683.若不指向某个实体，名不就是一个空洞的东西，或从森林里的树木，或天花板反射回来的所谓回声的噪音？或象梦者几近死气沉沉的声音，或风、海、报废机器发出的嘈杂声吗？若没有归属名字的职位，国王、公爵、领事、主教、修道院长或修道士的名不就是虚空吗？所以，承受基督徒的名，却生活得象个野蛮人，还违背基督戒律，这难道不是注目于撒旦标志而非基督标志，尽管基督的名用金丝线被织进洗礼中？反叛者和弑君者不就是那些接受了基督标志，却又嘲弄祂的敬拜，取笑祂的名，声称祂不是神儿子，而是约瑟的儿子之人吗？他们的话除了今生来世都不能赦免的对圣灵的亵渎外，还能是什么？这些人象狗一样张嘴对着圣言狂吠，并用牙将它撕成碎片。对于这种人，面对基督和基督的敬拜：
各席上满了呕吐的污秽。（以赛亚书28:8；耶利米48:26）
然而主耶稣基督就是至高者的儿子。（路加福音1:32，35）
独生子。（约翰福音1:18；3:16）
真神与永生。（约翰一书5:20）
神本性一切的丰盛，都有形有体地居住在祂里面。（哥罗西书2:9）
不是约瑟的儿子。（马太福音1:25）（其它数千经文）
683. 若不指向某个实体, 名不就是一个空洞的东西, 或从森林里的树木, 或天花板反射回来的所谓回声的噪音? 或象梦者几近死气沉沉的声音, 或风, 海, 报废机器发出的嘈杂声吗? 若没有归属名字的职位, 国王, 公爵, 领事, 主教, 修道院长或修道士的名不就是虚空吗? 所以, 承受基督徒的名, 却生活得象个野蛮人, 还违背基督戒律, 这难道不是注目于撒旦标志而非基督标志, 尽管基督的名用金丝线被织进洗礼中? 反叛者和弑君者不就是那些接受了基督标志, 却又嘲弄祂的敬拜, 取笑祂的名, 声称祂不是神儿子, 而是约瑟的儿子之人吗? 他们的话除了今生来世都不能赦免的对圣灵的亵渎外, 还能是什么? 这些人象狗一样张嘴对着圣言狂吠, 并用牙将它撕成碎片。 对于这种人, 面对基督和基督的敬拜:
各席上满了呕吐的污秽。 (以赛亚28:8;耶利米48:26)
然而主耶稣基督就是至高者的儿子。 (路加福音1:32, 35)
真神与永生。 (约翰一书5:20)
神本性一切的丰盛, 都有形有体地居住在祂里面。 (歌罗西书2:9)
不是约瑟的儿子。 (马太福音1:25) (其它数千经文)
683. What is a name without the thing it stands for? It is pointless. It is the sound of an echo that bounces off the trees in the forest or off vaulted ceilings. It is the vague murmur people make sometimes when they are dreaming. It is the sound of the wind, the sea, or machines, which have nothing useful to say.
Would it be anything but a pointless exercise to be given the title of monarch, commander, mayor, bishop, abbot, or monk but not the position that goes with the title?
Our having the name of being Christian but living like a barbarian and breaking the commandments of Christ is like gazing at the sign of Satan instead of the sign of Christ, even though at our baptism Christ's name was woven into us with golden threads.
[2] Surely, people who receive the identifying mark of Christ but then laugh at the thought of worshiping him, snarl at every mention of his name, and declare him to be the son of Joseph rather than the Son of God are rebels and assassins of the king. Their words are blasphemies against the Holy Spirit, which cannot be forgiven in this age or in the age to come [Matthew 12:32]. Like dogs, they bite the Word with their jaws and tear it to pieces with their teeth. For those who are against Christ and against worshiping him, "All the tables are full of the vomit they cast forth" (Isaiah 28:8).
Yet the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God the Highest (Luke 1:32, 35), the only begotten (John 1:18; 3:16), the true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20); all the fullness of divinity dwells physically in him (Colossians 2:9). He is not the son of Joseph (Matthew 1:25). Not to mention thousands of other passages.
683. What is a name without something to refer to, but a useless sound, and a mere noise such as that thrown back from trees in a wood or from ceilings, what is called an echo? Or like the more or less meaningless 1 sounds made by dreamers, or like the sound of the wind, the sea or a machine, which serve no purpose. Indeed, what is the name of king, duke, consul, bishop, abbot or monk without the office the name belongs to but vanity? So what is it to bear the name of Christian, and yet to live like a barbarian and contrary to Christ's commandments, but as it were to contemplate the sign of Satan in place of the sign of Christ; yet His name is woven into baptism with golden threads?
[2] What are those who after receiving the seal of Christ then laugh at His worship, snarl at His name, and claim that He is not the Son of God, only the son of Joseph, but rebels and regicides? What are their utterances but blasphemies against the Holy Spirit, blasphemies which cannot be forgiven, neither in this age nor in that to come? These people are like dogs agape to bite the Word and tear it to pieces with their teeth. In their case, confronted with Christ and His worship,
All the tables are full of vomited matter, Isaiah 28:8; Jeremiah 48:26.
Yet the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of the Most High God (Luke 1:32, 35); the only-begotten (John 1:18, 3:16); the true God and everlasting life (1 John 5:20); in whom all the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily (Colossians 2:9); and He was not the son of Joseph (Matthew 1:25), not to mention thousands of other passages.
Footnotes:
1. Reading inanis for Latin inanimis 'lifeless'.
683. What is a name without the reality but an empty thing, or a sound like the echo given back by the trees of a forest or by vaulted buildings, or like the almost lifeless voice of dreamers, the noise of the wind, of the sea, or of some useless machinery? What but emptiness is the name even of a king, a duke, a consul, a bishop, an abbot, or a monk, without the office attached to the name? So what is the name Christian so long as the man lives like a barbarian, and contrary to the precepts of Christ, but like looking to the sign of Satan instead of the sign of Christ, although in baptism Christ's name is interwoven in golden threads? What but rebels and regicides are those who having received the sign of Christ, deride His worship, mock at His name, and acknowledge Him not as the Son of God but of Joseph? And what are their words but blasphemies against the Holy Spirit, which cannot be forgiven either in this world or in the next? These like dogs with open jaws bite at the Word, and tear it to pieces with their teeth. With such, as against Christ and the worship of Christ:
All tables are full of the vomit of filthiness (Isaiah 28:8; Jeremiah 48:26).
And yet the Lord Jesus Christ is,
The Son of the Most High (Luke 1:32, 35);
The only begotten (John 1:18; 3:16);
The true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20);
In whom dwelleth all the fullness of Divinity bodily (Colossians 2:9);
And is not the son of Joseph (Matthew 1:25). (And thousands of other passages.)
683. A name without the reality is but an empty void, like the echo which rebounds from the trees in a wood, or from vaulted roofs; or like the almost lifeless utterances of dreamers, or like the sound of the wind, or of the sea, or of a machine, which has nothing of use in it. Indeed, the name of king, duke, consul, bishop, abbot or monk, without the function attached to it, is nothing but empty sound. So, professing the name of Christian, when yet the man lives like a barbarian, and contrary to the precepts of Christ, is like looking to the standard of satan instead of the standard of Christ, although His name was woven into it with threads of gold at Baptism. Those who, after receiving the sign-manual of Christ, deride His worship, mock at His name, and profess that He is not the Son of God, but the son of Joseph, are nothing but rebels and regicides; and their words are nothing but blasphemies against the Holy Spirit, which cannot be forgiven either in this world or in the next. They are like dogs with open jaws, biting at the Word and tearing it to pieces with their teeth. These by their opposition to Christ and His worship have:
"all tables full of vomit and filthiness" Isaiah 28:8; Jeremiah 48:26, when yet the Lord Jesus Christ is The Son of the Most High God, Luke 1:32, 35;
"The only begotten," John 1:18; 3:18;
"The true God and eternal life" 1 John 5:20;
"In whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" Colossians 2:9;
and not the son of Joseph, Matthew 1:25; besides thousands of other passages.
683. Quid nomen absque re, nisi vanum quid, et nisi sonus, qualis resilit ex arboribus sylvae seu laquearibus, et vocatur echo; aut sicut sonus fere inanimis ex somniantibus, aut sicut sonus venti, maris aut machinae, cui nihil usus inest; imo quid nomen quod Rex, quod Dux, quod Consul, quod Episcopus, quod Abbas, quod Monachus, absque functione quae Nomini adhaeret, nisi vanitas; ita quid Nomen quod Christianus sit, et tamen barbare vivit, et contra praecepta Christi, nisi sicut intuitio signi Satanae loco signi Christi, cujus nomen tamen aureis staminibus in baptismo intextum est.
[2] Quid illi qui postquam receperunt signaturam Christi, postea rident ad cultum Ipsius, ogganniunt ad Nomen Ipsius, et profitentur Illum non ut Filium Dei, sed ut Filium Josephi, nisi rebelles et regicidae, et voces illorum nisi blasphemiae contra Spiritum sanctum, quae non remitti possunt in hoc saeculo, nec in futuro; hi quasi canes rictibus mordent Verbum, ac dentibus dilaniant illud; apud hos contra Christum et Ipsius Cultum, sunt omnes mensae plenae vomitu egestionis, Esaias 28:8, Jeremias 48:26 cum tamen Dominus Jesus Christus est Filius Dei Altissimi, Luca 1:32, 35, Unigenitus, Johannes 1:18; 3:16. Verus Deus, et Vita aeterna, 1 Johannes 5:20; 1 In Quo omnis plenitudo Divinitatis habitat corporaliter, Colossenses 2:9. Et quod non sit filius Josephi, Matthaeus 1:25 praeter millia alibi.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: 5:20, 21;.