560# 敬拜地上某位代理者，或呼求某位圣徒如同呼求上帝，在天上并不比向太阳、月亮和星辰祈求，或向占卜者求问答复，并相信他的话更有价值；这是虚妄的。这也如同敬拜圣殿，而不敬拜圣殿中的上帝；又如同向手持君王权杖和冠冕的仆人祈求荣耀的尊荣，而不向君王本人祈求。这也是无效的，就如离开具体对象而抽象地亲吻紫袍的光辉、荣耀、光、太阳的金色光线，以及一个单单的名字。
对于那些行这些事的人，有约翰书信中的话：“我们住在真实者里面，就是在祂儿子耶稣基督里面。这是真神，也是永生。小子们哪，你们要保守自己，远离偶像。”（约壹5:20-21）
560# 在天堂，崇拜地上的某个牧师为神，或召唤某个圣徒为神，就跟祈求日月星辰，或找算命的人，并相信他那毫无意义的话一样没有任何用处。这就像拜一座圣殿，而不是拜圣殿里的神；或像向手拿权杖和王冠的国王的仆人，而不是向国王本人求荣耀的名誉。这一切就像试图亲吻华丽的紫色长袍，而不是亲吻穿着这个长袍的人，或赞美太阳发出的荣耀光辉和金色光芒，而不是赞美太阳本身，或只是向名字致敬，而不是向人致敬。约翰一书中的这些话就是针对那些做这种事的人的：
我们在那位真实的里面，就是在耶稣基督里面。这是真神，也是永生。小子们哪，你们要自守，远避偶像。（约翰一书5:20，21）
560. Giving adoration to some vicar [of Christ] on earth as we would to God or calling on some saint as we would call on God has no more effect on heaven than worshiping the sun, the moon, and the stars, or seeking for a response from fortune-tellers and believing in their meaningless utterances. Doing this would be like worshiping a church building but not God, who is in that church. It would be like submitting a request for glorious honors not to the king himself but to a servant of the king who is carrying his scepter and crown. This would be pointless, like paying deference to a gleaming scarlet robe but not the person who is wearing it; like praising the glorious light and golden rays from the sun but not the sun itself; like saluting names but not people. The following statement in John is for people who do such things: "We must remain in truth in Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, beware of idols" (1 John 5:20-21).
560. 1 Adoring anyone as Christ's vicar on earth, or invoking any saint as God, is no more effective in heaven than praying, as it might be, to the sun, the moon and the stars and seeking a fortune-teller and believing what he says, which is useless. This would also be like adoring a church and not God in the church. It would be like begging a king's servant, who carries in his hand the sceptre and crown, for honours and distinction, and not the king himself. This would be as empty as embracing the brightness of purple, the glory, light and golden rays of the sun, and its mere name, without thinking of the things themselves. These words in John are for those who behave like this:
We remain in the truth in Jesus Christ. He is the true God and everlasting life; my children, beware of idols. 1 John 5:20-21.
Footnotes:
1. The numbering of sections in the original goes from 539-560 without anything intervening.
560. To adore as God some vicar on earth, or to invoke as God some saint, has no more weight in heaven than to make supplication to the sun, moon, and stars, or to ask for a response from a diviner and believe what he puts forth, which is idle. It would be also like worshiping a temple, and not worshiping God in the temple; it would be like supplicating a king's servant carrying the scepter and crown in his hand, for the honors of glory, instead of the king himself; and this would be as useless as trying to kiss the splendor of purple, renown, light, the golden rays of the sun, or a mere name, apart from their subjects. For those who do such things are these words in John:
We abide in the truth in Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, guard yourselves from idols (1 John 20-21).
560. 1 To adore any one as God's vicar on earth, or to invoke any saint, is of no more avail in heaven than to pray to the sun, the moon and the stars, or to seek a response of a diviner and believe what he says. This would be like adoring a temple and not the God who dwells there; or like making supplication for the honors that are the reward of distinguished service to the king's servant who bears his sceptre and crown instead of addressing the king himself. All this would be as vain as regarding with veneration the splendor of the regal purple and not the royal wearer, glory in the abstract and not the man who wins it, light and not its source, the golden rays of the sun and not the sun itself, a mere name apart from what it represents. Those who do such things ought to consider these words in John,
"We are in the truth in Jesus Christ (A.V., we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ). This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols." 1 John 5:20-21.
Footnotes:
1. The numbering here follows the original.
560. 1 Adorare aliquem Vicarium super terra, aut invocare aliquem Sanctum, ut Deum, non plus valet in Coelo, quam sicut supplicare ad Solem, Lunam, et Astra, et quaerere Divinatorem de responso, et credere effato ejus, quod vanum est; hoc foret etiam sicut adorare Templum et non Deum in Templo: et foret sicut supplicare servum Regis, portantem manu sceptrum et coronam ejus, de honoribus 2 gloriae, et non ipsum Regem: et hoc irritum foret, sicut abstracte a subjectis osculari splendorem purpurae, gloriam, lucem, aureos radios solis, et solum nomen: Pro illis, qui talia faciunt, sint haec, apud Johannem, Manemus in veritate in Jesu Christo, Hic est verus Deus et Vita aeterna; filioli, cavete vobis ab idolis, I Epist. 5:20-21.
Footnotes: