58# 若依今世通行之见，将神性全能视作可同等行善、亦可随意行恶的无拘权能，则于上帝而言，岂非轻而易举便能将全地狱升举入天堂，使撒旦与众魔鬼化为天使；又能于尘世瞬息洁净一切不敬虔之人，除去罪污、更新其生命、使之成圣重生，将愤怒之子转为恩典之子，亦即称义？这一切仅需将圣子之义归予、归算于人即可成就。
然而上帝凭其神性全能不能如此行事，此举悖逆祂立于宇宙之中的神性秩序法则，亦违背赋予各人内在的秩序定则；此类法则要求施受双方彼此交融联结，本书后文将详述此理。
此种对神性全能的愚妄认知，自然推导出如下谬论：上帝可随意将如山羊般悖逆之人转化为绵羊般良善之人，随心自祂左边移至右边；能将恶龙之灵改换为米迦勒麾下天使；亦可赐予心智如鼹鼠般昏昧之人鹰隼般明锐的洞察；简言之，把心性如夜枭之人化作如白鸽般纯良之人。
上帝无法施行这些事，因其违背神性秩序之法则，纵使祂心中恒常愿意、且持续竭力引领世人归向良善。
倘若祂真能如此，便不会容许亚当听从蛇的引诱，摘取分别善恶树的果子送入口中；不会容许该隐杀害兄弟、大卫数点百姓、所罗门为偶像建造庙宇，也不会任凭犹大与以色列诸王屡次亵渎圣殿。更进一步，若可行此转化，祂必借着圣子的救赎毫无遗漏拯救全人类，并彻底根除整个地狱。
古时外邦人亦将此种无分善恶、随意改换本性的全能归于男女诸神，由此滋生各类神话传说：丢卡利翁与皮拉向后抛掷石头，石头化为世人；阿波罗将达芙妮化作月桂树；狄安娜把猎人变为麋鹿；另有女神将帕尔纳索斯山少女化为喜鹊。
今人对神性全能的信奉与此类神话如出一辙，诸多狂热臆想、衍生异端借此传入世间一切存有宗教之地。
58# 如果按照现存的信仰，神的全能是绝对的，既可以作恶，也可以行善，那么对神来说，将整个地狱提升到天堂，将魔鬼和撒但都转化为天使，在一瞬间将地上的每个罪人都从罪中洁净，使他更新、成圣和重生，把他从可怒之子（以弗所书2:3-8）变成恩典之子，也就是说，使他称义，将是可能的，甚至是容易的，只需将祂儿子的公义归于并归算给他。然而，神的全能使祂不能这样做，因为这违反祂在宇宙中的秩序律法，同时违反每个人都应遵守的秩序律法，这些律法要求，神与人之间的结合应是相互的。这一点在本书下面的章节（TCR 89，99-100，368-372节）会变得显而易见。从关于神的全能的这种荒谬的观点和信仰中可以推知，神能将人们当中的一切山羊性质的人都变成绵羊性质的人，能随心所欲地把人们从祂左边移到祂右边（马太福音25:31-46），还能随心所欲地把龙的灵人变成米迦勒的天使（启示录12:7），把鹰的视力赋予一个具有鼹鼠般的理解力之人；总之，祂能将一个像猫头鹰一样的人变成一个像鸽子一样的人。神不能做这些事，因为它们违反祂秩序的律法；然而，祂不断意愿并努力实现它们。祂若能做这样的事，就不会允许亚当听从蛇的话去摘善恶知识树上的果子，并把它放在嘴里。祂若能这样做，就不会允许该隐杀害他的兄弟，也不会允许大卫去数点百姓，或所罗门为偶像建造圣殿，或犹大和以色列的诸王亵渎圣殿，如他们经常所做的那样。事实上，祂若能这样做，就会通过祂儿子所施行的救赎拯救全人类，无一例外，并根除整个地狱。古代的异教徒或外邦人将诸如此类的全能都归给他们的神和女神；他们的神话故事就这样出现了，如丢卡利翁和皮拉向身后投掷石块，石块就化为人；阿波罗将达芙妮化为一棵月桂树；狄安娜将猎人变成一头雄鹿；他们的另一位女神则将帕纳索斯山的少女变成喜鹊。如今关于神性全能也有一种类似的信仰，它是在整个宗教世界传播的许多迷信和随之而来的异端观点的源头。
58. If, as the modern-day belief goes, God's omnipotence was as absolute for doing evil as it is for doing good, surely it would be possible, even easy, for God to lift the whole of hell to heaven. He could turn devils and satans into angels. In a moment he could take all the ungodly people on earth, purify them from sin, make them new, holy, and reborn, and justify them, turning them from children of wrath into children of grace [] solely by assigning and attributing to them the justice of his Son.
God cannot do this with his omnipotence. It is against the laws of his design for the universe. It is also against the laws of his design for human beings, which dictate that the individual and God have to form a mutual partnership. (From later sections in this book [89, 99-100, , 368-372] you will see that this is the case.)
The ridiculous modern-day belief about God's omnipotence would mean that God could turn all goat people into sheep people and move them at will from his left side to his right [Matthew 25:31-46]. He could transform the dragon's spirits into Michael's angels [Revelation 12:7]. He could give the sight of an eagle to someone with an intellect like a mole. In a word, he could make a dove person out of an owl person.
God cannot do these things, because doing so is against the laws of his design, although he never stops wanting to or trying. If he could have done things like this he would not have let Adam listen to the serpent, pluck a piece of fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and bring it to his mouth. If God could have avoided it, he would not have let Cain kill his brother. He would not have let David take a census of the people; he would not have let Solomon build shrines for idols, or let the kings of Judah and Israel desecrate the Temple, which they did a number of times. Indeed if he could have, he would have saved the whole human race without exception through his Son's redemption and would have uprooted hell in its entirety.
Ancient gentiles ascribed this kind of omnipotence to their gods and goddesses, as you can see from their myths. For example, in the story of Deucalion and Pyrrha, the stones they throw behind their backs become people; in another story Apollo turns Daphne into a laurel tree; in another, Diana turns a hunter into a deer. And there is a myth that one of their gods turned the young maidens of Parnassus into magpies.
The belief about divine omnipotence today is similar to these ancient myths. In every region where there is religion many fanatical and heretical ideas have been brought into the world as a result.
58. If the current belief about God's omnipotence was correct, so that it extended to doing evil as well as good, surely it would be possible, or rather easy, for God to lift the whole of hell up into heaven, change devils and satans into angels, and in an instant cleanse any irreligious person on earth of his sins, make him new and sanctify him, regenerate him, turn him from a son of wrath into a son of grace, that is, justify him, by the simple attribution and imputation of His Son's righteousness. But God cannot do this by His omnipotence, because it is contrary to the laws of order He has imposed on the universe, and at the same time to the laws of order imposed upon every person; for these demand that both sets should be mutually linked together. The proof of this will be demonstrated later in this book.
It would be the result of that absurd opinion and belief about God's omnipotence, that God could change any person from a goat to a sheep, and at His pleasure transfer him from His left side to His right; at His pleasure He could transform the spirits of the dragon into the angels of Michael; He could endow a person whose understanding resembled a mole's with the eagle's keen vision, in short to make a person a dove instead of a horned owl. All these things God cannot do, because they would be contrary to the laws of His order; yet all the time He wills them and endeavours to effect them. If He could do such things, He would not have allowed Adam to listen to the serpent, and pluck the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and put it in his mouth. He would not, if He could do this, have allowed Cain to kill his brother, David to number the people, Solomon to build shrines for idols, and the kings of Judah and Israel to profane the Temple, as they did so many times. Rather, if God could do this, by the redemption effected by His Son He would have saved the whole human race with no exceptions and wiped out all hell. The ancient gentiles attributed omnipotence of this sort to their gods and goddesses; this is the source of their myths, as that of Deucalion and Pyrrha, who threw stones behind their backs to make men; of Apollo turning Daphne into a laurel-bush; of Diana turning a huntsman into a stag 1 , of another of their deities turning the maidens of Parnassus into magpies. The current belief about the Divine omnipotence is similar, and that is the source from which so many fanatical and heretical ideas have spread to every region of the world where there is any religion.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin has 'hind', but this differs from 'stag' by only one letter.
58. If, in accordance with existing belief, God's omnipotence were absolute both to do evil and to do good, would it not be possible and even easy for God to elevate all hell to heaven, and to convert the devils and satans into angels, and to cleanse in an instant every impious man on earth from sin; to renew, sanctify, and regenerate him, and from a child of wrath make him a child of grace, that is, to justify him, which would be done by simply ascribing and imputing to him the righteousness of His Son? but God's omnipotence does not enable Him to do this, for the reason that it would be contrary to the laws of His order in the universe, and at the same time contrary to the laws of order enjoined upon every man, these laws requiring that the conjunction between God and man shall be mutual. This will be made clear in the following pages of this work. From this absurd opinion and belief concerning God's omnipotence it would follow that God could convert every goat nature among men into a sheep, and at His good pleasure could transfer men from His left hand to His right; that He could at His good pleasure transform the spirits of the dragon into angels of Michael; and that a man with an understanding like that of a mole could be endowed with the vision of an eagle; in a word, that out of a man like an owl He could make a man like a dove. These things God cannot do, for the reason that they are contrary to the laws of His order; and yet He unceasingly wills and endeavors to effect them. If He could have done such things He would not have permitted Adam to listen to the serpent, and to pluck fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and put it to his mouth. If He could have done this He would not have permitted Cain to kill his brother, or David to number the people, or Solomon to build temples for idols, or the kings of Judah and Israel to profane the temple, which they often did. In fact, if He could have done this He would have saved the entire human race, without exception, through the redemption wrought by His Son, and have extirpated all hell. The ancient heathen ascribed omnipotence to their gods and goddesses and this gave rise to their fables, as that Deucalion and Pyrrha threw stones behind them which became men; that Apollo changed Daphne into a laurel; that Diana changed a hunter into a stag; and that another of their gods changed the virgins of Parnassus into magpies. There is at this day a like belief respecting the Divine omnipotence, and it is the source of the many superstitions and consequent heresies that have been introduced into the world in every country where there is any religion.
58. If the omnipotence of God were, according to the current belief, absolute not only to do good but also to do evil, it would be possible, nay, easy to raise all hell to heaven and convert devils and satans into angels; to cleanse every sinner on earth from his sins in a moment, to renew, sanctify, and regenerate him, and make him a child of grace instead of a child of wrath, that is, to justify him; which would be done merely by ascribing and imputing to him the righteousness of His Son. God, however, from His omnipotence cannot do so, because it is contrary to the laws of His order in the universe, and at the same time contrary to the laws of order enjoined upon every man, which require that conjunction of part with part should be mutual, as will be seen in the following numbers of this work.
From this absurd belief concerning the omnipotence of God it would follow that God could change every goat among men into a sheep, and at His own good pleasure transfer him from His left to His right hand. Then also He could transform the spirits of the dragon into angels of Michael, 1 and bestow the sight of an eagle upon a man with the intellect of a mole; in a word make a human owl into a human dove. These things, however, God cannot do, because they are contrary to the laws of His order, although His constant will and endeavor is to bring them about. If He could have done such things He would not have permitted Adam to listen to the serpent and take the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and put it to his mouth. Nor would He have permitted Cain to kill his brother, David to number the people, Solomon to erect temples to idols, and the kings of Judah and of Israel to profane the Temple, as they so often did. Indeed, if He could have done so, He would have saved, without exception, the whole human race through the redemption wrought by His Son, and extirpated the whole of hell. Such omnipotence as this the Gentiles of old attributed to their gods and goddesses. Thus arose their fables, as that Deucalion and Pyrrha threw stones behind them, which became men, that Apollo 2 changed Daphne into a laurel, that Diana 3 changed a hunter into a stag, and that another goddess turned the maidens of Parnassus into magpies. It is a similar belief concerning the Divine omnipotence which is prevalent today, and from it have spread, throughout the religious world, so many fanatical and consequently heretical opinions.
Footnotes:
1. Michael, the archangel.
2. Apollo, god of divination, healing, poetry and music.
3. Diana, sister of Apollo, goddess of the chase.
58. Si Omnipotentia Dei foret secundum fidem hodiernam absoluta tam ad bonum quam ad malum faciendum, numne possibile, imo facile foret Deo elevare totum Infernum in Coelum, et convertere diabolos et satanas in Angelos, et in terris unumquemvis impium momento purificare a peccatis, innovare, sanctificare, regenerare, a filio irae facere filium gratiae, hoc est, justificare, quod fieret solum per addicationem et imputationem justitiae Filii sui; sed Deus ex Omnipotentia sua hoc non potest, quia est contra leges Ordinis sui in Universo, et simul contra leges Ordinis cuivis homini indictas, quae sunt ut se mutuo ab utraque parte conjungant; quod ita sit, in sequentibus hujus Operis videbitur. Ex fatua illa opinione et fide de Omnipotentia Dei resultaret, quod Deus unumquemvis hominem hircum posset convertere in hominem ovem, et ex beneplacito a sinistro ad dextrum suum latus transferre; tum quod posset Spiritus draconis ex beneplacito transmutare in Angelos Michaelis, et quod posset hominem cujus intellectus est sicut talpae donare visu aquilae, verbo ex homine bubone facere hominem columbam; haec Deus, quia est contra leges Ordinis 1 Ipsius, nequit, tametsi continue hoc vult et conatur. Si talia potuisset, non permisisset Adamo auscultare serpenti, et fructum ex Arbore scientiae boni et mali desumere, et illum admovere ori; si illud potuisset, non permisisset Caino occidere fratrem suum; Davidi numerare populum; Salomoni fana pro idolis exstruere, ac Regibus Judae et Israelis prophanare Templum, quod toties fecerunt; imo si illud potuisset, per Redemptionem Filii sui Universum genus humanum nullo excepto salvavisset, et totum Infernum exstirpavisset. Gentiles antiqui talem Omnipotentiam addixerunt diis et deabus suis, unde orta sunt fabulosa illorum, ut de Deucalione et Pyrrha, quod lapides jacti post tergum facti sint homines; de Apolline quod Daphnem converterit in laurum; de Diana quod venatorem in cervum; 2 et quod alius 3 ex diis eorum virgines Parnassi verterit in picas. Similis 4 fides de Omnipotentia Divina est hodie, unde tot fanatica et inde haeretica in omni Regione, ubi Religio, in Mundum illata sunt.
Footnotes:
1. Prima editio: Ordines.
2. Prima editio: cervam.
3. Fortasse Calliope et aliae Musae.
4. Prima editio: Similes.