617.凡相信没有属灵事上的选择自由，因而没有配合才有可能重生之人，对于教会的所有真理，变得如石头一样冷漠，即便他是热的，也因为这热来自欲望，所以就象火灾之地着火的木头，由于其中的易燃物而猛烈燃烧。他好比一座宫殿沉入地下，直到房顶，又被淤泥掩埋，之后他就住在那光秃秃的房顶上，在沼泽里为自己搭了间小棚屋，最后房顶也沉下去了，他就被淹死了。他还象一艘货船，满载各种取自圣言宝库的珍贵货物，但它们却被老鼠咬坏，被虫蛀蚀，或被水手扔到海里，致使商人损失货物。那些在这信的奥秘上学富五车的人，就象小商店里兜售偶像、水果、腊花、贝壳、瓶装蛇，以及此类物品的小贩。那些由于缺乏被主调和并赐下的属灵力量之人，不愿抬头仰望，事实上，他们就象动物，头朝下看，只顾在森林里吃草。若他们进入果园，就会象虫子一样吃光树叶，若他们看见果实，就会塞满虫子，若用手触摸，更是如此，最终他们变得象有鳞的蛇，其谬论就象蛇的鳞片一样闪光，并发出沙沙声，等等。
617. 凡相信没有属灵事上的选择自由, 因而没有配合才有可能重生之人, 对于教会的所有真理, 变得如石头一样冷漠, 即便他是热的, 也因为这热来自欲望, 所以就象火灾之地着火的木头, 由于其中的易燃物而猛烈燃烧。 他好比一座宫殿沉入地下, 直到房顶, 又被淤泥掩埋, 之后他就住在那光秃秃的房顶上, 在沼泽里为自己搭了间小棚屋, 最后房顶也沉下去了, 他就被淹死了。 他还象一艘货船, 满载各种取自圣言宝库的珍贵货物, 但它们却被老鼠咬坏, 被虫蛀蚀, 或被水手扔到海里, 致使商人损失货物。 那些在这信的奥秘上学富五车的人, 就象小商店里兜售偶像, 水果, 腊花, 贝壳, 瓶装蛇, 以及此类物品的小贩。 那些由于缺乏被主调和并赐下的属灵力量之人, 不愿抬头仰望, 事实上, 他们就象动物, 头朝下看, 只顾在森林里吃草。 若他们进入果园, 就会象虫子一样吃光树叶, 若他们看见果实, 就会塞满虫子, 若用手触摸, 更是如此, 最终他们变得象有鳞的蛇, 其谬论就象蛇的鳞片一样闪光, 并发出沙沙声, 等等。
第12节 没有形成信并与仁结合的真理, 重生是不可能的
617. People who believe that regeneration can exist in the absence of free choice in spiritual matters, that is, without any cooperation on their part, become as cold as a stone toward all the true teachings of the church. If they are warm, they are warm with cravings that are like pitch and tar burning in a torch lit from the fireplace.
They are like people who live in a mansion that has sunk into the ground all the way up to its roof and is flooded with muddy water; so they live on the bare roof and make themselves a rough shelter on it out of swamp reeds. In time, though, even the roof goes under and they are swallowed up.
They are also like a ship that contains precious cargo of all kinds taken from the treasury of the Word, but that cargo is either eaten away by rats and moths or thrown into the sea by the sailors, robbing the merchants of their goods.
The learned professors who are steeped in the mysteries of that faith are like shopkeepers in stalls who sell statues of idols, fruit and flowers made out of wax, seashells, snakes in glass bottles, and other merchandise of that sort.
People who do not even try to look upward because they have been told that the Lord has not granted human beings any spiritual ability, are, in regard to their actions, like animals that keep their heads down and stay in the forests looking for food. If they stumble upon orchards, they are like caterpillars that consume the leaves of the trees. If they happen to lay their eyes on pieces of fruit, and even more so if they lay their hands on them, they fill the fruit with worm-laden [eggs]. Eventually they become like snakes with scales - like those scales, their mistaken ideas rattle and shine. And so on.
617. A person who believes that regeneration is possible without any free will in spiritual matters, and so without any co-operation, becomes as regards all the church's truths as cold as a rock; and if he is hot, he is like a blazing log on a fire, which burns because of the combustible material it contains, because of his lusts. To employ a comparison, he becomes like a palace sinking into the ground up to its roof and being flooded with muddy water; after this he lives on the bare roof, and there builds himself a shelter of reeds from the marshes. Finally the roof too sinks below the surface and he is drowned.
[2] He is also like a ship laden with precious goods of every kind taken from the treasury of the Word. But these are gnawed by mice and grubs, or thrown overboard by the sailors, so that the merchants are cheated out of their wares. Those who are learned or rich in the mysteries of that faith are like salesmen in shops selling statues of idols, fruit and flowers made of wax, sea-shells, vipers in bottles and such like. Those who, because of the lack of any spiritual power applied and given by the Lord, are unwilling to look up, are in fact like animals which keep their heads down to look, as they seek their food in the woods. If they come into gardens, they are like caterpillars which eat the leaves of trees: and if they catch sight of fruits, and more so if they handle them, they fill them with maggots. Finally they become like scaly snakes, for their fallacies rustle and glitter like the scales of snakes. And so one might continue with comparisons.
617. The man who believes that regeneration is possible without freedom of choice in spiritual things, thus without co-operation, becomes as frigid as a stone in regard to all the truths of the church; or if he is warm, since his warmth arises from lusts, he is like a burning brand in a fire-place, that blazes from the combustible elements in it. He becomes comparatively like a palace sinking into the ground even to its roof, and becoming flooded with muddy water; after which he dwells upon the bare roof, making a hut there for himself of marsh rushes, and at length the roof sinks also, and he is drowned. He is also like a ship laden with all kinds of precious merchandise taken from the Word as a treasury, but gnawed by mice and moth-eaten, or thrown by the sailors into the sea, so that the merchants are defrauded of their goods. Those who are learned or rich in the mysteries of that faith, are like the venders in little shops who sell idols, fruit, wax-flowers, shells, snakes in bottles, and such like things. Those who, because of the lack of spiritual power adapted and given to man by the Lord, have no wish to look upward, are actually like beasts whose heads look downward, and which care for nothing but to graze in the forests; and if they enter an orchard, they eat up the foliage of the trees like worms, or if they see the fruit with their eyes, or still more if they feel it with their hands, they fill it with worms; and finally they become like scaly serpents, their fallacies sounding and glittering like serpents' scales; and so on.
617. A man who believes that regeneration is possible without any free will in spiritual things, and thus without man's co-operation, becomes cold as a stone with respect to all the truths of the Church; and if heated, he is like a torch lighted in the fire, which blazes up from the combustible matter it contains; for his heat is inspired by lusts. He is, to use comparisons, like a palace which, having subsided into the ground up to its roof, is overflowed with muddy waters. The owner then lives on the exposed roof, and there makes for himself a hut of marsh rushes; but at last the roof sinks also, and he is drowned. He is also like a ship laden with costly merchandise of every kind from the Word as from a treasure house; but the cargo is either devoured by mice and moths, or cast into the sea by the crew so that the merchants are denied the profit of their goods. The learned, that is, those who are rich in the mysteries of that faith, are like peddlers in their stalls, who sell images of idols, fruits and flowers made of wax, sea-shells, snakes in bottles, and such articles. Those who are unwilling to look upwards, from a belief that no spiritual power is brought near and given to man by the Lord, are actually like beasts which look with their head downwards, only seeking for pasture in the forests; and if they come into gardens, they are like grubs which consume the leaves of trees; and if they see fruits with their eyes, and especially if they touch them with their hands, they fill them with maggots. Finally, they become like scaly serpents, their fallacious doctrines resounding and glittering like the scales of serpents; and so the comparisons might be multiplied.
617. Homo, qui credit Regenerationem dari absque ullo libero arbitrio in spiritualibus, ita absque cooperatione, fit quoad omnia vera Ecclesiae frigidus sicut saxum, et si calidus, est sicut torris in foco ignitus, qui flagrat ex combustibilibus in illo, quia ex concupiscentiis. Ille comparative fit sicut palatium subsidens in terram usque ad tectum ejus, et inundatur aquis lutulentis, et post hoc habitat super nudo tecto, et ibi sibi facit tentorium ex cannis palustribus, et demum etiam tectum subsidet, et ipse submergitur.
[2] Est quoque similis navi, in qua omnis generis pretiosae merces ex Verbo ut thesaurario sunt, quae vel a muribus et blattis corroduntur, vel a nautis projiciuntur in mare, et sic mercatores defraudantur suis bonis. Eruditi seu opulenti ex fidei istius arcanis sunt similes institoribus in Cauponis, qui vendunt statuas idolorum, fructus et flores cereos, conchilia, viperas in phialis, et similia alia. Illi, qui ex nulla spirituali potentia homini applicata et data a Domino, non volunt spectare sursum, sunt actualiter sicut bestiae, quae Capite spectant deorsum, et modo pascua in sylvis quaerunt, et si in hortos veniunt, sunt sicut vermes qui folia arborum consumunt, et si fructus oculis vident, et plus si manibus palpant, implent illos vermicosis: et tandem fiunt sicut serpentes squamosi, quorum fallaciae sonant et fulgent, sicut illorum squamae, et sic porro.