642.公会裁定与改革宗宣誓的告白条文都声称，神通过将基督功德注入到恶人里面而称他为义，而实际上，哪怕天人的良善也无法与恶人共享，更不用说与他结合，否则这善会被排斥，象扔到墙上的弹力球一样被弹回来，或象落入沼泽地的钻石那样被吞没。事实上，若真正的良善之物被强加给他，那么这善物就象挂到猪鼻子上的项链。因为谁不知道怜悯不能注入无情，纯真不能注入恶毒，爱不能注入恨，或和谐不能注入不和谐呢？否则，就象把天堂和地狱混合起来一样。人若不重生，其灵就象豹子或猫头鹰，也好比荆棘或荨麻。而人若重生，则象绵羊或鸽子，也好比橄榄树或葡萄树。若你愿意，我请你思考一下，通过报应、归给，或运用神性公义，人形的豹子怎能转化为人形的绵羊，猫头鹰怎能转化为鸽子，荆棘树怎能转化为橄榄树，荨麻又怎能转化为葡萄滕呢？这与其说称他为义，不如说判他有罪。在这样一个转化发生之前，不得先除去豹子和猫头鹰的野蛮本性，或荆棘和荨麻的危害性，并且将真正的人性和无害的东西植入以取代之吗？主也在约翰福音（15:1－7）中教导如何能做到这一点。
642. 公会裁定与改革宗宣誓的告白条文都声称, 神通过将基督功德注入到恶人里面而称他为义, 而实际上, 哪怕天人的良善也无法与恶人共享, 更不用说与他结合, 否则这善会被排斥, 象扔到墙上的弹力球一样被弹回来, 或象落入沼泽地的钻石那样被吞没。 事实上, 若真正的良善之物被强加给他, 那么这善物就象挂到猪鼻子上的项链。 因为谁不知道怜悯不能注入无情, 纯真不能注入恶毒, 爱不能注入恨, 或和谐不能注入不和谐呢? 否则, 就象把天堂和地狱混合起来一样。 人若不重生, 其灵就象豹子或猫头鹰, 也好比荆棘或荨麻。 而人若重生, 则象绵羊或鸽子, 也好比橄榄树或葡萄树。 若你愿意, 我请你思考一下, 通过归算, 归给, 或运用神性公义, 人形的豹子怎能转化为人形的绵羊, 猫头鹰怎能转化为鸽子, 荆棘树怎能转化为橄榄树, 荨麻又怎能转化为葡萄滕呢? 这与其说称他为义, 不如说判他有罪。 在这样一个转化发生之前, 不得先除去豹子和猫头鹰的野蛮本性, 或荆棘和荨麻的危害性, 并且将真正的人性和无害的东西植入以取代之吗? 主也在约翰福音 (约翰福音15:1-7) 中教导如何能做到这一点。
642. In the decrees of the councils and the articles of the confessions that Protestants swear to observe, we read that through an infusion of Christ's merit God justifies the godless. In fact, though, not even the goodness of an angel can be communicated to a godless person, much less joined to that person, without either being rejected and bouncing back like a rubber ball thrown against a solid wall, or being swallowed up like a diamond thrown into a swamp. In fact, forcing something truly good on such a person would be like tying a pearl to the snout of a pig.
Surely everyone realizes that you cannot inject mercy into ruthlessness, or innocence into revenge, or love into hatred, or harmony into discord. Doing so would be like mixing heaven and hell.
People who have not been reborn are, in spirit, like panthers and eagle-owls; they can be compared to brambles and stinging nettles. People who have been reborn are like sheep and doves, and they can be compared to olive trees and grapevines. Please consider, if you will, how panther-people could possibly be converted into sheep-people, or eagle-owls into doves, or brambles into olive trees, or stinging nettles into grapevines, through any assignment or attribution or application of divine justice. Would that process not sooner condemn them than justify them? In reality, in order for that conversion to take place the predatory nature of the panther and the eagle-owl and the damaging nature of the brambles and the stinging nettles must first be removed and something truly human and harmless implanted in their place. The Lord in fact teaches in John 15:1-7 how this transformation occurs.
642. The decrees of the Councils and the articles of the Confessions which the members of Reformed churches swear to uphold state that God justifies the ungodly man by infusing into him Christ's merit. Yet the good of any angel cannot be shared with, much less linked to an ungodly person, without being rejected and bouncing back like a rubber ball thrown against a wall, or without being swallowed up like a diamond dropped into a marsh. In fact, if anything truly good were forced into him, it would be like a pearl tied to the snout of a pig. Everyone knows that compassion cannot be injected into mercilessness, innocence into revenge, love into hatred, concord into discord - it would be like mixing heaven and hell together.
A person who has not been born again is, as far as his spirit is concerned, like a panther or an owl, and can be likened to a briar or a nettle. But one who is reborn is like a sheep or a dove, and can be likened to an olive tree or a vine. Just consider, if you please, how a panther-man can be turned into a sheep-man, or an owl into a dove, or a briar into an olive tree or a nettle into a vine, by means of any imputation, attribution or application of Divine righteousness. It would be more likely to damn him than to justify him. Surely if anything is to be turned into anything else, the bestiality of the panther and the owl, or the harmfulness of the briar and nettle, must first be removed, and in its stead what is truly human and harmless implanted? How this may be is also taught by the Lord in John (John 15:1-7).
642. In the decrees of the Councils and in the articles of the Confessions to which the Reformed make oath, it is declared that God justifies the wicked man by means of the merit of Christ infused into him, when, in fact, not even the good of any angel can be communicated to a wicked person, still less conjoined to him, without being thrown back and rebounding like an elastic ball thrown against a wall, or swallowed up like a diamond sunk in a marsh; and indeed, if anything truly good was thrust upon him, it would be like a pearl fastened to a swine's snout. For who does not know that clemency cannot be introduced into unmercifulness, innocence into vindictiveness, love into hatred, or concord into discord, which would be like mixing together heaven and hell? The man who has not been born again, is in the spirit like a panther or an owl, and may be likened to a thorn or a nettle; while the man who has been born again is like a sheep or a dove, and may be likened to an olive tree or a vine. Reflect, I pray you, if you will, how a human panther can be converted into a human sheep, or an owl into a dove, or a thorn tree into an olive tree, or a nettle into a vine, by any imputation, ascription, or application of the Divine righteousness, which would rather damn than justify him. Before such a conversion could take place, must not the ferine nature of the panther and owl, or the noxious qualities of the thorn and nettle first be taken away, and what is truly human and harmless be implanted in their place? How this is effected the Lord also teaches in John (15:1-7).
642. It is said in the decrees of the Councils, and in the Articles of the Confessions to which the Reformed 1 subscribe, that God justifies the wicked by the merit of Christ infused into them. Yet the good of any angel cannot even be communicated, still less conjoined, to a wicked man. It would be rejected, rebounding like a rubber ball thrown against a wall, or be swallowed up like a diamond thrown into a marsh; indeed, if anything really good were to be forced upon him it would be like a pearl tied to a swine's snout. For who does not know that mercy cannot be infused into cruelty, innocence into revenge, love into hatred, concord into discord? This would be like mingling heaven and hell.
The man who has not been born again as to his spirit is like a panther or an owl, and may be likened to a thorn and a nettle; but the man who has been born again is like a sheep or a dove, and may be compared to an olive-tree or a vine. Please consider, I pray, how a human panther can be converted into a sheep, an owl into a dove, a thorn into an olive-tree, or a nettle into a vine, by any imputation, ascription, or application of Divine righteousness; this would condemn rather than justify. For this conversion to take place, the savage nature of the panther and of the owl, or the noxious nature of the thorn and of the nettle must first be removed, and a nature truly human and harmless be implanted in their stead. How this is effected, the Lord teaches in John 15:1-7.
Footnotes:
1. Reformed, Protestants.
642. Dicitur in Decretis Conciliorum et in Articulis Confessionum, in quos Reformati jurant, quod Deus per meritum Christi infusum justificet impium, cum tamen impio ne quidem communicari, minus conjungi potest bonum alicujus Angeli, quin rejiciatur et resiliat sicut globus elasticus conjectus in parietem, aut absorbeatur sicut adamas immissa in paludem, imo si aliquod vere bonum intruderetur, foret sicut margarita alligaretur naribus porci; nam quis non scit, quod clementia non possit injici in immisericordiam, innocentia in vindictam, amor in odium, concordia in discordiam, quod foret sicut commiscere Coelum et Infernum: homo non renatus est quoad spiritum suum sicut panthera aut sicut bubo, et assimilari potest senti et urticae, at homo renatus est sicut ovis aut sicut columba, et assimilari potest oleae aut viti; cogitate, quaeso, si libet, quomodo potest homo panthera converti in hominem ovem, aut bubo in columbam, aut sentis in oleam, aut urtica in vitem, per aliquam imputationem, addicationem, applicationem Divinae justitiae, quae potius illum damnaret, quam justificaret; annon ut conversio fiat, ferinum pantherae et bubonis, aut noxium sentis et urticae, prius auferendum est, et loco ejus vere humanum et innocuum implantandum est: quomodo hoc fit, etiam docet Dominus apud Johannem 15:1-7.