72.记事二：
有一次，我听到远处有一种奇怪的喃喃声，于是便在灵里循声而去。当抵达声音的源头时，我发现原来是一群灵人在争论分配和预定的话题。他们是荷兰人和英国人，当中还有几个其它国家的人，每次争论结束时，这些灵人就大声呼喊：“太棒了，太棒了！”讨论的话题是：“为何神不将祂儿子的功义归给祂所造并随之救赎的每个人？祂不是全能吗？若祂愿意，难道祂不能将路西弗、龙、以及所有山羊变成天使吗？祂不是全能吗？那为何祂允许魔鬼的不义和不敬虔胜过祂儿子的公义和敬拜神者的虔诚呢？对神来说，还有什么比判定所有人都配得信仰，因而救赎更容易的呢？这不就是祂一句话的事吗？否则，祂岂不违背自己的话，即祂渴望所有人得救，不愿一人死亡？那么，请告诉我们，那些沦丧之人所遭受的诅咒从何而来，其原因又是什么？”这时，一些预定论者，即来自荷兰的堕落前预定论者说：“的确，这有赖于全能者的美意。黏土岂能因为窑匠将它造为便壶而向他抱怨？”另一个说：“每个人的救恩都在祂手里，就像天平在某个称重者手里。”
这群灵人旁边站着很多持守简单信仰、内心正直的人，有的眼睛布满血丝，有的看似被下了麻药，有的看似喝醉了，有的则看似被窒息了，他们彼此嘟囔说：“对这样的胡言乱语，我们该怎么办？他们被自己的信逼疯了，竟然相信父神在祂乐意时会将祂儿子的公义归给凡祂所愿意的任何人，并差遣圣灵去执行那公义的奖赏；免得任何人在其救恩的行为上认为自己有丝毫的功德，他必须在称义的事上完全就象块石头，在属灵事务上则像根木头。”然后，其中一个人挤到人群中大声说：“你们这群疯子！你们的争论就是山羊毛（谚语，不存在的东西）。你们根本就不知道全能的神就是秩序本身，秩序的法则不计其数，就和圣言中的真理一样多。神不可能违背它们行事，否则，祂就是与自己对抗，因而不仅违背公义，还违背祂自己的全能。”
隔一定距离往右看，他看见类似绵羊、羔羊和飞鸽的形像，往左看，则看见类似山羊、豺狼和秃鹫的形像。于是他说：“你们相信神能凭祂的全能将山羊变成绵羊、豺狼变成羔羊，或秃鹫变成鸽子，反过来也行吗？绝无可能！因为这违背祂的秩序法则，至于这秩序法则，照祂的话说，就是一点一划也不落空（路加福音16:17）。那么，祂怎会将祂儿子救赎的公义归给任意一个违背其公义律法的人呢？公义本身又怎会行不义之事、预先指定人下地狱、将他扔进火里去呢？而站在火旁边的魔鬼手里拿着火把使它熊熊燃烧。你们这群疯子，毫无灵性可言！你们的信将你们带入歧途。它在你们手里，不就像捕鸽的网罗吗？”听到这里，一个巫师仿佛用那信制造了一张网，并将它挂到一棵树上，说：“看我怎么捕那只鸽子！”话音刚落，一只老鹰就朝这张网飞来，一头扎进去，并挂在那里，而那只鸽子一看到老鹰就飞走了。旁观者们则惊呼：“这个把戏就是公义的展示啊！”
72. 第二個經歷:
有次, 我聽到遠處一種奇怪的喃喃聲, 在靈裡, 我順著聲音的來源找過去。當我到達源頭, 發現原來是一幫靈在爭論歸算與預定的話題。他們是荷蘭人和英國人, 還有幾個別國的人, 每輪爭論結束時, 這些靈就大聲呼喊:"太棒了, 太棒了！"
他們爭論的話題是:"為何上帝不將祂兒子的功德與公義歸算給祂造的每個人,把他們全救贖了？祂不是全能的嗎？如果祂願意, 祂不可以將路西弗,龍,以及所有的山羊變為天人嗎？祂不是全能嗎？為何祂允許魔鬼的不義和不敬虔勝過祂兒子的義與敬祂者的虔誠呢？判定所有人都配得信仰與拯救, 對祂而言不是很容易嗎？不就是只需要祂一句話嗎？如果不是, 祂豈不是言行不一致嗎？祂不是盼望萬人得救, 不願一人沉淪嗎？告訴我們:那些滅亡之人被詛咒的原因是什麼, 在哪裡？"
於是, 一些相信預定論(包括亞當預定墮落)的荷蘭人說:"確實, 這在於全能者的意志。窯匠將泥巴造了個夜壺, 泥巴豈能向窯匠抱怨呢？"
另一位說:"每個人的救恩的決定權都在祂手裡, 就像天平在某個稱重者手中。"
[2]這群人的旁邊, 站著一些人, 他們有簡單的信和正直的心。這些旁觀者中, 有些人眼睛佈滿血絲, 有些看起來呆若木雞, 有些看起來喝醉了, 有些人看起來呼吸困難。他們彼此嘟囔著:"對這樣的胡言亂語, 我們該怎麼辦？他們相信父上帝無論何時都可以把祂兒子的義歸給任何祂願意的人, 還差派祂的聖靈去實現那稱義的獎賞。如此信, 已使他們變得愚蠢。對他們來說, 一個人為了避免在稱義一事上聲稱有自己丁點的功勞, 他就必須在稱義方面呆若石頭, 在屬靈事務方面像根木頭。"
然後, 一名旁觀者推開人群走進去大聲說:"你們這群瘋子！你們這些無稽之談！很明顯, 你們不知道全能上帝就是聖規本身, 也不知道聖規包括許多規則, 如同聖言中的真理之多。連上帝的作為都不可以違背這些規則, 因為違背它們就是違背祂自己。不僅違背公義, 也違背了祂自己的全能。"
[3]往右邊看, 隔著一定的距離, 這位旁觀者望見那些人看起來像綿羊和羊羔, 和飛行中的鴿子。而左邊, 看起來像山羊,豺狼和禿鷹。於是他問:"你們相信上帝的全能可以將山羊變成綿羊, 或者豺狼變為羊羔, 又或禿鷹變成鴿子, 或者反過來？絕非如此！這樣就違背了祂聖規的律法, 但是這些一點一劃都不落空, 正如祂自己所說(路加福音16:17)。祂怎能將祂兒子救贖的義給任何違背祂義之人呢？義自己如何行出不義去預定某人去地獄,把人扔進火裡？你們這些瘋子, 毫無靈性！你們的信將你帶入歧途。信仰在你們的手中, 不就像個捕鴿的網羅嗎？"
聽完這些, 持對立信仰的一名巫師做了個網羅掛在樹上, 說:"看我怎麼捕那只鴿子！"
話聲未落, 一隻夜鷹投進網羅, 脖子卡在網裡, 吊在樹上。當鴿子看到這只夜鷹, 便飛走了。旁觀者們驚呼:"佩服, 真是恰如其份啊！"
72. The second memorable occurrence. Once I heard a strange murmur from far away. In my spirit I followed the path of the sound and moved closer to its source. When I reached it, to my surprise it was a group of spirits debating predestination and the [divine] assignment of spiritual credit or blame. They were Dutch and English, with a few spirits from other countries. At the end of each piece of reasoning they were shouting, "Were amazed! Were amazed!"
The topic of the debate was this: "Why doesn't God assign his Son's merit and justice to all the people he has created and treat them all as redeemed? He is omnipotent. If he wants, can't he make Lucifer, the dragon, and all the goats into archangels? He is omnipotent. Why does he let the Devils injustice and ungodliness triumph over his Son's justice and the piety of those who worship God? It would be very easy for God to see all people as worthy of faith and therefore salvation. What would it take except a little word to that effect? If he doesn't do this, isn't he acting against his own words, which are that he wants the salvation of all and the death of none [Ezekiel 33:11]? Tell us, then: Where and what is the cause of damnation for those who perish? "
Then some Dutch person who believed in predestination, including the predestination of the fall of Adam [Genesis 3], said, "That decision is simply up to the Omnipotent One. Does the clay complain to the potter when he makes a chamber pot out of it?"
Another one said, "The decision regarding everyone's salvation is in God's hand, as a pair of scales is in the hand of someone weighing something. "
[2] At the sides stood a number of people who were simple in faith and upright at heart. Some of these bystanders had bloodshot eyes, some seemed stunned, some seemed drunk, and some seemed to be suffocating. They were muttering to each other, "What have we to do with all this deliriousness? They believe that God the Father attributes his Son's justice to whomever he wants, whenever he wants, and sends his Holy Spirit to give the rewards of that justice. This belief has made them stupid. To them it seems that in order to avoid claiming for ourselves even a speck of contribution to our own salvation, we must act in every way like a stone when we undertake to become justified, and like a piece of dead wood in matters spiritual. "
Then one of these bystanders pushed his way into the group and said in a loud voice, "Oh, you demented people! You are debating about goats wool! Obviously you don't realize that God Almighty is the divine design itself and that the laws of the divine design are countless. Their number, of course, is the number of truths in the Word. God cannot act against those laws, because acting against them would be acting against himself. It would be acting not only against justice but also against his own omnipotence. "
[3] The bystander looked over to the right and saw in the distance what looked like a sheep and a lamb, as well as a dove in flight. To the left he saw a goat, a wolf, and a vulture. He said, "You believe that God in his omnipotence could turn that goat into a sheep, that wolf into a lamb, and that vulture into a dove, or the reverse. Not so. Doing that is against the laws of his divine design, of which not even the tip of one letter can fall to the ground, according to his own words [Luke 16:17]. How then could God put the justice of his Son's redemption into someone who is rebelling against the laws of his justice? How can justice itself commit the injustice of predestining anyone to hell, and throwing anyone into the fire beside which the Devil stands, lighting the torches that he holds? Oh, you demented people, empty of spirit! Your faith has led you astray. In your hands faith is like a trap for catching doves. "
When he finished saying this, some sorcerer of the opposite belief made a kind of trap. He hung it in a tree and said, "Watch me catch that dove!"
Soon a hawk flew to the trap, stuck its neck in, and hung limp. The dove saw the hawk and flew away. The bystanders were amazed and shouted, "That is impressive - a just reward!"
72. The second experience.
Once I heard an unusual murmuring at a distance, and in the spirit I followed the track of the sound until I came near. When I reached its source, I found a group of spirits arguing about imputation and predestination. They were Dutch and British, with a few from other countries among them, and at the end of each argument these shouted: 'Wonderful, wonderful!'
The subject under discussion was: 'Why does God not impute the merit and righteousness of His Son to every single person He has created and subsequently redeemed? Is He not omnipotent? Can He not, if He wishes, make Lucifer, the Dragon and all the goats into angels? Is He not omnipotent? Why does He allow the unrighteousness and impiety of the devil to triumph over the righteousness of His Son and the piety of those who worship God? What is easier for God than to judge all worthy of faith and so of salvation? What does it take but one little word? And if not, is He not acting contrary to His own words, that He desires salvation for all and death for none? Tell us then whence it is that those who perish are damned, and what is the reason for it.'
Then a certain believer in predestination, a supralapsarian 1 from Holland, said: 'Surely this is at the pleasure of the Almighty. Shall the clay blame the potter, because he made a chamber-pot of it?' Another said: 'The salvation of every man is in His hand, like the scales in the hands of someone weighing.'
[2] At the sides of the group there stood a number of people of simple faith and upright heart, some with reddened eyes, some as if drugged, some as if drunk, and some as if choked, muttering to one another: 'What have we to do with this nonsense? They have been driven crazy by their faith, which is that God the Father imputes the righteousness of His Son to whomsoever He wishes, when He wishes, and sends the Holy Spirit to effect the rewards of that righteousness; and so that a person should not claim for himself a grain of merit in attending to his own salvation, he must be as inert as a stone in the matter of justification, and like a block of wood in spiritual matters.'
Then one of these people thrust himself into the group and said in a loud voice: 'You madmen, what you are arguing about is goat's wool. 2 You obviously do not know that almighty God is order itself, and that there are myriads of laws of order, as many in fact as there are truths in the Word, and God cannot act contrary to them, because if He did so, He would be acting against Himself, and so not only contrary to righteousness but contrary to His own omnipotence.'
[3] On the right he saw at a distance what looked like a sheep and a lamb, and a dove in flight, and on the left what looked like a goat, a wolf and a vulture. 'Do you believe,' he said, 'that God by His omnipotence could turn that goat into a sheep, or that wolf into a lamb, or that vulture into a dove, or the reverse? Far from it; that is contrary to the laws of His order, of which not so much as a tittle can fall to the ground, as His words tell us. How then can He impart the righteousness of His Son's redemption to anyone who resists it, contrary to the laws of His righteousness? How can Righteousness itself do unrighteousness, and predestine anyone to hell and cast him into the fire, beside which the devil stands torch in hand making it blaze? You madmen, devoid of spirit, your faith has led you astray. Is it not in your hands like a snare for catching doves?'
On hearing this a magician made as it were a snare out of that faith and hung it in a tree, saying? 'Watch me catch that dove.' Very soon the hawk flew up and put its neck in the snare and hung there, while the dove on seeing the hawk flew past. The by-standers exclaimed in wonder, 'This trick is a reward of righteousness.'
Footnotes:
1. Supralapsarian: a person who believes the Fall of Adam was predestined.
2. Proverbial for what does not exist.
72. Second Memorable Relation:
I once heard a strange murmur at a distance, and following in spirit the direction of the sound I drew nearer. When I came to where it began, behold, it was a crowd of spirits arguing about Imputation and Predestination. They were Dutch and British, with some from other kingdoms intermingled, and these at the end of each argument exclaimed, "Wonderful! wonderful!"
The subject discussed was, "Why does not God impute the merit and righteousness of His Son to every man and all men created by Him and subsequently redeemed? Is He not omnipotent? Can He not, if He will, make archangels of Lucifer, the dragon, and all the goats? Is He not omnipotent? Why does He permit the unrighteousness and impiety of the devil to triumph over the righteousness of His Son, and over the piety of those who worship God? To God what could be easier than to deem all worthy of faith, and thus of salvation? What need of more than a little word to do this? And if He does it not, does He not act contrary to His words, which are that He desires the salvation of all and the death of none? Say, then, from whom and in whom is the cause of the damnation of those who are lost?"
And then a supralapsarian-predestinarian from the Dutch said, "Does not this belong to the good pleasure of the Almighty? Shall the clay complain to the potter that he has made of it a vessel of dishonor?" And another said, "The salvation of everyone is in His hand as a balance in the hand of a weigher."
[2] There stood at the sides those who were simple in faith and upright in heart, and some with inflamed eyes, some who looked stupefied, some as if drunken, and some as if suffocated, muttering to one another, "What are these ravings to us? These men have been made foolish by their faith, which is, that God the Father imputes the righteousness of His Son to whom He will and when He will, and sends His Holy Spirit to give assurances of that righteousness; and lest any man should claim for himself the least share in the work of his salvation, he must be altogether like a stone in the matter of justification, and like a stock in things spiritual." And one of these then thrust himself into the crowd, and said in a loud voice, "O madman! you are arguing about goat's hair. You are wholly ignorant that the omnipotent God is order itself; and that the laws of order are numberless, as many as there are truths in the Word; and that God cannot act contrary to these laws, because to act contrary to them would be to act contrary to Himself, and thus not only contrary to righteousness but contrary to His own omnipotence."
[3] And seeing on his right, at some distance, the semblance of a sheep, a lamb, and a flying dove, on his left the semblance of a goat, a wolf, and a vulture, he said, "Do you believe that God by His omnipotence can change that goat into the sheep, that wolf into the lamb, or that vulture into the dove, or the reverse? By no means; for it is contrary to the laws of His order, of which, according to His words not a jot can fall to the ground. How then can He impart the righteousness of His Son's redemption to anyone who resists the laws of His righteousness? How can righteousness itself do what is unrighteous, and predestine anyone to hell, and cast him into a fire, beside which the devil stands with torches in his hand to keep it burning? O madmen! empty in spirit! your faith has led you astray. Is it not in your hands like a snare for catching doves?"
Having heard this, a magician made of that faith a kind of snare, and put it upon a tree, saying, "You shall see me catch that dove."
And presently a hawk flew towards it and thrust its neck into the snare and hung there; while the dove, seeing the hawk, flew away. The bystanders were astonished, and exclaimed, "Even this sport is a display of justice."
72. The second experience. I once heard an unusual murmuring some distance away, and following in spirit the direction of the sound, I drew near. When I reached the place whence the noise proceeded, I found a company of spirits disputing about imputation and predestination. There were Dutch and British, with some from other countries who called out at the conclusion of every argument, "Admirable! Admirable!" The subject under discussion was, why God does not impute the merit and righteousness of His Son to all men created by Him, especially as He afterwards redeemed them. They argued: "Is He not omnipotent? Can He not, if He will, change Lucifer, 1 the Dragon and all the goats into archangels? If He is omnipotent, why does He permit the iniquity and the impiety of the devil to triumph over the righteousness of His Son and over the piety of those who worship Him? What is easier than for God to make all men worthy of faith and so of salvation? For this, one little word only is needed. Even if this were not so, does He not act contrary to His own words, when He says that He desires the salvation of all and the death of no one? Accordingly tell us from whom and therefore in whom is the cause of the damnation of those who perish." Then a Dutchman who was a predestinarian and supralapsarian 2 said: "Is not this at the good pleasure of the Omnipotent? Shall the clay find fault with the potter because he makes from it a worthless pot?" And another said: "The salvation of every one is in His hand as the balance in the hand of the weigher."
[2] There stood beside them certain spirits of simple faith and upright in heart, some with flaming eyes, some as if stupefied, some as if intoxicated and some gasping as they listened to the discussion. They muttered to one another: "What have we to do with these ravings? These spirits have become infatuated with their belief that God the Father imputes the righteousness of His Son to whomsoever He wills, and whenever He pleases, and sends the Holy Spirit to ratify the assurances of that righteousness; and lest any man should claim for himself the least part in the work of his salvation, he must be just like a stone in the matter of justification, and like a stock in regard to spiritual things." Then one of them made his way into the company and in a loud voice exclaimed: "O fools! Your reasoning is utterly futile. You evidently do not know that the omnipotent God is order itself, and that the laws of order are countless in number, as numerous indeed as the truths contained in the Word. God cannot act contrary to those laws, for this would be to act contrary to Himself, and thus not only contrary to justice but also contrary to His own omnipotence."
[3] He looked and there appeared on his right hand some distance away a sheep, and a lamb, and a dove in flight; and on his left a goat, a wolf, and a vulture; and he said: "Do you suppose that God, by His omnipotence, could change that goat into a sheep, or that wolf into a lamb, or that vulture into a dove, or the reverse? No: for it is against the laws of His order, of which not even a tittle can fail, according to His own words. How then can He impart the righteousness of His Son's redemption to any one who stubbornly opposes the laws of His righteousness? How can righteousness itself commit unrighteousness and predestine any one to hell, and consign him to the fire which the devil kindles and feeds? O fools! There is nothing of the spirit in you. Your faith has seduced you. That faith is like a snare in your hands to catch doves." On hearing these words a certain magician appeared to make of that faith a snare and hung it on a tree, saying, "Watch me catch that dove!" Presently a hawk flew towards the snare, and putting its neck into it was caught, while the dove, seeing the plight of the hawk, flew past. Those who stood by were amazed at the sight, and exclaimed, "This display is an assurance of righteousness."
Footnotes:
1. Lucifer, fabled son of Aurora, or of Jupiter, morning star, day.
2. Supralapsarian, one who maintains that the decree of election as regards eternal salvation of some and the eternal reprobation of others was a part of the original plan; and that the fall of Adam was predestinated from all eternity. (Supra, beyond, and lapsus, the fall.)
72. SECUNDUM MEMORABILE, Quondam audivi insolens murmur e longinquo, et ego in spiritu sequutus sum tramitem soni, et accessi; quum ad principium ejus veni, ecce erat Cohors spirituum ratiocinantium de IMPUTATIONE et PRAEDESTINATIONE; erant Batavi et Britanni, et aliqui ex aliis Regnis intermixti, et hi in fine singularum rationum clamaverunt, Miramur, Miramur; disceptatio fuit, cur Deus non omnibus et singulis a se creatis, et postea ut redemptis imputat meritum et justitiam Filii sui, estne Omnipotens; potestne si vult Luciferum, Draconem, et omnes Hircos facere Archangelos, estne Omnipotens; cur permittit ut injustitia ac impietas diaboli triumphet super justitiam Filii sui, et super pietatem cultorum Dei; quid facilius Deo est, quam omnes dignari fide et sic salute, quid opus nisi verbulo ad hoc; et si non, facitne contra verba sua, quae sunt, quod velit omnium salutem, et nullius mortem; 1 dicite itaque, a quo et in quo ergo est causa damnationis illorum qui pereunt. Et tunc quidam Praedestinatianus Supralapsarius ex Batavis dixit; estne hoc in beneplacito Omnipotentis, num argilla increpatura est figulum, quod ex se testam lotii faciat; et alius dixit, salus cujusvis in manu Ipsius est sicut bilanx in manu ponderantis.
[2] Steterunt ad latera aliqui simplices fide et recti corde, quidam oculis inflammati, quidam sicut stupefacti, quidam sicut inebriati, et quidam sicut suffocati, mussitantes inter se, quid nobis cum illis deliriis; fides illorum infatuavit illos, quae est quod Deus Pater imputet justitiam Filii sui cui vult et quando vult, et mittat Spiritum Sanctum ad operandum justitiae istius auctoramenta; et ne homo sibi granum vindicet in salutis suae ministerio, erit omnino sicut lapis in justificationis negotio, et sicut stipes in spiritualibus: et tunc quidam ex illis intrusit se in Cohortem, et loquutus alte dixit; o dementes, ratiocinatio vestra est de lana caprina; nescitis plane, quod Deus Omnipotens sit ipse Ordo, et quod leges Ordinis sint myriades, quot nimirum Veritates 2 in Verbo, et quod contra illas non possit facere, quia facere contra illas, foret contra Seipsum, et sic non modo contra Justitiam sed etiam contra Omnipotentiam suam;
[3] et vidit e longinquo ad dextrum sicut ovem et agnum, et volantem columbam, et ad sinistrum sicut hircum, lupum et vulturem, et dixit, creditis quod Deus ex Omnipotentia sua possit convertere hircum illum in ovem, vel lupum illum in agnum, vel vulturem illum in columbam, aut vicissim; minime, est enim contra leges ordinis Ipsius, e quibus ne quidem apex potest cadere in terram, secundum Ipsius verba, quomodo tunc potest justitiam redemptionis Filii sui inferre in aliquem refractarium contra leges justitiae Ipsius, quomodo potest ipsa Justitia injustitiam facere, et aliquem praedestinare ad infernum, et conjicere in ignem, ad quem diabolus cum facibus in manu stat et fomentat; o dementes, vacui spiritu, fides vestra seduxit vos, estne illa in manibus vestris sicut laqueus ad captandum columbas; his auditis, quidam Magus ex fide illa fecit sicut laqueum, et appendit in arbore, dicens, videbitis quod captaturus sim columbam illam, et mox advolavit accipiter, ac collum insertavit laqueo, et pependit, et columba viso accipitre praetervolavit; adstantes mirati sunt, et clamaverunt, hic ludus usque est auctoramentum justitiae.
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