628. 第2节 属当今之信的归算是一个双份归算。 基督功德的归算和从而救赎的归算
整个基督教会都教导, 称义, 从而救恩是由父神通过转嫁圣子基督的功德实现的; 神何时何地愿意, 并在祂认为合适的时候, 归算就会通过恩典成就; 基督功德被归给那些被接纳为神之众子的人。 由于教会领袖不能凌驾于归算之上, 或将自己的想法高举在它之上, 所以其有关神的选择自由的宣言致使他们陷入狂热的极端错误当中, 最终跌落至可憎的预定论, 以及这种可恶的异端邪说, 即神不关注人的生活行为, 而只关注刻在他内心的信。 因此, 除非关于归算的错误信念被消除, 否则无神论将侵入整个基督教界, 然后统治它们。
有无底坑的使者作它们的王, 按着希伯来话, 名叫亚巴顿; 希利尼话, 名叫亚玻伦。 (启示录9:11)
“亚巴顿”与“亚玻伦”象征通过虚假摧毁教会者, “无底坑”象征那些虚假的居所 (见启示录n。421, 440, 442)。 由此清楚可知, 该虚假信念和全部系列错误是那摧毁者实施统治的必然结果; 因为, 如前所述, 当今整个神学系统依赖于这归算, 它就象固定挂钩上的一条长链, 或象人及其各部位依赖于头部。 因为这归算无处不在, 如以赛亚书所说的那样:
主必从以色列中剪除头与尾; 尊贵人就是头, 以谎言教人的先知就是尾。 (以赛亚书9:14-15)
628. The Concept of Assigning That Is Part of the Faith of Today Has a Doubleness to It: There Is an Assigning of Christ's Merit, and There Is an Assigning of Salvation as a Result
The entire Christian church holds that God the Father grants justification, and therefore salvation, by assigning the merit of Christ, his Son. This assigning is thought to take place by grace "whenever and wherever God wants. " It is his choice. People who are assigned the merit of Christ are adopted and counted as children of God.
The leaders of the church have not taken a single step beyond this concept of the assignment of merit or lifted their minds above it. Because of their theory that God makes his choice arbitrarily, they have lapsed into wild and horrendous errors. They have eventually wandered even into the detestable notion of predestination and the abominable idea that God pays no attention to what we do in our lives; he only regards the faith that is inscribed on the deeper levels of our minds.
If this error about the assignment of merit is not destroyed, atheism is going to pervade all Christianity, and Christians will then be ruled by the king of the abyss, "whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and who has the Greek name Apollyon" (Revelation 9:11).
[2] Both "Abaddon" and "Apollyon" mean one who destroys the church with falsities. The abyss means [the hell] in which these falsities exist. (See Revelation Unveiled 421, 440, 442.) It follows then that this false concept regarding the assignment of merit, and all the false beliefs that follow from it in an extended series, are the very things over which the Destroyer rules. As noted just above [627], the entire Christian theological system depends on that concept of the assignment of merit like a long chain hanging on a carefully fastened hook; it also depends on it the way we and all our limbs depend on our head. This concept of the assignment of Christ's merit is dominant everywhere; therefore it is as Isaiah says: "The Lord will cut the head and the tail off Israel. The head is the person who is honored; the tail is the person who teaches lies" (Isaiah 9:14-15).
628. II. Imputation as part of present-day faith is a double concept. There is imputation of Christ's merit and imputation of salvation as a result.
The whole Christian church holds that justification and consequently salvation are effected by God the Father by imputing the merit of Christ His Son; and this imputation takes place by grace when and where God wishes, and so at His discretion. Those to whom Christ's merit is imputed are adopted and numbered among the sons of God. Since the leaders of the church have not advanced a step beyond this concept of imputation, or raised their minds above it, their dictum about God's discretionary choice has led them to fall into the gross errors of extremists, and eventually into the detestable heresy of predestination, as well as the abominable heresy that God pays no heed to what a person does in his life, but only to the faith he has written on the interiors of his mind. Unless therefore this erroneous belief about imputation is done away with, atheism would overrun the whole Christian world, and it would become subject to the reign of 'the king of the abyss whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek has the name Apollyon' (Revelation 9:11). Abaddon and Apollyon mean one who destroys the church by means of falsities; the abyss means where those falsities are (see Apocalypse Revealed 421, 440, 442). This makes it plain that it is this false belief and the whole series of falsities that are consequent on it over which the destroyer is to reign. For, as I said before, the whole system of theology at the present time depends upon this concept of imputation, like a long chain hanging from a fixed hook, or like a person with all his parts dependent on the head. Since this concept of imputation is everywhere dominant, it is as Isaiah says:
The Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail; he who is honoured is the head, and the teacher of a lie the tail, Isaiah 9:14-15.
628. II. THE IMPUTATION THAT BELONGS TO THE FAITH OF THE PRESENT DAY IS A DOUBLE IMPUTATION. AN IMPUTATION OF CHRIST'S MERIT AND AN IMPUTATION OF SALVATION THEREBY.
Throughout the whole Christian church it is taught that justification and salvation thereby are effected by God the Father through the imputation of the merit of Christ His Son; that imputation takes place by grace when and where God wills, thus arbitrarily; and that those to whom Christ's merit is imputed are adopted into the number of children of God. And because the leaders of the church have not advanced a foot beyond that imputation or raised their minds above it, because of the established dogmas of God's arbitrary election, they have fallen into enormous and fanatical errors, and at length into that detestable error respecting predestination, and still further into the abominable error, that God pays no attention to the deeds of a man's life but only to the faith inscribed upon the interiors of his mind. Unless, therefore, the error respecting imputation is abolished, atheism will invade all Christendom; and then will reign over them.
The king of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon (Revelation 9:11),
"Abaddon" and "Apollyon" signifying the destroyer of the church by falsities, and "the abyss" the abode of those falsities (see the Apocalypse Revealed n. 421, 440, 442). From this it is clear that that falsity and the resultant falsities exist in an extended series, over which that destroyer reigns; for, as said above, the entire system of the present theology is dependent on this imputation, as a long chain on a fixed hook, and as man with all his members is dependent on the head. And because this imputation reigns everywhere, it is like what Isaiah says:
The Lord will cut off from Israel head, and tail; the honorable, he is the head; and the teacher of lies, he is the tail (9:14, 15).
628. II. THE IMPUTATION WHICH FORMS PART OF THE FAITH OF THE PRESENT DAY IS TWOFOLD, THE IMPUTATION OF CHRIST'S MERIT AND THE CONSEQUENT IMPUTATION OF SALVATION.
It is maintained throughout the whole Christian Church that justification and consequent salvation are effected by God the Father, through the imputation of the merit of Christ His Son; and that such imputation is effected from grace, when and where He wills, and thus arbitrarily; and that those who had Christ's merit imputed to them are adopted into the number of the sons of God. The leaders of the Church here not moved a step beyond such imputation, or raised their mind above it. Therefore, by decreeing God's election to be arbitrary, they have fallen into grievous and fanatical errors, and at length have adopted the detestable doctrine 1 concerning predestination, and also this abominable doctrine that God pays no attention to the deeds of a man's life but only to the faith inscribed on the interiors of his mind. If, therefore, the error respecting imputation were not destroyed, atheism would overrun the whole of Christendom; and then there would reign over it the king of the bottomless pit,
"Whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon" Revelation 9:11.
By Abaddon and Apollyon is signified a destroyer of the Church by falsities; and by the bottomless pit, the place where these falsities abide, as may be seen in The Apocalypse Revealed 421, 440, 442. From this, it is evident that this falsity and those that follow from it, over which the destroyer holds sway, are in an extended series. For as was said above, the whole system of present day theology depends on this doctrine of imputation, as a long chain hangs from a hook to which it is fixed, or as a man with all his members depends on the head. Since this imputation is everywhere prevalent, it is as Isaiah says:
"The Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail... the honorable, he is the head; and he that teaches lies, he is the tail" Isaiah 9:14-15.
Footnotes:
1. in destabilem... et quoque in abominabilem hanc. Supply doctrinam rather than errorem, which is masculine.
628. 1 Quod Imputatio, quae est hodiernae fidei, sit duplex, una Meriti Christi, et altera Salutis inde.
In universa Ecclesia Christiana traditur, quod justificatio et inde salvatio fiat a Deo Patre per imputationem meriti Christi Filii sui, et quod imputatio fiat ex gratia QUANDO ET UBI VULT, ita ex arbitrio, et quod illi, quibus meritum Christi imputatur, adoptentur in numerum filiorum Dei; et quia duces Ecclesiae non ultra Imputationem illam promoverunt pedem, aut supra illam elevarunt mentem, ex statuta Electione Dei ex arbitrio lapsi sunt in enormes et fanaticos errores, et tandem in detestabilem de Praedestinatione, et quoque in abominabilem hanc, quod Deus non attendat ad facta vitae hominis, sed modo ad fidem interioribus mentis ejus inscriptam; quapropter nisi aboletur error de Imputatione, totum Christianismum invaderet Atheismus, et tunc regnaret super illos Rex abyssi, cujus nomen hebraice Abaddon, et in Graeca nomen habet Apollyon, Apocalypsis 9:11.
[2] per Abaddon et Apollyon significatur perditor Ecclesiae per falsa, et per Abyssum ubi illa falsa sunt, videatur APOCALYPSIS REVELATA 421, 440, 442, ex quibus patet, quod illud falsum et inde sequentia falsa in extensa serie sint, super quae Perditor ille regnat, nam, ut supra dictum est, ex illa Imputatione hodie universum systema Theologicum pendet sicut longa catena ex unco fixo, et sicut homo cum omnibus suis membris a Capite; et quia Imputatio illa ubivis regnat, est sicut Esajas dicit, "Exscindet Dominus ex Israele caput et caudam, honoratus est caput, et doctor mendacii cauda," 9:13-14. 2
Footnotes: