作者：John Samson
譯者：駱鴻銘
半伯拉纠主义认为，人的自由意志在上帝的恩典之先。阿民念主义认为，上帝的恩典在人的自由意志之先 （但是仍然认为信心和悔改来自个人的智慧，而不是唯独来自基督）。但是在神恩独作（monergism），也就是唯独恩典的教义里，上帝怜悯地赐给人一个新心（结36；26），更新他的意志和感情，让他的选择是确定的，而且是有效的（约6：37）In
semi-pelagianism man's will precedes God's grace. In Arminianism God's grace
precedes man's will (but still ascribes faith and repentance to each man's
personal wisdom, not to Christ ALONE). But in Divine monergism (grace alone)
God mercifully gives man a new heart (Ezek. 36:26), renewing his will and
affections, which makes his choice certain and effectual (Jn. 6:37).
我们应该注意到，阿民念者也坚持教导说，救恩是「唯独恩典」，如果有人说他们不是这样教导，是对他们的冒犯。虽然我承认这是他们一贯宣称的，但是我们要反驳这个断言，因为他们的神学和他们的宣称是不一致的。虽然他们当中有许多人的确正确地肯定圣经所教导的「唯独透过信心」（through FAITH alone），但是他们并未肯定「唯独恩典」的教义，至少不是从历史的角度来说，圣经或宗教改革时期对唯独恩典的看法。从历史来看，「唯独恩典」的「唯独」，是表明耶稣或祂的恩典对我们的救恩不只是必要的，也是足够拯救我们到底的。耶稣提供了我们得救所有一切必须的，包括一个能够相信的新心。另一方面，阿民念者所主张的「先在的恩典」（prevenient grace；译按：即给一切堕落的人的恩典，好让他暂时脱离灵命死亡的境地，可以自由地作出相信或不信的选择），幷没有提供这样的好处。It should be noted that Arminians are adamant
that they teach salvation by "grace alone" and would take offense if
someone were to say otherwise. While I acknowledge that this is what they
universally declare, but we are countering this assertion by saying that their
theology is not consistent with this declaration. What most Arminians really
mean by "grace alone is "faith alone" which is a related
concept, but not the same. The problem here is that they rightly affirm the
biblical doctrine of salvation "through FAITH alone", but they do not
differentiate this concept enough from the biblical doctrine of "GRACE
alone", at least in any historical way the Bible or the Reformation speak
of this issue. The phrase "grace alone" has always historically
signified that Jesus or His grace is not merely necessary for our salvation,
but sufficient to save us to the uttermost. Jesus provides everything we need
for salvation, including a new heart to believe. In Arminian prevenient grace,
on the other hand, Jesus provides no such thing, even by their own reckoning.
它宣称，先在的恩典可以让属血气之人脱离败坏的境地，但是仍然是未重生的人。换句话说，它使人（这也是违反他的自由意志的！）可以进入到某种半重生的状态（当然，圣经从来没有说到这种情况），然后让罪人自己成为他是否得救最终极的决定因素，也就是说，他把悔改和新心归诸于他自己的智慧或谦卑，而不是唯独归诸于基督。It claims to lift the natural man out of his
depravity, but that man remains unregenerate (has no new heart). In other words
it places man (against his will) in some kind of semi-regenerate state, (which
the Bible, of course, never speaks of). And then makes the sinner himself the
ultimate determining factor in his salvation, which means he ascribes his repenting
and believing to his own wisdom or humility and not to Christ alone.
可以这样想：如果两个人同时领受了先在的恩典，其中一个人相信了基督，而另一个人拒绝了基督，那么，让他们作出不同选择的原因是什么呢？为什么一个人会相信，而另一个人会不信呢？不是因为恩典，因为他们两个人都领受了同样的恩典（译按：即阿民念者主张的「先在的恩典」），所以显然不是因为恩典，而让这两个人作出不同的选择，不是吗？耶稣则作出不同的宣告。祂说：「……凡父所赐给我的人必到我这里来……」（约6：37）。换句话说，祂保证，所有父神赐给基督的人都会相信福音。耶稣是用毫不含糊的语言作出宣告说，从头到尾，救恩的创始成终者，唯独是上帝自己，而不是人和上帝的合作（罗9：15，16；约1：13）Consider,
If two persons receive prevenient grace, and one person believes while the
other rejects Christ, what makes them to differ that one had faith and not the
other? Why did one believe and not the other? It was not grace since they both
had grace, so obviously something other than grace made them to differ? Jesus
declares another way. He said, "...all that the Father gives to me will
come to me" (John 6:37). In other words He ensures that all persons the Father
has given to Christ will believe the gospel. Jesus is declaring, in no
uncertain terms, that salvation from beginning to end, as the author and
finisher, is of the LORD alone, not a cooperation between man and God (Rom
9:15, 16, John 1:13)
