282. 第五章 十誡
全世界沒有哪個民族不知道殺人,姦淫,偷盜和作假證是邪惡之事。同樣, 都當知道, 若不立法抑止這樣的罪行, 任何國家,州省,文明社區將會難逃厄運。難道有人認為以色列民族會比其它民族更愚蠢, 連這些行為是邪惡的都不知道？人們或許會覺得納悶, 世上如此通行的法律需要耶和華自己在西乃山上用如此神奇的方式來頒佈？不過, 值得注意的是:用如此神奇方式來頒佈這些法律, 就是讓人知道這並非僅僅民間的和道德上的立法, 也是神性的法律。至於違反這些法律, 不僅是觸犯了鄰舍——也就是某人的同胞和社區, 也是犯法得罪了上帝。從西乃山上由耶和華如此頒發, 這些法律也就成為宗教信仰之律法。明顯可知, 耶和華頒佈的任何命令都是為了成就宗教信仰之誡命, 為了我們被得拯救所必需執行之事。因此, 在解釋這些誡命之先, 我首先闡述這些誡命到底如何神聖, 以說明其中包含宗教信仰的內容。
十誡曾是以色列教會的至聖之物
282. Chapter 5: The Catechism, or Ten Commandments, Explained in Both Its Outer and Its Inner Meanings
EVERY nation on the face of the earth knows that it is evil to murder, to commit adultery, to steal, and to bear false witness, and knows that any country, state, or civilized society that did not forbid these evils would be doomed. No one thinks the Israelite nation was stupider than other nations and did not know these things were evils. Anyone might be amazed, then, that these laws, universally recognized on earth as they are, were delivered on Mount Sinai in such a miraculous way by Jehovah himself.
I have been told, though, that they were delivered in this miraculous way so that people would know that these laws are not only civil and moral laws but divine laws as well. Therefore to act against them would be not only doing something evil to our neighbor (meaning our fellow citizen and our community) but also sinning against God. When they were delivered by Jehovah on Mount Sinai, therefore, these laws became laws of religion as well. It should be obvious that whatever Jehovah commands, he commands as an aspect of religion; therefore his commands are something we need to follow for the sake of our salvation. Before I explain the Commandments, though, I will give a prefatory statement about their holiness, to show that they have religious import.
282. CHAPTER FIVE
THE CATECHISM OR THE TEN COMMANDMENTS EXPLAINED IN BOTH THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL SENSES
There is no nation throughout the world which does not know that it is wrong to commit murder or adultery, steal, and bear false witness. Equally it is known that were there no laws against such wickedness, any kingdom, republic or established society would be at an end. So would anyone suppose that the Israelite nation was so much more stupid than the rest as to be ignorant that these acts were wrong? One might therefore be amazed that these laws, which are universally known on earth, were proclaimed in such a miraculous fashion by Jehovah Himself from Mount Sinai. But pay attention: they were proclaimed in such a miraculous fashion, so that it should be known that those laws were not just civil and moral legislation, but also Divine laws, so that acting against them was not only wronging the neighbour, that is, one's fellow citizens and society, but also sinning against God. So by being proclaimed by Jehovah from Mount Sinai they became religious laws. It is obvious that any commandment given by Jehovah is intended to be a religious command, something that must be done, if one is to be saved. But before explaining the commandments I must first speak of their holiness, to make it clear that they have a religious content.
282. CHAPTER 5
THE CATECHISM OR DECALOGUE EXPLAINED IN ITS EXTERNAL AND ITS INTERNAL SENSE.
There is not a nation in the whole world which does not know that it is wicked to murder, to commit adultery, to steal, and to bear false witness, and that kingdoms, republics, and every form of organized society, unless these evils were guarded against by laws, would be at an end. Who then can suppose that the Israelitish nation was so stupid beyond all others as not to know that these are evils? Anyone therefore may wonder that laws so universally known in the world should have been promulgated from Mount Sinai by Jehovah Himself in so miraculous a way. But listen: they were promulgated in so miraculous a way to make known that these laws are not only civil and moral laws, but also Divine laws; and that acting contrary to them is not only doing evil to the neighbor, that is, to a fellow citizen and society, but is also sinning against God. Wherefore these laws, by their promulgation by Jehovah from Mount Sinai, were made also laws of religion. Evidently whatever Jehovah commands, He commands in order that it may be a matter of religion, and thus some thing to be done for the sake of salvation. But before these commandments are explained, something must be premised respecting their holiness to make it evident that religion is in them.
282. CHAPTER V
THE CATECHISM OR DECALOGUE EXPLAINED AS TO ITS EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL SENSES
There is not a nation in the whole world which does not know that it is evil to murder, to commit adultery, to steal and to bear false witness; also that unless precautions against these evils were taken by means of laws there would be an end of kingdoms, republics, indeed of any form of established society whatever. No one therefore can suppose that the Israelitish nation was so particularly stupid as not to know that these were evils. One may wonder then that those laws, universally known throughout the world, should have been promulgated in so miraculous a manner from Mount Sinai by Jehovah Himself. The reason why they were so miraculously promulgated was that men might know that those laws were not only civil and moral but also Divine laws; and that to act contrary to them was not only to do evil against the neighbor, that is, against one's fellow citizen and the state, but also to sin against God. Therefore those laws, by their promulgation from Mount Sinai by Jehovah, became also laws of religion. It is evident that whatever Jehovah commands, He commands as a principle of religion, to be observed for the sake of salvation. But before an explanation of the commandments is given, something must be said concerning their holiness, that it may be clear that they are essentially religious.
282. CAPUT QUINTUM
CATECHISMUS SEU DECALOGUS; QUOAD SENSUM EJUS EXTERNUM ET INTERNUM EXPLICATUS.
Non datur Gens in Universo terrarum Orbe, quae non novit, quod Malum sit Occidere, Adulteria committere, Furari, false Testari; tum quod nisi Mala illa per Leges caverentur, actum foret cum Regno, Republica, et cum quavis Societate constabilita: quis itaque autumare potest, quod Gens Israelitica prae aliis tam stupida fuerit, ut ignoraverit, quod illa essent Mala, quapropter mirari quis potest, quod Leges illae universaliter in terris notae cum tanto Miraculo e Monte Sinai ab Ipso Jehovah promulgatae fuerint. Sed audi, cum tanto Miraculo promulgatae fuerunt, ut scirent, quod Leges illae non modo Leges civiles et morales essent, sed etiam Leges Divinae, et quod facere contra illas, non modo esset malum facere contra proximum, hoc est, concivem et societatem, sed etiam esset peccare contra Deum; quare Leges illae per promulgationem e Monte Sinai a Jehovah, factae etiam sunt Leges religionis; evidens est, quod quicquid Jehovah praecepit, praecipiat ut Religionis sit, et sic quod faciendum sit salutis causa. Sed antequam Praecepta explicantur, praemittendum est de Sanctitate 1 illorum, ut pateat quod Religio illis insit.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Sanctatate.