had a pious longing for heaven, would be like a lay-figure standing with uplifted eyes to see whether that faith with its benefits has been infused into him, or if not, whether it may be infused; consequently, whether God the Father has had compassion upon him, or whether His Son has interceded for him, or whether the Holy Spirit, being engaged elsewhere, is not operating in him. At length, from his entire ignorance of the matter, such a one might go away and comfort himself with this reflection: "Possibly that grace is present in the morality of my life, in which I remain as heretofore; and thus, in my case, that morality is holy, but in the case of those who have not acquired that faith, it is profane. Therefore, in order that holiness may remain in my morality, I will take care after this not to exercise either faith or charity of myself;" and much more to the same effect. Such a lay-figure, or if you prefer it, such a pillar of salt, does every one become who thinks about regeneration without free will in spiritual things.
616. Dicite si potestis, num usquam dari possit stupiditas caecior de Regeneratione, quam qualis est apud illos, qui se in hodierna Fide confirmant, quae est, quod fides infundatur homini cum est sicut truncus aut lapis, et quod tunc illam infusam sequatur justificatio, quae est, remissio peccatorum, regeneratio, praeter plura dona; et quod operatio hominis prorsus excludenda sit, propter causam, ne merito Christi aliquam vim inferat; quod dogma ut adhuc firmius stabiliretur, homini omne liberum arbitrium in spiritualibus praeripuerunt, inducendo plenariam impotentiam in illis; et tunc sicut Deus solum operaretur a sua parte, et nulla potentia data foret homini cooperandi a sua, et sic se conjungendi; quid tunc homo quoad regenerationem, nisi sicut vinctus quoad manus et pedes, similis vinctis in navibus, galeras, 1 vocatis, qui si manicis et pedicis se exsolverent, similiter ut illi puniretur et morti damnaretur, hoc est, si ex libero arbitrio bonum faceret proximo, et ex se crederet in Deum, salutis causa.
[2] Quid foret homo in talibus confirmatus, et tamen in pio desiderio Coeli, nisi sicut larva stans in visione, num fides illa cum suis beneficiis infusa sit, aut si non, Numeri infundatur, proinde Numeri Deus Pater misertus sit, aut num Filius Ipsius intercesserit, aut num Spiritus sanctus alibi occupatus non operetur; et tandem ex plenaria ignorantia de hoc recederet, et se consolaretur per hoc, quod forte gratia illa moralitati vitae meae, in qua sum et maneo sicut prius, insit, et sic illa in me sancta, at in illis, qui fidem illam non adepti sunt, prophana; quare ut sanctitas in moralitate mea remaneat, cavebo posthac ne ex me operer fidem, nec charitatem; praeter plura; talis larva, aut si mavis, talis statua salis fit omnis, qui cogitat de Regeneratione absque Libero arbitrio in spiritualibus.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: galeres, nisi legeris galeris, sic Worcester, seu gal�res, sic Chadwick.