第二节 重生唯独由主成就，并须人合作
576# 新的生育，或说创造，唯独由主借着仁义与信仰这两个媒介而成，并且有人合作。
重生由主借着仁义与信仰而成，这可由前文关于仁义与信仰诸章所已证明者推出；尤其可由其中这一点推出：主、仁义与信仰合而为一，正如生命、意志与理智合而为一；若将它们分离，则三者各自消散，如同一体之联结溃散为尘。
仁义与信仰这二者被称为媒介，是因为它们使人与主结合，并使仁义成为仁义，使信仰成为信仰。而这若非人也在重生中有其分，则不能成就；所以说，必须有人合作。
在前面的论述中，已经屡次论及人与主的合作；然而，人的心智如此，以致它不能不把此事理解为：人是凭自己的能力成就这事。因此，还须再次加以阐明。
在一切运动中，并由此在一切行动中，皆有主动与被动；也就是说，行动者行动，而承受者由行动者而行动。故二者共同成就一个行动。譬如磨由轮转，车由马行，运动由努力而出，结果由原因而成，死力由活力而动；概而言之，工具由主体而用。人人皆知，这二者合在一起，才成就一个行动。
至于仁义与信仰，主行动，人则由主而行动；因为主的主动作用是在人的被动接受中运行。因此，行善之能力来自主；由此，行善之意愿便仿佛属于人，因为它在人的自由意志之中。人凭这自由意志，能与主一同行动，从而与主结合；也能凭地狱的能力行动——这能力在其外——从而使自己与主分离。
人的行动若与主的行动相合，这就是此处所谓的合作。为使这一点更明晰，以下还将用若干比较加以说明。
576# 关于仁爱和信仰那一章已经说明，重生是由主通过仁爱和信仰实现的；尤其参看这一点：主、仁爱和信仰，就像人的生命、意愿和理解力一样构成一体；如果它们分开，各自都会像珍珠化为粉末一样灭亡（TCR 362-367节）。这两者，即仁爱和信仰，被称为方法，是因为它们将人与主结合在一起，从而使仁爱成为仁爱，使信仰成为信仰。这种结合是无法实现的，除非人参与自己的重生；这就是为何说在人的合作下。前面的章节好几次论述了人的合作；但由于人类心智天生无法摆脱这种感觉：他只靠自己的能力来完成这一过程，所以这里将再次说明这个主题。
在一切动作，因而在一切行动中都有一个主动元素和一个被动元素；也就是说，主动元素行动，被动元素从主动元素那里行动，或说作为回应而行动；因此，这两种元素产生一个单一的动作，或说这两者结合构成一个单一的动作，比较像磨粉机由轮子驱动，马车由马拉动，也比较像动作来自努力，结果来自原因，死的力量来自活的力量，一般来说，像工具因由主因驱动。每个人都知道，这两者一起产生了一个动作。至于仁爱和信仰，主行动，人从主那里行动，或作为回应而行动，因为主的主动在人的被动里面，或说主的活动促使人类回应；因此，正确行动的能力来自主，从中行动的意愿似乎是人自己的，因为人享有自由意志或自由选择，由此能与主一起行动，从而与主结合；但他也可以利用神性领域之外的地狱能力，即一种外来能力行动，从而与主分离。此处的合作是指与主的行动和谐一致的人的行动。但为了让读者对这个主题有更清楚的观念或感知，它将通过下面（TCR 578节）的对比来说明。
576. The Lord Alone Generates or Creates Us Anew, Provided We Cooperate; He Uses Both Goodwill and Faith as Means
The chapters on goodwill and faith have already shown that the Lord carries out the process of regenerating us by means of goodwill and faith. See especially the point that the Lord, goodwill, and faith form a unity in the same way our life, our will, and our intellect form a unity; if we separate them, each one crumbles like a pearl that is crushed to powder [362-367].
Both of these things, goodwill and faith, I call means because they forge our partnership with the Lord. Together they ensure that our goodwill is real goodwill and that our faith is real faith. The process of our regeneration cannot occur without our having some part to play in it; for this reason, the heading reads "provided we cooperate. "
In preceding chapters, our cooperation with the Lord has come up several times; it will be illustrated again here, however, because the human mind is by nature unable to rid itself of the sensation that it carries out this process under its own power.
[2] In every motion and every action there is an element that is active and another element that is responsive. The active element acts, and then the responsive element acts in response. As a result, a single action comes forth from the two elements. A mill is activated in this manner by a waterwheel; a carriage by a horse; a motion by a force; an effect by a cause; a dead force by a living force; and in general an instrumental cause by a principal cause. Everyone knows that each pair together completes a single action.
In the case of goodwill and faith, the Lord acts, and we act in response. There is an activity of the Lord that prompts our human response. The power to do good things comes from the Lord. As a result, there is a will to act that seems to be our own, because we have free choice. Either we can take action together with the Lord and by doing so, form a partnership with him; or else we can take action drawing on the power of hell, which is outside the Lord, and by doing so, separate ourselves from him. Actions of ours that are in harmony with the Lord's actions are what I mean here by "cooperation. " To make this even clearer, it will be illustrated with comparisons below [, 578].
576. II. A new birth or creation can only be brought about by the Lord through charity and faith as the two means with the person's co-operation.
It follows from the proofs offered in the chapters on charity and faith that regeneration is brought about by the Lord through charity and faith; in particular, from the statement there that the Lord, charity and faith make one, just as do life, will and understanding; and if they are divided each of them perishes like a pearl collapsing into dust. These two, charity and faith, are called means, because they link a person with the Lord and make charity charity and faith faith. This is only possible if the person plays a part in his regeneration; this is why we say, with the person's co-operation. In previous sections the co-operation of a person with the Lord has been discussed several times. But because the human mind is so constituted that it cannot help perceiving this action as being effected by the person by his own ability, it needs to be illustrated again.
[2] Every motion, and so every action, contains an active and a passive principle. In other words, the agent acts, and the object acts as a result of the agent. So the two together produce an action. This may be compared to a mill driven by a wheel, a carriage pulled by a horse, a movement responding to an effort, an effect to a cause, inertia to energy, in general, an instrumental part responding to a principal one. Everyone knows that the two together perform a single action. In the case of charity and faith the Lord acts, and the person acts in response to the Lord, for the Lord's activity is in the person's passivity. Therefore the ability to act aright is from the Lord, so that the will to act is as if it were the person's. This is because he enjoys free will, so that he can act together with the Lord, and so link himself to Him, or he can act by the power of hell, which is outside him, and so cut himself off from the Lord. It is the person's action in harmony with the Lord's action which is meant here by co-operation. To render this even clearer, further comparisons will be supplied below.
576. II. THE NEW BIRTH OR CREATION IS EFFECTED BY THE LORD ALONE THROUGH CHARITY AND FAITH AS THE TWO MEANS, MAN CO-OPERATING.
That regeneration is effected by the Lord through charity and faith, follows from what was set forth in the chapters on Charity and Faith, especially from this, That the Lord, Charity and Faith make one, like Life, Will and Understanding in man, and if they are divided, each of them perishes like a pearl reduced to powder. These two, charity and faith, are called the means, because they are what conjoin man with the Lord, causing charity to be charity, and faith to be faith; and this conjunction cannot be effected unless man has part in his regeneration; and this is why it is said, man co-operating.
In the preceding chapters man's co-operation with the Lord has been several times treated of; but as the human mind is such as to be incapable of perceiving otherwise than that man effects this by his own power, the subject shall be illustrated again. In all motion, and consequently in all action, there is an active and a passive; that is to say, the active acts, and the passive acts from the active, so that from both one action arises; comparatively as a mill is moved by its wheel, a carriage by its horse, as motion is from effect, an effect from its cause, a dead force from a living force, and in general, as the instrument is moved by the principal. Everyone knows that these two together produce one action. As to charity and faith, the Lord acts and man acts from the Lord, for the Lord's active is in man's passive; therefore the power to act aright is from the Lord, and the will to act therefrom is as if it were man's, because he has the freedom of choice, whereby he is able to act as one with the Lord and thus conjoin himself with Him, or to act from the power of hell which is an extraneous power, and thus to separate himself from the Lord. It is man's action in harmony with the Lord's action that is here meant by co-operation. To give a clearer perception of this, it shall be still further illustrated by comparisons which follow.
576. II. THE NEW BIRTH OR CREATION IS EFFECTED BY THE LORD ALONE, THROUGH CHARITY AND FAITH AS THE TWO MEANS, WITH THE CO-OPERATION 1 OF MAN.
That regeneration is effected by the Lord by means of charity and faith, follows from what was proved in the chapters on Charity and Faith, and especially from this article, "The Lord, charity and faith make one, like life, will and understanding; and if they are divided, each perishes like a pearl reduced to powder." [No. 382.] These two, charity and faith, are called means, because they conjoin man with the Lord, and so cause charity to be charity and faith to be faith. This co-operation could not take place unless man took some part in regeneration; and, therefore, it is said that this work is effected with man's co-operation. In the preceding chapters man's co-operation with the Lord has occasionally been mentioned; but man's mind is so conditioned that he fancies that he performs this work by his own power alone, and therefore this subject will be further illustrated.
In all motion, and consequently in every action, there is an active and a passive, that is, something which acts as an agent, and something which reacts in response to the activity of the agent, the two combining to constitute one single action. Thus the mill is set in motion by the mill-wheel, the carriage by the horse, motion is set up by effort, an effect is produced by its cause, inertia is overcome by energy, and, in general, the instrumental is actuated by the principal. In all these examples it is clear that the two together produce a single action. As regards charity and faith, the Lord acts and man acts from the Lord, for the active of the Lord is present in the passive of man. The power of acting aright, therefore, is from the Lord, but the desire to act appears to be man's own, because he enjoys free will. From this he has the power to act together with the Lord, and thus to be conjoined to Him; but he can also act from the power of hell, which is outside the Divine sphere, and thus to be separated from Him. Man's action, when it is in harmony with that of the Lord, is what is here meant by co-operation; but in order that the reader may have a clearer idea of the subject, it will be illustrated by additional comparisons.
Footnotes:
1. Cooperatio. Reaction is properly the reflex action, automatic or involuntary, of a passive object. Co-operation is the activity of what is at first a passive object. When, however, the first reflex response has been made, the object has the capacity to continue working in harmony with the motivating agent. In the case of man he has the capacity to continue voluntarily such work. Reaction may imply continued action not in voluntary harmony. It would appear to be better to translate cooperatio by co-operation and not by reaction.
576. Quod nova Generatio seu Creatio fiat a Solo Domino per Charitatem et Fidem, ut duo Media, cooperante homine.
Quod Regeneratio fiat a Domino per Charitatem et Fidem, sequitur ex demonstratis in Capp. de Charitate et de Fide, et in specie ab hoc ibi, Quod Dominus, Charitas et Fides unum faciant, sicut vita, voluntas et intellectus, et quod si dividuntur, unumquodvis ex illis pereat, sicut unio dilapsa in pollinem. Haec duo, Charitas et Fides, vocantur media, quia conjungunt hominem cum Domino, et faciunt quod charitas sit charitas, et quod fides sit fides, et hoc fieri non potest, nisi homo etiam partem habeat in Regeneratione, quare dicitur cooperante homine. In Transactionibus, quae praecedunt, 1 aliquoties de cooperatione hominis cum Domino, actum est; sed quia Mens humana talis est, ut non aliter percipiat id, quam quod homo ex suamet potentia id efficiat, quare id iterum illustrabitur.
[2] In omni motu, et inde in omni actione, est activum et passivum; hoc est, quod agens agat, ac patiens agat ex agente, inde ex utroque fit una actio; comparative sicut mola a rota, currus ab equo, motus a conatu, effectus a causa, vis mortua a viva, in genere, sicut instrumentale a principali; quod haec duo simul faciant unam actionem, quisque novit: quoad Charitatem et Fidem, Dominus agit, et homo agit ex Domino, est enim activum Domini in passivo hominis; quare potentia bene agendi est a Domino, ac inde voluntas agendi est sicut hominis, quia est in libero arbitrio, ex quo potest una agere cum Domino, et sic se conjungere, et potest ex potentia inferni, quae est extra, agere, et sic se separare. Actio hominis concors cum actione Domini est quae hic intelligitur per Cooperationem; ut hoc evidentius percipiatur, illustrabitur adhuc per comparationes infra.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: ptaecedunt.