673.由此可知，除非人的内在从恶与假中洁净，否则无论施洗还是洗礼，和犹太人洗净杯盘一样没有任何效果，如同这段经文继续说到：
你们好像粉饰的坟墓，外面好看，里面却装满了死人的骨头和一切的污秽。（马太福音23:25－28）
以下事实更能体现这一点，即地狱尽是撒旦，他们在世为人时，既有受洗的，也有未受洗的。关于洗礼的价值可见于下文。所以，若没有作用和效果，那么洗礼就无助于救赎，如同教皇头上的三重冠或鞋子上的十字架无助于他作为教皇的至高权威；也如同红衣主教的紫袍无助于他的头衔，或主教的大披肩无助于其牧师职责的履行；还如同国王的宝座、皇冠、权杖与皇袍无助于他的王权；或杰出学者头上的丝绸帽无助于他的才华；或骑兵部队前面的军旗无助于他们在战争中的勇敢；甚至可以这样说，洗礼不会洁净人，就象绵羊或羔羊的毛不会通过清洗而被剪去一样。因为属世人若与属灵人分离，就成了纯粹的动物，事实上，如前所述，他比森林里的野兽还要野兽，所以，若你用雨水或露水，或最优质的山泉水受洗，或如先知所言，每天用硝石、牛膝草或肥皂受洗，你仍不能从自己的罪恶中洁净，除非通过悔改、改造与重生等章节所阐述的重生。
673. 由此可知, 除非人的内在从恶与假中洁净, 否则无论施洗还是洗礼, 和犹太人洗净杯盘一样没有任何效果, 如同这段经文继续说到:
你们好像粉饰的坟墓, 外面好看, 里面却装满了死人的骨头和一切的污秽。 (马太福音23:25-28)
以下事实更能体现这一点, 即地狱尽是撒旦, 他们在世为人时, 既有受洗的, 也有未受洗的。 关于洗礼的价值可见于下文。 所以, 若没有作用和效果, 那么洗礼就无助于救赎, 如同教皇头上的三重冠或鞋子上的十字架无助于他作为教皇的至高权威; 也如同红衣主教的紫袍无助于他的头衔, 或主教的大披肩无助于其牧师职责的履行; 还如同国王的宝座, 皇冠, 权杖与皇袍无助于他的王权; 或杰出学者头上的丝绸帽无助于他的才华; 或骑兵部队前面的军旗无助于他们在战争中的勇敢; 甚至可以这样说, 洗礼不会洁净人, 就象绵羊或羔羊的毛不会通过清洗而被剪去一样。 因为属世人若与属灵人分离, 就成了纯粹的动物, 事实上, 如前所述, 他比森林里的野兽还要野兽, 所以, 若你用雨水或露水, 或最优质的山泉水受洗, 或如先知所言, 每天用硝石, 牛膝草或肥皂受洗, 你仍不能从自己的罪恶中洁净, 除非通过悔改, 改造与重生等章节所阐述的重生。
673. From the points just made it follows that if our inner self is not purified from evils and falsities, washings and baptisms have no more effect than the Jewish practices of washing cups and dishes (Matthew 23:25-26). As that passage goes on to suggest, they have no more effect than to make us like tombs that appear beautiful from the outside but are inwardly full of the bones of the dead and filthiness of every kind (Matthew 23:27-28).
This point is made clearer still by the fact that the hells are full of satans who used to be people, many of whom had been baptized and many of whom had not.
The functions that baptism performs are covered in what follows [677-687]. Without the functions and benefits that are intended to accompany baptism, the ceremony itself contributes no more to our salvation than the three-tiered tiara on the pope's head and the sign of the cross on his shoes contribute to his papal supremacy; or than cardinals' scarlet robes contribute to their position of power; or than bishops' cloaks contribute to the true effectiveness of their ministry; or than the throne, crown, scepter, and robe of monarchs contribute to their royal power; or than the silk caps of distinguished professors contribute to their intelligence; or than the standard carried before the cavalry contributes to the cavalry's bravery in battle.
It can even be fairly said that baptism does not purify us any more than the washing before shearing purifies a sheep or a lamb, because earthly people who have no spiritual self are no better than animals. In fact, as I have shown before [, 566], they are more savage than the predatory animals in the forest.
Therefore no matter if you wash with rainwater, dew, and the purest possible springwater, or, as the prophet says, if you are cleansed with lye, hyssop, and soap every day [Jeremiah 2:22], you will still not be purified of your wickedness unless you avail yourself of the means of regeneration that were covered in the chapters on repentance [509-570] and on reformation and regeneration [571-625].
673. It follows from this that acts of washing, and also baptisms, are no more effective, unless the person's internal is purified from evils and falsities, than the saucers and dishes cleaned by the Jews; and, as the passage goes on to say, than tombs which look fine outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness (Matthew 23:25-28). This is still more plain from the fact that the hells are full of satans who were people both baptised and not baptised. The value of baptism will be seen in the following pages. So without its uses and benefits it makes no more contribution to salvation than the triple crown on the Pope's head, and the sign of the cross on his shoes, do to his supremacy as pontiff. Nor does the red garment worn by a cardinal contribute any more to his rank; or the pallium worn by a bishop to the true discharge of his office; or the throne, crown, sceptre and mantle of a king to his royal power; or the silk cap on the head of a distinguished scholar to his intelligence; or the colours borne before squadrons of cavalry to their bravery in battle. In fact it could even be said that baptism no more purifies a person than does the washing a sheep or a lamb gets before shearing. For the natural man, if separated from the spiritual man, is purely animal; indeed, as I showed before, he is wilder than the wild beast of the forest. If therefore you wash in rain-water, in water from dew, in the waters of the finest springs, or, as the prophets say, if you cleanse yourself with soda, hyssop, shampoo or soap every day, still you will not be purified from your iniquities except by means of regeneration described in the chapters on repentance, reformation and regeneration.
673. From all this it follows that neither washings nor baptisms, unless man's internal is purified from evils and falsities, has any more efficacy than the washing of cups and platters by the Jews, or (as follows in that same passage) than the whitening of sepulchres, which appear beautiful without, but within are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness (Matthew 23:25-28); and this is further evident from the fact that the hells are full of satans who were once men, baptized as well as unbaptized. But what baptism does accomplish will appear in what follows. So without its uses and fruits, baptism contributes no more to salvation than the triple miter on the pope's head or the sign of the cross on his shoes contributes to his pontifical supereminence; no more than the purple robe on a cardinal contributes to his dignity, or the pallium of a bishop to the proper discharge of his ministerial duties; no more than the throne, crown, scepter, and royal robe of a king to his regal power, or the silken cap on the head of a laureled doctor to his intelligence; or than the standards carried before troops of cavalry to their bravery in war; and it may even be said, that a man is no more purified by baptism than a sheep or a lamb is by being washed before shearing, for the natural man separate from the spiritual is a mere animal, and indeed, as before shown, is more of a wild beast than a wild beast of the forest, so that were you to be washed with the water of rain or dew, or of most excellent fountains, or, as the prophets say, if you were to be cleansed daily with niter, hyssop, or soap, you can be purified from your iniquities only by means of regeneration. These means have been treated of in the chapters on Repentance, and on Reformation and Regeneration.
673. From this it follows that washings, and baptisms also, unless the internal man is purified from evils and falsities, effect nothing more than the cleansing of platters and plates by the Jews, or the whitening of the sepulchres, mentioned in the same passage, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead men's bones, and all uncleanness, Matthew 23:25-28. This is still more evident from the fact that the hells are full of satans, who were men, some baptized and some not; but what baptism effects will be seen in what follows. Therefore, without its uses and effects it contributes no more to salvation than the triple crown on the pope's head, and the sign of the cross on his shoes, to his pontifical super-eminence; or a cardinal's scarlet robe to his dignity; a bishop's cloak to the true discharge of his ministry; a king's throne, crown, sceptre and royal robes to his regal power; a silken cap upon the head of a doctor already crowned with laurel to his intelligence; or than the standards borne in front of squadrons of cavalry to their bravery in battle. Indeed it may be said that baptism does not purify man more than a sheep or a lamb is cleansed by washing before being shorn. 1 For the natural man, when separated from the spiritual man, is merely an animal; indeed, as already shown, he is more of a wild beast than the wild beast of the forest. If, therefore, you are washed with rain water, with dew, with the streams of the purest fountains; or, as the Prophets say, if you are cleansed daily with nitre, hyssop or soap, still you are not purified from iniquities, except by means of regeneration. This has been treated in the chapters on Repentance, and also on Reformation and Regeneration.
Footnotes:
1. non plus purificet hominem, quam lavatio apud ovem et agnum ante tonsionem. This might be expressed positively: Baptism effects only that degree of purification in man which in the case of sheep is effected by washing before shearing.
673. Ex his sequitur, quod Lavationes, et quoque Baptismata, nisi Internum hominis purificetur a malis et falsis, nihil plus efficiant, quam paropsides et patinae mundatae a Judaeis, ac ut ibi quoque sequitur, quam ut sepulchra quae foris apparent pulchra, intus vero plena sunt ossibus mortuorum et omni immunditie, Matthaeus 23:25-28. Quod adhuc patet ex eo, quod Inferna sint plena Satanis ex hominibus tam baptizatis quam non baptizatis. Quid autem praestat Baptismus, videbitur in sequentibus; quare absque usibus et fructibus ejus, non plus ad salutem conducit, quam Cidaris triplicata supra caput Papae, et Signum crucis super calceis ejus, ad Pontificiam ejus supereminentiam; nec plus quam purpurea vestis, circum Cardinalem ad ejus dignitatem; aut pallium circum Episcopum ad veram ministerii ejus functionem; neque plus quam Thronus, Corona, Sceptrum et Chlamys apud Regem, ad Regiam ejus potestatem; nec plus quam Pileus 1 sericatus super capite Doctoris laurea insigniti ad ejus intelligentiam; neque plus quam vexilla ante turmas equitum, ad fortitudinem illorum in bello: imo adhuc potest dici, quod non plus purificet hominem, quam lavatio apud ovem et agnum ante tonsionem, nam naturalis homo separatus a spirituali homine, est mere animalis, imo, ut prius ostensum est, est plus fera, quam fera silvae; quapropter si lavaris aqua pluviae, aqua roris, aquis fontium excellentissimorum, seu, ut prophetae dicunt, si mundaris nitro, hyssopo, smegmate, seu sapone quotidie, usque non purificaris ab iniquitatibus nisi per media regenerationis, de quibus in Capitibus de Poenitentia, ac de Reformatione et Regeneratione, actum est.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Pilus.