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发帖数: 1776 | 1 第二十章 论基督徒的自由与良心的自由
一．基督为在福音之下的信徒所买赎的自由包括：免除罪债的自由，脱离上帝定罪
之震怒的自由，和脱离道德律的咒诅的自由（多2:14；帖前1:10；加3:13）；又把他们
从现今这邪恶的世界、撒但的捆绑、罪恶的辖制（加1:4；西1:13；徒26:18；罗6:14）
、苦难的煎熬、死亡的毒钩、坟墓得胜的权势和永远的定罪中，救拔出来（罗8:28；诗
119:71；林前15:54－57；罗8:1）；也使他们得以自由地进到上帝面前（罗5:1-2），顺
服祂，不是由于奴仆的恐惧，而是由于孩子一般的爱和乐意的心（罗8:14-15；约壹4:1
8）。这一切也属于在律法之下的信徒（加3:9，14）；但在新约之下，基督徒的自由更
加扩大，他们从犹太人教会所服从的礼仪律的轭下得了自由（加4:1－3，6，7；5:1；徒
15:10-11），并且能更加坦然无惧地进到施恩宝座前（来4:14，16；10:19－22），与上
帝自由之灵有交通，这交通比在律法之下的信徒通常所享有的更丰盛（约7:38-39；林后
3:13，17，18）。
二．惟有上帝是良心的主宰（雅4:12；罗14:4），并使良心在信仰或崇拜上，不受那些
违背圣经或在圣经之外的属人的各种主义与命令的束缚（徒4:19；5:29；林前7:23；太
23:8－10；林后1:24；太15:9）。所以人若本乎良心相信此类主义，或遵守此类命令，
乃是背叛良心的真自由（西2:20－23；加1:10；5:1；2:4-5）；若要求人毫无保留地相
信，绝对地、盲目地服从，这乃是毁灭人良心和理性的自由（罗10:17；14:23；赛8:20
；徒17:11；约4:22；何5:11；启13:12，16，17；耶8:9）。
三．凡假借基督徒自由之名犯罪纵欲的，乃是破坏基督徒自由的真谛；因为主叫我们
从仇敌手中被救出来，是为要叫我们终身在祂面前坦然无惧地用圣洁公义事奉祂（加5:
13；彼前2:16；彼后2:19；约8:34；路1:74－75）。
四．并且因为上帝的意思不是要叫祂所设立的权柄与基督为我们所买赎的自由互相毁
坏，而是使二者互相维持，彼此保守；所以，凡假借基督徒自由之名反对国家或教会的
任何合乎律法的权柄，或其行使的人，都是抗拒上帝的命令（太12:25；彼前2:13－15；
罗13:1－8；来13:17）。凡人所发表的意见，或支持的行为，若违背自然之光，或违反
基督教关于信仰、崇拜或品行的已知原则，或违反敬虔的实意，以及凡在其本身性质上
，或在其发表和提倡的方式上，有损基督在教会中所设立的和平与秩序的荒谬意见和行
为，都可以根据教会的审查，和国家官员的权柄（申13:6－12；罗13:3，4；约贰10，1
1节；拉7:23－28；启17:12，16，17；尼13:15，17，21，22，25，30；王下23:5，6，
9，20，21；代下34 :33；15:12，13，16；但3:29；提前2:2；赛49:23；亚13:2，3），
予以传唤，令其做出解释，受到合法的制裁（ 罗1:32；林前5:1，5，11，13；约贰10，
11节；帖后3:14；提前6:3－5，又多1:10，11，13又3:10；太18:15－17；提前1:19，2
0；启2:2，14－15，20，3:9）。 | C****i
发帖数: 1776 | 2 CHAPTER 20
OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY, AND LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE
1. The liberty which Christ hath purchased for believers under the gospel co
nsists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God,
the curse of the moral law; and, in their being delivered from this present
evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin; from the evil of afflicti
ons, the sting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting damnation
; as also, in their free access to God, and their yielding obedience unto hi
m, not out of slavish fear, but a childlike love and willing mind. All which
were common also to believers under the law. But, under the new testament,
the liberty of Christians is further enlarged, in their freedom from the yok
e of the ceremonial law, to which the Jewish church was subjected; and in gr
eater boldness of access to the throne of grace, and in fuller communication
s of the free Spirit of God, than believers under the law did ordinarily par
take of.
2. God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctr
ines and commandments of men, which are, in anything, contrary to his Word;
or beside it, if matters of faith, or worship. So that, to believe such doct
rines, or to obey such commands, out of conscience, is to betray true libert
y of conscience: and the requiring of an implicit faith, and an absolute and
blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason also.
3. They who, upon pretense of Christian liberty, do practice any sin, or che
rish any lust, do thereby destroy the end of Christian liberty, which is, th
at being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve the Lord
without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our
life.
4. And because the powers which God hath ordained, and the liberty which Chr
ist hath purchased, are not intended by God to destroy, but mutually to upho
ld and preserve one another, they who, upon pretense of Christian liberty, s
hall oppose any lawful power, or the lawful exercise of it, whether it be ci
vil or ecclesiastical, resist the ordinance of God. And, for their publishin
g of such opinions, or maintaining of such practices, as are contrary to the
light of nature, or to the known principles of Christianity (whether concer
ning faith, worship, or conversation), or to the power of godliness; or, suc
h erroneous opinions or practices, as either in their own nature, or in the
manner of publishing or maintaining them, are destructive to the external pe
ace and order which Christ hath established in the church, they may lawfully
be called to account, and proceeded against, by the censures of the church. |
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