163. 聖三一
我們討論了上帝創造者, 以及創造。然後是主救贖者, 以及救贖的過程。如今最終討論聖靈, 以及神性的作為。因為我們已經涉及了三一上帝的三, 現在當討論聖三一。三一的概念在基督徒世界眾所周知, 然而真正的三一,他們並不知情。只有通過明白三一的真理, 我們才能獲得對上帝正確的概念。在教會中, 對上帝正確的認知, 就如教會建築中的至聖所或祭壇。又或者像國王坐在王座時頭戴的冠冕,手持的權杖。神學的整個主體都以此為基礎, 就像一條鎖鏈所掛的鉚鉤。信不信都好, 事實上各人對上帝所持的觀念決定了各人在天國中的位置。它就像試金石用來測試金子; 也就是說, 它能測出人裡面的良善與真理如何。除非從上帝而來的良善, 人裡面不會有引向得救的良善, 也不會有真理。
為了能全面看清聖三一的性質, 對三一的解釋需要拆分為不同的觀點, 如下:
(1)有聖三一, 就是父,子,聖靈。
(2)這三——父,子,聖靈, 是一位上帝的三個要素, 是一位; 如同一個人的靈魂,身體,活動, 是一位。
(3)聖三一並非存在於創世之先, 而在創世之後, 當上帝成為肉身之時; 存在於主上帝救贖者和拯救者耶穌基督之中。
(4)在概念層面, 自永遠(意思指創世之先)就有三個神性位格的三一, 意味著思想三位上帝的三一, 這種想法不可能僅因著口頭承認一位上帝而被消除。
(5)使徒教會並不知道三個位格的三一, 是由尼西亞會議虛構的, 並被引入羅馬公教會, 並因此進入由羅馬公教會分裂出去的眾教會。
(6)由『尼西亞信經』和『亞他尼修信經』所定義的三位一體而導致的信仰令整個基督徒教會走向墮落。
(7)這就是那行毀壞可憎的以及那前所未有,絕不再有的災難之起源, 主在『但以理書』,福音書和『啟示錄』已經預言。
(8)事實上, 如果不是主建立一個新的天國和一個新的教會, 無人能存活。
(9)因為三個位格的三一,每一位格各自是上帝(如『亞他尼修信經』宣稱的三位一體), 引發了關於上帝的各樣荒謬的,奇特的,虛構的,畸形的想法。
163. The Divine Trinity
We covered God the Creator and creation; then we covered the Lord the Redeemer and redemption; lastly we covered the Holy Spirit and the divine action. Because we have covered the triune God in this way, we need to cover the divine Trinity as well. The Trinity is well known to the Christian world, yet in other ways it is unknown. Only through understanding the Trinity can we gain a just idea of God; and in the church a just idea of God is like the sanctuary and the altar in a church building. It is like the crown on the head and the scepter in the hand of a monarch sitting on a throne. The entire body of theology depends on it the way a chain hangs from its hook. Believe it or not, we are even allotted our own place in heaven depending on our idea of God. It is like a touchstone for testing the quality of gold and silver, that is, the goodness and truth in us. There exists no goodness in us that brings salvation except the goodness we have from God; and there exists no truth in us whose quality does not come from that core of goodness.
For us to see the nature of the divine Trinity in full perspective, the explanation of the Trinity needs to be divided into points as follows:
1. There is a divine Trinity, which is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
2. These three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, are three essential components of one God. They are one the way our soul, our body, and the things we do are one.
3. This Trinity did not exist before the world was created. It developed after the world was created, when God became flesh. It came into existence in the Lord God the Redeemer and Savior Jesus Christ.
4. At a conceptual level, the idea of a trinity of divine persons from eternity (meaning before the world was created) is a trinity of gods. This idea is impossible to wipe out just by orally confessing one God.
5. The apostolic church knew no trinity of persons. The idea was hatched by the Council of Nicaea. The council introduced the idea into the Roman Catholic church; and the Roman Catholic church introduced the idea into the churches that have since separated from it.
6. The Nicene and Athanasian views of the Trinity led to a faith that has perverted the whole Christian church.
7. The result is the abomination of desolation and the affliction such as has never existed before and will never exist again, which the Lord foretold in Daniel, the Gospels, and the Book of Revelation.
8. In fact, if the Lord were not building a new heaven and a new church, the human race would not be preserved.
9. Many absurd, alien, imaginary, and misshapen ideas of God have come into existence from the Athanasian Creed's assertion of a trinity of persons, each of whom is individually God.
Now these points will be elaborated one by one.
163. THE DIVINE TRINITY
I have discussed God the Creator, and at the same time the creation, and then the Lord the Redeemer, and at the same time the process of redemption; and now finally the Holy Spirit, and at the same time how God works. So having discussed God the Three-in-one, I must now also discuss the Divine Trinity, a subject familiar to Christian people, yet actually one they know nothing about. For this is the only way of acquiring a correct idea of God; and a correct idea of God is to the congregation like the sanctuary and altar in a church, or like a crown on the head and a sceptre in the hand of a king, as he sits upon his throne. From this hangs the whole body of theology, like a chain from its anchor-point. If you are prepared to believe me, the idea everyone has of God determines his place in the heavens. It is like the touchstone used to test gold and silver, that is to say, it tests the nature of the good and truth a person has. For he cannot have any good which leads to salvation except from God, nor any truth which does not get its quality from the good deep within it. But to reveal the nature of the Divine Trinity so that it can be seen by both eyes, the discussion must be split up into propositions, as follows.
(i) There is a Divine Trinity consisting of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
(ii) Those three, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are the three essentials of a single God, which make one as soul, body and activity do with a person.
(iii) This Trinity did not exist before the creation of the world, but it was provided and made after the creation of the world, when God became incarnate, and then it was in the Lord God, the Redeemer and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
(iv) A Trinity of Divine persons from eternity, or existing before the creation of the world, implies thinking about a Trinity of Gods; and this thought cannot be banished by a verbal confession of belief in one God.
(v) The Trinity of persons was unknown to the Apostolic church, but was the invention of the Council of Nicaea, leading to its introduction into the Roman Catholic church, and thus to the churches which split from it.
(vi) The Trinity as defined by the Council of Nicaea and by Athanasius caused a faith to arise which has perverted the whole Christian church.
(vii) This is the source of the abomination of desolation and the affliction such as never has been nor shall be, both of which the Lord predicted in Daniel, the Gospels and Revelation.
(viii) Further, unless a new heaven and a new church are founded by the Lord, no flesh can be saved.
(ix) From a Trinity of persons, each of which individually is God, as asserted by the Athanasian Creed, many absurd ideas of various kinds have arisen about God, which are mere fancies and abortions.
These propositions will now be explained one by one.
163. THE DIVINE TRINITY.
God the Creator, together with creation, has been treated of; also the Lord the Redeemer, together with redemption; and lastly the Holy Spirit, together with the Divine operation. Having thus treated of the Triune God, it is necessary to treat also of the Divine trinity, which is known and yet unknown in the Christian world; for only through this can a right idea of God be acquired; and a right idea of God in the church is like the sanctuary and altar in a temple, or like the crown upon the head and the scepter in the hand of a king on his throne; for on a right idea of God the whole body of theology hangs, like a chain on its first link; and if you will believe it, everyone is allotted his place in the heavens in accordance with his idea of God. For that idea is like a touchstone by which the gold and silver are tested, that is, the quality of good and truth in man. For there can be no saving good in man except from God, nor any truth that does not derive its quality from the bosom of good. But that it may be seen with both eyes what the Divine trinity is, the explanation of it shall be divided into sections as follows:
(1) There is a Divine Trinity, which is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
(2) These three, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are the three essentials of one God, and they make one as soul, body, and operation make one in man.
(3) Before the world was created this Trinity was not; but after creation, when God became incarnate, it was provided and brought about; and then in the Lord God the Redeemer and Savior Jesus Christ.
(4) In the ideas of thought a Trinity of Divine Persons from eternity, or before the world was created, is a Trinity of Gods; and these ideas cannot be effaced by a lip-confession of one God.
(5) A Trinity of Persons was unknown in the Apostolic church, but was hatched by the Nicene Council, and from that was introduced into the Roman Catholic church, and from that again into the churches separated from it.
(6) From the Nicene Trinity and the Athanasian Trinity together a faith arose by which the whole Christian church has been perverted.
(7) This is the source of that "abomination of desolation, and that tribulation such as has not been nor ever shall be," which the Lord foretold in Daniel and in the Gospels and in the Apocalypse.
(8) So too, unless a new heaven and a new church were established by the Lord there could no flesh be saved.
(9) From a Trinity of Persons, each one of whom singly is God, according to the Athanasian Creed, many discordant and heterogeneous ideas respecting God have arisen, which are phantasies and abortions.
These propositions shall now be explained one by one.
163. THE DIVINE TRINITY.
We have now treated of the following subjects: God the Creator and Creation, the Lord Redeemer and Redemption, the Holy Spirit and the Divine Operation. Having thus treated of the Triune God, we must now treat of the Divine Trinity, which is known, and yet unknown, in the Christian world. For by this doctrine alone is a right idea of God acquired; and a right idea of God is in the Church like the sanctuary and altar in the Temple, and like the crown on the head and sceptre in the hand of a king, sitting upon his throne. On this doctrine depends the whole body of theology, like a chain upon its first link; and, if you will believe it, every one has his place in heaven according to his idea of God, for it is a kind of touchstone by which gold and silver, that is, the nature of good and truth in a man, are tested, since man has no saving good except from God, nor any truth which does not derive its quality from the very inmost of good. In order, however, that the nature of the Divine Trinity may be clearly seen, an exposition of it will be given in detail, arranged under the following articles:
(1) There is a Divine Trinity, which consists of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
(2) These three, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are three essentials of one God, which make one, as soul, body and operation make one in a man.
(3) Before the creation of the world this Trinity did not exist; but after the creation of the world, when God became incarnate, it was provided for and came into existence, and was then in the Lord God, the Redeemer and Savior, Jesus Christ.
(4) A Trinity of Divine Persons from eternity, or before the world was created, is in idea a Trinity of Gods; and this idea cannot be removed by the oral confession of one God.
(5) A Trinity of Persons was unknown in the Apostolic Church, but was put forward by the Nicene Council, then introduced into the Roman Catholic Church, and from this into the Churches that separated from it.
(6) From the Nicene and also from the Athanasian doctrine concerning the Trinity has arisen a faith which has perverted the whole Christian Church.
(7) Hence has sprung that abomination of desolation and that affliction, the like of which has not been nor ever shall be, which the Lord foretold in Daniel, in the Evangelists and in the Revelation.
(8) For the same reason, unless a new heaven and a new church were established by the Lord, no flesh should be saved.
(9) From a trinity of persons, each of whom is separately God, according to the Athanasian Creed, 1 have arisen many discordant and incongruous ideas concerning God, which are delusive and monstrous.
These articles will now be explained separately.
Footnotes:
1. Athanasian Symbol or Creed. Although bearing the name of Athanasius, it was probably composed by Hilary, in the century after the formulation of the Nicene Creed, A.D. 325. The name was given to it about the year A.D. 670 as an excellent system of the doctrines of Athansius concerning the Trinity and the Incarnation, principally in opposition to the Arians. It is received by the Romish Church and also by the Reformed.
163. DE DIVINA TRINITATE.
Actum est de Deo Creatore, et tunc simul de Creatione, et postea de Domino Redemptore et simul tunc de Redemptione et demum de Spiritu Sancto, et simul de Divina Operatione, et quia sic de Deo Triuno actum est, necessum est ut etiam de Divina Trinitate, quae in Orbe Christiano nota est, et tamen ignota, agatur; per hanc enim solam comparatur justa idea de Deo, ac justa idea de Deo, est in Ecclesia sicut adytum et ara in Templo; ac sicut Corona super capite, et sceptrum in manu Regis sedentis super Throno, inde enim pendet, sicut catena a suo capite, universum corpus Theologicum, et si credere vultis, quisque sortitur suum locum in Coelis secundum ideam Dei, est enim illa sicut Lapis lydius, per quem exploratur aurum et argentum, hoc est, bonum et verum, qualia haec sunt apud hominem; non enim datur apud illum aliquod bonum salvificum nisi a Deo, nec aliquod verum, quod non quale suum trahit ex sinu boni. Sed ut ambobus oculis videatur, quid Divina Trinitas, 1 Expositio ejus in Articulos dispescenda est, qui sequentes erunt, I. Quod Divina Trinitas sit, quae est, Pater, Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus. II. Quod tres illi, Pater, Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus, sint tria Essentialia unius Dei, quae faciunt unum, quemadmodum Anima, Corpus et Operatio apud hominem. III. Quod ante Mundum Creatum non fuerit haec Trinitas, sed quod post Mundum creatum, quando Deus incarnatus est, provisa et facta sit, et tunc in Domino Deo Redemptore et Salvatore Jesu Christo. IV. Quod Trinitas Divinarum Personarum ab aeterno, seu ante Mundum creatum, 2 sit in ideis cogitationis Trinitas Deorum, et quod haec non aboleri possit per confessionem oralem unius Dei. V. Quod Trinitas Personarum ignota fuerit in Ecclesia Apostolica, sed quod exclusa sit a Concilio Nicaeno, et inde introducta in Ecclesiam Romano Catholicam, et ab hac in Ecclesias separatas ab illa. VI. Quod ex Trinitate Nicaena et simul Athanasiana, exorta sit Fides, quae totam Ecclesiam Christianam perverterat. VII. Quod inde sit illa abominatio desolationis, et afflictio qualis non fuit nec futura est, quas Dominus apud Danielem et Evangelistas et in Apocalypsi praedixerat. VIII. Tum hoc, quod nisi Novum Coelum, et Nova Ecclesia a Domino conduntur, non conservaretur ulla caro. IX. Quod ex Trinitate Personarum, quarum unaquaevis singulatim est Deus, secundum Symbolum Athanasianum, plures absonae ac heterogeneae ideae de Deo exstiterint, quae sunt phantasiae et abortus. Haec nunc singulatim explicabuntur.
Footnotes: