270# 由此可知，存于新教徒及改革诸派之中的圣言，藉属灵交通而照明万邦万民；并且主以其圣治预备，使地上常有一教会，在其中圣言被诵读，主亦藉圣言为人所知。故当圣言几乎为罗马教廷所弃绝时，改革便出于主的圣治而兴起；圣言于是如从隐匿处被取出，并被交付使用。
又当圣言在犹太民族中被全然歪曲并玷污，几乎成为虚无之时，主便乐意从天降下，并作为圣言而来，成全圣言；又藉此使圣言复归完整，重新立定，再将光赐给地上居民。此正如主所言：“那坐在黑暗里的百姓看见了大光；坐在死荫之地的人有光发现照着他们”（赛9:2；太4:16）。
270# 由此可见，新教和改革宗教会所拥有的圣言通过属灵交流光照所有民族和人民；此外，主规定，地上要始终有一个教会，就是阅读圣言，由此认识主的地方。因此，当天主教徒几乎完全弃绝圣言时，按照主的圣治，宗教改革运动就发生了。因此，圣言可以说从它的隐藏之地被取出来，并投入使用。事实上，当圣言被犹太民族完全歪曲和玷污，不再是圣言，或变得毫无效果时，主乐意从天上降下来，作为圣言来应验它，从而恢复并重建它，再次将光赐予地上的居民，正如主所说的那样：
坐在黑暗里的百姓看见了大光；有光向坐在死荫地区的人出现。（以赛亚书9:2; 马太福音4:16）
270. You can see then that the Word that exists among Protestants and the Reformed enlightens all nations and peoples through a spiritual communication. You can also see that the Lord ensures that there is always a church on earth where the Word is being read and the Lord is becoming known through it. When the Word was virtually rejected by Catholics, in the Lord's divine providence the Reformation took place. As a result, the Word was taken from its hiding places, so to speak, and put to use. In fact, when the Word among the Jewish nation had been thoroughly falsified and contaminated, and more or less ceased to be the Word, then the Lord chose to come down from heaven, become the Word, and fulfill it. By doing this he put the Word back together and restored it, giving light once again to the inhabitants of our world, as the Lord himself says in these words: "The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light; on the people sitting in the realm and shadow of death the light has dawned" (Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:16).
270. These facts can establish that the Word possessed by the Protestants and the Reformed churches is the source of enlightenment to all nations and peoples by means of spiritual communication. They also show that the Lord provides that there should always be on earth a church where the Word is read and thus the Lord becomes known. Therefore when the Word was more or less rejected by the Roman Catholics, by the Lord's Divine providence the Reformation took place, and so the Word was, so to speak, dragged out of its hiding place and put to use. Also, when the Word possessed by the Jewish nation was utterly falsified and adulterated, so that it became practically null, then it pleased the Lord to come down from heaven, to come as the Word and fulfil it, thus renewing and restoring it, and to give light again to the inhabitants of the earth, as these words of the Lord relate:
The people that sat in darkness have seen a great light; for those who sat in the region and shadow of death, upon them a light has dawned, Isaiah 9:1 and Matthew 4:16.
270. From all this it can be seen that the Word which is in the possession of the Protestant and Reformed churches, enlightens by spiritual communication all nations and peoples; also that the Lord provides that there shall always be on earth a church where the Word is read, and thereby the Lord is made known. Therefore when the Papists had almost wholly rejected the Word, by the Lord's Divine Providence the Reformation took place, whereby the Word was drawn as it were from concealment and brought into use. So when the Word had been wholly falsified and adulterated by the Jewish nation, and, as it were, made of no effect, it , pleased the Lord to descend from heaven, and to come as the Word, and fulfill it, and thereby to restore and reestablish it, and give light once more to the inhabitants of the earth, according to the words of the Lord:
The people that sit in darkness saw a great light; and to them that sit in the land and shadow of death, to them did the light spring up (Isaiah 9:8; Matthew 4:16).
270. From these considerations it may be evident that the Word, possessed by Protestants and the Reformed, enlightens all nations and peoples by spiritual communication; and further, that the Lord provides that there should always be on earth a Church where the Word is read, and the Lord thereby made known. When, therefore, the Word was almost totally rejected by the Romish Church, through the Divine Providence of the Lord the Reformation took place, in consequence of which the Word was rescued from concealment, as it were, and brought into use. Moreover, when the Word with the Jewish nation was entirely falsified and defiled, and made as of none effect, it pleased the Lord to descend from heaven, and coming as the Word, to fulfil it, and thus to renew and restore it, giving light again to the inhabitants of the earth, according to His own words:
"The people which sat in darkness, saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up" Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:18.
270. Ex his constare potest, quod Verbum, quod est apud Protestantes et Reformatos, illustret omnes Gentes et Populos per communicationem spiritualem; tum quod provideatur a Domino, ut in Tellure semper sit Ecclesia ubi Verbum legitur, et per id Dominus notus fiat; Quare cum Verbum a Pontificiis paene rejectum est, ex Divina Domini Providentia Reformatio facta est, et inde Verbum sicut e latebris extractum est, et missum in usum. Quando etiam Verbum apud Gentem Judaicam prorsus falsificatum et adulteratum erat, et quasi nullum factum est, tunc placuit Domino e Coelo descendere, ac ut Verbum venire, ac implere illud, et per id redintegrare et restituere illud, ac iterum dare lucem Incolis telluris, secundum haec Domini verba, Populus sedens in tenebris vidit Lucem magnam; sedentibus in regione et umbra mortis, Lux exorta illis est, Esaias 9:1, 1 et Matthaeus 4:16.
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