第五章 论十诫
282# 教理问答，即十诫，就其外在意义与内在意义加以阐释。
普天之下，无一民族不知杀人、犯奸淫、偷盗、作假见证为邪恶；亦无一民族不知，若不以法律防范这些邪恶，则王国、共和国，以及任何已立定的社会，皆将无以为继。既如此，谁能以为以色列民族较诸民族愚钝至此，竟不知这些事为邪恶呢？故人或可惊异：这些在世上普遍为人所知的律法，何以竟由耶和华亲自在西奈山，以如此巨大的神迹颁布。
然而，请听其故：这些律法之所以以如此巨大的神迹颁布，是为使人知道，它们不只是公民法与道德法，而且也是神性之法；违犯这些律法，不只是向邻舍，即向同国之人和社会行邪恶，而且也是得罪上帝。因此，这些律法藉耶和华从西奈山之颁布，亦成为宗教之法。显而易见，凡耶和华所吩咐者，祂皆命其作为宗教之事；因而也命人为了得救之故而实行。然在阐释诸诫命以前，须先论其神圣性，以显明宗教寓于诸诫之中。
282# 全世界没有一个民族不知道杀人、通奸、偷盗和作假见证是邪恶，任何国家、共和国或州和社会组织形式，若不立法禁止这些邪恶，注定会失败或终结。那么，谁会以为以色列民族就比其他所有民族都愚蠢，以至于不知道这些事是邪恶？因此，有人可能会惊讶地发现，耶和华亲自从西乃山上以如此神奇的方式颁布了在世上得到如此普遍认可的法律。但请听好：以如此神奇的方式颁布这些法律，是为了让人们知道，它们不仅是文明和道德的法律，也是神性律法；违反它们不仅是对邻舍行恶，即对同胞和社会行恶，也是得罪神。因此，当耶和华从西乃山上颁布这些法律时，它们也成了宗教律法。很明显，凡耶和华所吩咐的，都是作为宗教原则来吩咐的，是为救赎而必须遵行的。但在解释这些诫命之前，必须先说一说它们的神圣性，以清楚表明，宗教在它们里面，或说它们本质上是宗教性的。
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.