463. 第8章 自由选择
在陈述新教会关于自由选择的教导之前, 有必要说明当今教会是如何教导的。 要不然, 有常识者和宗教中人会觉得, 没必要就这个主题再浪费笔墨了。 他们会说: “谁不知道我们在灵性的事上有选择自由? 否则, 牧师为何在讲道时告诉信徒, 当信神并皈依祂, 当照圣言的诫命生活, 当与肉体的情欲抗争, 使自己成为新造的人这些呢? ”倘若我们在得救的事上没有选择自由, 这些岂不都是空话? 否定自由选择是荒唐之举, 因为这明显违背常理。 然而, 当今教会却站在自由选择的对立面, 并将它扫出圣所, 这可从路德宗信徒奉守的《协同信条》明显看出 (下一节会引用)。 从改革宗的神学著作也能明显看到类似教义与信条, 德国, 瑞典, 丹麦, 英国和荷兰, 乃至整个基督教界都是如此教导。 以下内容引自《协同信条》 (1756年莱比锡版本)。
463. Chapter 8: Free Choice
Before even preparing to present what the new church teaches regarding free choice, I must first lay out what the church of today says about it in its doctrinal texts. Otherwise, devout and rational readers may think there is no point in my trying to write something new about it, since they would say to themselves, "Who doesn't know we have free choice in spiritual matters? Why else would ministers preach that we need to believe in God, turn ourselves around, live according to the precepts of the Word, fight against the lusts of our flesh, and prepare ourselves as new creatures, not to mention many other things of the same kind?" They cannot avoid the conclusion that if there were no free choice in matters of salvation, such words would be nothing but hot air; and that it is insane to deny free choice, because such denial goes against common sense.
Nevertheless, the church of today is in fact headed in the opposite direction. It casts the idea of free choice out of its sanctuaries, as is clear from the following teachings taken from the book called the Formula of Concord - a book Lutherans swear to observe. From the religious treatises of the Reformed churches, it is clear that there are similar teachings and a similar belief about free choice throughout the entire Christian world, and thus in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, England, and Holland. The statements just following are copied from the Formula of Concord in the Leipzig edition of 1756:
463. CHAPTER EIGHT
FREE WILL
Before preparing to set down the teaching of the new church on free will, I must preface my remarks with an account of the views on this subject expressed by the present-day church in its theological books. But for this anyone of sound reason and religion might think that it is not worth while writing anything new on the subject. He might say to himself: 'Is there anyone who does not know that man has free will in spiritual matters? What else would be the point of priests preaching that people should believe in God, be converted, live in accordance with the commandments in the Word, fight against the lusts of the flesh, and turn themselves into new creations,' and much more of the same sort. He cannot therefore help thinking that these expressions would be merely empty verbiage, if there were no element of free will in matters affecting salvation, and it would be madness to deny this, as being contrary to common sense. Yet the present-day church goes in the opposite direction and banishes it from its buildings, as is evident from the book called the Formula of Concord, a book the Evangelicals swear to uphold, as the following extracts will show. The Reformed churches have similar teaching and thus belief about free will, so the situation is similar throughout the Christian world, and consequently in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, England and Holland, as is clear from their theological books. The following passages are transcribed from the Formula of Concord, published at Leipzig in 1756.
463. CHAPTER 8.
FREEDOM OF CHOICE.
I.
Before the doctrine of the New Church respecting freedom of choice can be properly set forth, it is necessary to premise what the present church teaches on that subject in its dogmatic books, for unless this is done a man who has sound sense and religion may believe that it is not worth while to write anything new about it. For he would say to himself, "Who does not know that man has freedom of choice in spiritual things? Otherwise, why should priests preach that men should believe in God, should be converted, should live according to the precepts in the Word, should fight against the lusts of the flesh, and should make themselves new creatures?" and so on. Thus he cannot but think within himself that all this would be mere empty words, if there were no freedom of choice in matters of salvation, and that to deny it would be folly, because contrary to common sense. Nevertheless that the present church stands opposed to freedom of choice and banishes it from its temples, may be seen from the following extracts from the book called the Formula Concordiae, which the evangelical churches swear allegiance to. That a like teaching and therefore a like belief respecting freedom of choice prevails with the Reformed, and likewise throughout the entire Christian world, and thus in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, England and Holland, is evident from their dogmatic books. The extracts that follow are taken from the Formula Concordiae, the Leipsic edition of 1756.
463. CHAPTER VIII
FREE WILL
Before I proceed to state the doctrine of the New Church on Free Will, it is necessary to premise what the present Church teaches in its dogmatic works on that subject. If this were not done a person of sound sense and principled in religion might suppose that it is not worth while to write anything new on the matter. For he might say: "Everybody knows that man has free will in spiritual things. Otherwise why should ministers teach in their sermons that men should believe on God, be converted, live according to the precepts of the Word, fight against the lusts of the flesh, and create themselves anew, and so on?" He must, therefore, suppose that those injunctions are only empty sound if there were no free will in matters of salvation, and that it would be madness to deny it, because it would be contrary to common sense. Yet the present Church falls into that contradiction, and banishes the doctrine of free will from its temples, as may be evident from the work entitled Formula Concordiae, 1 which the Evangelicals 2 swear by, and from which the following extracts are taken. The same doctrine and faith thence derived in regard to free will prevail amongst the Reformed throughout the whole Christian world, thus in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, England and Holland, as is evident from their dogmatic books. The quotations that follow are from the Formula Concordiae, Leipzig 3 edition, 1758.
Footnotes:
1. Form of Concord, Formula Concordiae, designed to effect an amicable adjustment of the differences among the Lutherans, by drawing them more closely to their principal standard, the Augsburg or Augustan Confession. Most of the Lutheran Churches add this Formula to their standard creeds.
2. Evangelicals, Low Church Protestants who profess evangelical principles, especially the doctrine that salvation is by faith in the Atonement.
2. Leipzig, capital of province of same name, seat of highest court of justice in Germany.
463. CAPUT OCTAVUM
DE LIBERO ARBITRIO.
Antequam accinctus accedo ad tradendum Doctrinale Novae Ecclesiae de LIBERO ARBITRIO, necessum est ut praemittantur illa quae Hodierna Ecclesia in Libris suis dogmaticis de illo tradit, quoniam nisi hoc fiat, potest homo, cui sana ratio et religio est, credere, quod non operis pretium sit de illo aliquod novum scribere, diceret enim secum, quis non scit, 1 quod homini Liberum Arbitrium in spiritualibus sit; quid alioquin foret, quod Sacerdotes praedicarent, ut credant in Deum, ut convertant se, ut vivant secundum praecepta in Verbo, ut pugnent contra concupiscentias carnis suae, utque se parent novam Creaturam, praeter similia plura; quare secum non potest aliter cogitare, quam quod illa modo voces venti essent, si non aliquod Liberum Arbitrium in rebus salutis foret, et quod illud negare esset delirum quia contra sensum communem: at quod usque hodierna Ecclesia in contrarium eat, et illud extra Templa sua ejiciat, constare potest ex Libro FORMULA CONCORDIAE 2 appellato, in quem Evangelici jurant, ex illis ibi quae sequuntur; quod similis Doctrina et inde fides de Libero Arbitrio sit apud Reformatos, ita similis in Universo Christiano Orbe, proinde in Germania, Suecia, 3 Dania, Anglia et 4 Hollandia, constat ex Libris dogmaticis illorum. Haec itaque sunt Transumpta ex FORMULA CONCORDIAE, Editionis Lipsiensis Anno 1756.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: fcit.
2. Hoc est, Concordia Pia et Unanimi Consensu Repetita Confessio et Doctrinae Electorum, Principum et Ordinum Imperii.
3. Prima editio: Svecia.
4. Prima editio: Anglia et [symbol].