第二节 当今信仰中的双重归算
628# 属于当今信仰的归算有两种：一种是基督功劳的归算，另一种是由此而来的救恩归算。
在整个基督教会中，人们传讲说，称义并由此而来的救恩，是由父上帝借着归算祂儿子基督的功德而成就的；又说，这归算乃是出于恩典，照祂所愿的时间与对象而施行，因此出于祂的任意旨意；并且，那些被归算基督功劳的人，便被接纳在上帝众子的数目之中。
由于教会的领袖们没有在这种归算之外再向前迈进一步，也没有使自己的心智升到这种归算之上，所以他们便从上帝任意预定的教义，陷入了巨大而狂热的谬误，最终陷入那可憎的预定论；并且又陷入这一可憎之见，即认为上帝并不顾念人生活中的行为，只顾念铭刻在其心智内层中的信仰。因此，除非废除关于归算的这一谬误，无神论便会侵入整个基督教；那时，便有“无底坑的王”统治他们，“按着希伯来话，名叫亚巴顿；希腊话，名叫亚玻伦”（启9:11）。
“亚巴顿”和“亚玻伦”表示借伪谬毁坏教会者；“无底坑”表示这些伪谬所在之处（见《揭秘启示录》，421、440、442节）。由此可见，那一个伪谬，以及由此接续而出、成一长列的诸多伪谬，正是那毁坏者所统治的领域。因为如上所说，如今整个神学体系都从这种归算悬垂下来，正如一条长链悬在一个固定的钩环上，又如一个人连同其所有肢体都悬属于头。并且，由于这种归算到处掌权，情形正如以赛亚所说：“主必从以色列中剪除头与尾，……尊贵人就是头，以谎言教人的先知就是尾。”（赛9:14，15）
628# 整个基督教会都教导说，称义和由此的救赎是由父神通过祂儿子基督功德的归算实现的；归算是出于恩典、在神愿意的时间和地点，因而随意发生的；那些拥有被归算给自己的基督功德的人就被收养，成为神的儿女。教会的领袖一步也没有越过这种归算，或没有把自己的心智提升到它之上。因此，由于神任意拣选的既定教条，他们陷入了巨大而狂热的错误，最终陷入了关于预定论的可憎教义，并进一步陷入了这种可怕的教义：神不关心人的生活行为，只关心铭刻在他心智内层上的信仰。因此，除非关于归算的错误被废除，否则无神论将席卷整个基督教界；然后将有无底坑之王统治他们，按着希伯来话，他名叫亚巴顿，按着希腊话，叫亚玻伦（启示录 9:11）。“亚巴顿”和“亚玻伦”表示通过虚假毁灭教会者，“无底坑或深渊”表示这些虚假的住所（参看《揭密启示录》，421，440，442节）。由此清楚可知，这个虚假和由此产生的虚假存在于一个延伸的系列中，并由毁灭者来统治；因为如前所述（TCR 627节），当今神学的整个体系都依赖于这种归算，就像一条长链挂在一个固定的钩子上，或像人及其所有肢体依赖于头部一样。由于这种归算在各处掌权，所以它就像以赛亚书所说的：
主必从以色列中剪除头与尾；尊贵人就是头；教导谎言的人就是尾。（以赛亚书9:14，15）
628. The Concept of Assigning That Is Part of the Faith of Today Has a Doubleness to It: There Is an Assigning of Christ's Merit, and There Is an Assigning of Salvation as a Result
The entire Christian church holds that God the Father grants justification, and therefore salvation, by assigning the merit of Christ, his Son. This assigning is thought to take place by grace "whenever and wherever God wants. " It is his choice. People who are assigned the merit of Christ are adopted and counted as children of God.
The leaders of the church have not taken a single step beyond this concept of the assignment of merit or lifted their minds above it. Because of their theory that God makes his choice arbitrarily, they have lapsed into wild and horrendous errors. They have eventually wandered even into the detestable notion of predestination and the abominable idea that God pays no attention to what we do in our lives; he only regards the faith that is inscribed on the deeper levels of our minds.
If this error about the assignment of merit is not destroyed, atheism is going to pervade all Christianity, and Christians will then be ruled by the king of the abyss, "whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and who has the Greek name Apollyon" (Revelation 9:11).
[2] Both "Abaddon" and "Apollyon" mean one who destroys the church with falsities. The abyss means [the hell] in which these falsities exist. (See Revelation Unveiled 421, 440, 442.) It follows then that this false concept regarding the assignment of merit, and all the false beliefs that follow from it in an extended series, are the very things over which the Destroyer rules. As noted just above [627], the entire Christian theological system depends on that concept of the assignment of merit like a long chain hanging on a carefully fastened hook; it also depends on it the way we and all our limbs depend on our head. This concept of the assignment of Christ's merit is dominant everywhere; therefore it is as Isaiah says: "The Lord will cut the head and the tail off Israel. The head is the person who is honored; the tail is the person who teaches lies" (Isaiah 9:14-15).
628. II. Imputation as part of present-day faith is a double concept. There is imputation of Christ's merit and imputation of salvation as a result.
The whole Christian church holds that justification and consequently salvation are effected by God the Father by imputing the merit of Christ His Son; and this imputation takes place by grace when and where God wishes, and so at His discretion. Those to whom Christ's merit is imputed are adopted and numbered among the sons of God. Since the leaders of the church have not advanced a step beyond this concept of imputation, or raised their minds above it, their dictum about God's discretionary choice has led them to fall into the gross errors of extremists, and eventually into the detestable heresy of predestination, as well as the abominable heresy that God pays no heed to what a person does in his life, but only to the faith he has written on the interiors of his mind. Unless therefore this erroneous belief about imputation is done away with, atheism would overrun the whole Christian world, and it would become subject to the reign of 'the king of the abyss whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek has the name Apollyon' (Revelation 9:11). Abaddon and Apollyon mean one who destroys the church by means of falsities; the abyss means where those falsities are (see Apocalypse Revealed 421, 440, 442). This makes it plain that it is this false belief and the whole series of falsities that are consequent on it over which the destroyer is to reign. For, as I said before, the whole system of theology at the present time depends upon this concept of imputation, like a long chain hanging from a fixed hook, or like a person with all his parts dependent on the head. Since this concept of imputation is everywhere dominant, it is as Isaiah says:
The Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail; he who is honoured is the head, and the teacher of a lie the tail, Isaiah 9:14-15.
628. II. THE IMPUTATION THAT BELONGS TO THE FAITH OF THE PRESENT DAY IS A DOUBLE IMPUTATION. AN IMPUTATION OF CHRIST'S MERIT AND AN IMPUTATION OF SALVATION THEREBY.
Throughout the whole Christian church it is taught that justification and salvation thereby are effected by God the Father through the imputation of the merit of Christ His Son; that imputation takes place by grace when and where God wills, thus arbitrarily; and that those to whom Christ's merit is imputed are adopted into the number of children of God. And because the leaders of the church have not advanced a foot beyond that imputation or raised their minds above it, because of the established dogmas of God's arbitrary election, they have fallen into enormous and fanatical errors, and at length into that detestable error respecting predestination, and still further into the abominable error, that God pays no attention to the deeds of a man's life but only to the faith inscribed upon the interiors of his mind. Unless, therefore, the error respecting imputation is abolished, atheism will invade all Christendom; and then will reign over them.
The king of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon (Revelation 9:11),
"Abaddon" and "Apollyon" signifying the destroyer of the church by falsities, and "the abyss" the abode of those falsities (see the Apocalypse Revealed n. 421, 440, 442). From this it is clear that that falsity and the resultant falsities exist in an extended series, over which that destroyer reigns; for, as said above, the entire system of the present theology is dependent on this imputation, as a long chain on a fixed hook, and as man with all his members is dependent on the head. And because this imputation reigns everywhere, it is like what Isaiah says:
The Lord will cut off from Israel head, and tail; the honorable, he is the head; and the teacher of lies, he is the tail (9:14, 15).
628. II. THE IMPUTATION WHICH FORMS PART OF THE FAITH OF THE PRESENT DAY IS TWOFOLD, THE IMPUTATION OF CHRIST'S MERIT AND THE CONSEQUENT IMPUTATION OF SALVATION.
It is maintained throughout the whole Christian Church that justification and consequent salvation are effected by God the Father, through the imputation of the merit of Christ His Son; and that such imputation is effected from grace, when and where He wills, and thus arbitrarily; and that those who had Christ's merit imputed to them are adopted into the number of the sons of God. The leaders of the Church here not moved a step beyond such imputation, or raised their mind above it. Therefore, by decreeing God's election to be arbitrary, they have fallen into grievous and fanatical errors, and at length have adopted the detestable doctrine 1 concerning predestination, and also this abominable doctrine that God pays no attention to the deeds of a man's life but only to the faith inscribed on the interiors of his mind. If, therefore, the error respecting imputation were not destroyed, atheism would overrun the whole of Christendom; and then there would reign over it the king of the bottomless pit,
"Whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon" Revelation 9:11.
By Abaddon and Apollyon is signified a destroyer of the Church by falsities; and by the bottomless pit, the place where these falsities abide, as may be seen in The Apocalypse Revealed 421, 440, 442. From this, it is evident that this falsity and those that follow from it, over which the destroyer holds sway, are in an extended series. For as was said above, the whole system of present day theology depends on this doctrine of imputation, as a long chain hangs from a hook to which it is fixed, or as a man with all his members depends on the head. Since this imputation is everywhere prevalent, it is as Isaiah says:
"The Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail... the honorable, he is the head; and he that teaches lies, he is the tail" Isaiah 9:14-15.
Footnotes:
1. in destabilem... et quoque in abominabilem hanc. Supply doctrinam rather than errorem, which is masculine.
628. 1 Quod Imputatio, quae est hodiernae fidei, sit duplex, una Meriti Christi, et altera Salutis inde.
In universa Ecclesia Christiana traditur, quod justificatio et inde salvatio fiat a Deo Patre per imputationem meriti Christi Filii sui, et quod imputatio fiat ex gratia QUANDO ET UBI VULT, ita ex arbitrio, et quod illi, quibus meritum Christi imputatur, adoptentur in numerum filiorum Dei; et quia duces Ecclesiae non ultra Imputationem illam promoverunt pedem, aut supra illam elevarunt mentem, ex statuta Electione Dei ex arbitrio lapsi sunt in enormes et fanaticos errores, et tandem in detestabilem de Praedestinatione, et quoque in abominabilem hanc, quod Deus non attendat ad facta vitae hominis, sed modo ad fidem interioribus mentis ejus inscriptam; quapropter nisi aboletur error de Imputatione, totum Christianismum invaderet Atheismus, et tunc regnaret super illos Rex abyssi, cujus nomen hebraice Abaddon, et in Graeca nomen habet Apollyon, Apocalypsis 9:11.
[2] per Abaddon et Apollyon significatur perditor Ecclesiae per falsa, et per Abyssum ubi illa falsa sunt, videatur APOCALYPSIS REVELATA 421, 440, 442, ex quibus patet, quod illud falsum et inde sequentia falsa in extensa serie sint, super quae Perditor ille regnat, nam, ut supra dictum est, ex illa Imputatione hodie universum systema Theologicum pendet sicut longa catena ex unco fixo, et sicut homo cum omnibus suis membris a Capite; et quia Imputatio illa ubivis regnat, est sicut Esajas dicit, "Exscindet Dominus ex Israele caput et caudam, honoratus est caput, et doctor mendacii cauda," 9:13-14. 2
Footnotes: