论基督教的礼拜和安息日OfReligious Worship and the Sabbath-day.

威斯敏斯特信条 第二十一章  The Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter XXI.

吕沛渊译

21.1 自 然啟示之光顯示: 有一位上帝，掌管萬有、有至高主權 在 萬有之上、本為善、又向萬人行善，因此人當盡心、盡性、盡力、 盡意地敬畏、愛慕、讚美、求告、信靠、事奉祂。然而敬拜這位 真上帝，必須要按照祂自己設立的法則，限於祂自己啟示的旨意， 才可蒙祂悅納。所以我們不可按人的想像和發明，或撒但的提議， 或以任何可見的圖像作為代表，或任何其他非聖經所規定的方 法，來敬拜上帝。

I. The light of nature showeth that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and doth good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might.(a) But the acceptable way of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself, and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may not be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the holy Scripture.(b)

(a) Rom. 1:20; Acts 17:24; Ps. 119:68; Jer. 10:7; Ps. 31:23; Ps. 18:3; Rom. 10:12; Ps. 62:8; Josh. 24:14; Mark 12:33.

(b) Deut. 12:32; Matt. 15:9; Acts 17:25; Matt. 4:9, 10; Deut. 4:15 to 20; Exod. 20:4, 5, 6; Col. 2:23.

21.2 虔誠敬拜是惟獨歸給聖父、聖子、聖靈，三一上帝，敬拜不 能歸給天使、聖徒、或任何其他受造物。自從人類墮落之後，只 有藉著中保才能敬拜，也唯獨以基督為中保才能敬拜

II. Religious worship is to be given to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and to Him alone;(c) not to angels, saints, or any other creature:(d) and since the fall, not without a Mediator; nor in the mediation of any other but of Christ alone.(e)

(c) Matt. 4:10 with John 5:23 and II Cor. 13:14.  (d) Col. 2:18, Rev. 19:10; Rom. 1:25. (e) John 14:6; I Tim. 2:5; Eph. 2:18; Col. 3:17.

21.3 以感謝來禱告 ， 是虔誠敬拜的主要部分，上帝吩咐萬人都要 禱告 。如果禱告要蒙悅納，就必得奉聖子的名、藉著聖靈幫助、 遵上帝的旨意。禱告要用悟性、敬虔、謙卑、熱心、信心、愛心、 恆心，如果是出聲禱告，則必須要用人所明白的言語。

III. Prayer, with thanksgiving, being one special part of religious worship,(f) is by God required of all men:(g) and that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son,(h) by the help of His Spirit,(i) according to His will,(k) with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance;(l) and, if vocal, in a known tongue.(m)

(f) Phil. 4:6.  (g) Ps. 65:2.  (h) John 14:13, 14; I Pet. 2:5.  (i) Rom. 8:26.  (k) I John 5:14.  (l) Ps. 47:7; Eccles. 5:1, 2; Heb. 12:28; Gen. 18:27; James 5:16; James 1:6, 7; Mark 11:24; Matt. 6:12, 14, 15; Col. 4:2; Eph. 6:18.  (m) I Cor. 14:14.

21.4 為事禱告，必須是合法的事；為人禱告，可以為各種各類的 人，但必須是現在活著的人，或未來將要出生的人；但不可為死 人禱告，也不可為那些明知已犯 了至於死的罪之人禱告。

IV. Prayer is to be made for things lawful;(n) and for all sorts of men living, or that shall live hereafter:(o) but not for the dead,(p) nor for those of whom it may be known that they have sinned the sin unto death.(q)

(n) I John 5:14.  (o) I Tim. 2:1, 2; John 17:20; II Sam. 7:29; Ruth 4:12.  (p) II Sam. 12:21, 22, 23 with Luke 16:25, 26; Rev. 14:13.  (q) I John 5:16.

21.5 敬拜上帝的崇拜聚會，內容通常包括下列項目: 以虔誠敬畏 的心誦讀聖經；純正的講道與誠心的聽道，皆以順服神的心，用 悟性、信心、敬虔的態度；心被恩感歌唱詩篇；合宜施行並按理 領受基督所設立的聖禮。此外，特殊場合與節期的崇拜聚會，可 加上其他項目，例如: 向神宣誓、許願、嚴肅的禁食、感恩等， 都當以聖潔敬虔的方式舉行。

V. The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear,(r) the sound preaching(s) and conscionable hearing of the Word, in obedience unto God, with understanding, faith and reverence;(t) singing of psalms with grace in the heart;(u) as also, the due administration and worthy receiving of the sacraments instituted by Christ; are all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God:(w) beside religious oaths,(x) vows,(y) solemn fastings,(z) and thanksgivings, upon special occasions,(a) which are, in their several times and seasons, to be used in a holy and religious manner.(b)

(r) Acts 15:21; Rev. 1:3.  (s) II Tim. 4:2.  (t) James 1:22; Acts 10:33; Matt. 13:19; Heb. 4:2; Isa. 66:2.  (u) Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19; James 5:13.  (w) Matt. 28:19; I Cor. 11:23 to 29; Acts 2:42.  (x) Deut. 6:13 with Neh. 10:29.  (y) Isa. 19:21 with Eccles. 5:4, 5.  (z) Joel 2:12; Esther 4:16; Matt. 9:15; I Cor. 7:5.  (a) Ps. 107 throughout; Esther 9:22.  (b) Heb. 12:28.

21.6 今日福音時代，無論是禱告或崇拜的其他任何項目，舉行的 地點或朝向的方向皆不受限制，也不會因為聚會地方或朝向方向 的特別，就更蒙悅納；相反的，我們應該在任何地方，皆以心靈 和誠實敬拜上帝。我們敬拜上帝，應當每天在各人家庭中、在個 人的靈修中、以及在更加莊嚴的公共崇拜聚會中。上帝既然以祂 的聖道或護理呼召我們參加公共崇拜聚會，我們就不可無心或故 意忽視，甚至停止聚會。

VI. Neither prayer, nor any other part of religious worship, is now under the Gospel either tied unto, or made more acceptable by any place in which it is performed, or towards which it is directed:(c) but God is to be worshipped everywhere,(d) in spirit and truth;(e) as in private families(f) daily,(g) and in secret each one by himself;(h) so, more solemnly, in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or wilfully to be neglected, or forsaken, when God, by His Word or providence, calls thereunto.(i)

(c) John 4:21.  (d) Mal. 1:11; I Tim. 2:8.  (e) John 4:23, 24.  (f) Jer. 10:25; Deut. 6:6, 7; Job 1:5; II Sam. 6:18, 20; I Pet. 3:7; Acts 10:2.  (g) Matt. 6:11.  (h) Matt. 6:6; Eph. 6:18.  (i) Isa. 56:6, 7; Heb. 10:25; Prov. 1:20, 21, 24; Prov. 8:34; Acts 13:42; Luke 4:16; Acts 2:42.

21.7 總的來說，應當將適當比例的時間分別出來敬拜上帝，是受 造界之律；所以上帝在聖經中，以積極的、道德的、永遠的誡命， 特別指定七日中的一日為安息日，吩咐萬代所有的人，向祂守這 日為聖。從世界之始到基督復活之前，這所指定的安息日為一週 的末一日；自從基督復活之後，安息日改為一週的頭一日，在聖 經中稱為主日，而且這日要繼續下去，直到世界的末了，這是基 督徒的安息日。

VII. As it is the law of nature, that, in general, a due proportion of time be set apart for the worship of God; so, in His Word, by a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all men, in all ages, He hath particularly appointed one day in seven, for a Sabbath, to be kept holy unto Him:(k) which, from the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, was the last day of the week; and, from the resurrection of Christ, was changed into the first day of the week,(l) which, in Scripture, is called the Lord’s Day,(m) and is to be continued to the end of the world, as the Christian Sabbath.(n)

(k) Exod. 20:8, 10, 11; Isa. 56:2, 4, 6, 7.  (l) Gen. 2:2, 3; I Cor. 16:1, 2; Acts 20:7.  (m) Rev. 1:10.  (n) Exod. 20:8, 10, with Matt. 5:17, 18.

21.8 這安息日是當向主守為聖日，人人事先適當預備自己的心、 安排好日常事務，在此聖日，要整日停止自己的屬世職務和消遣 有關的工作、言談、思想，來守聖潔的安息；不但如此，也要用 此日全部的時間參加公共崇拜或私下靈修敬拜，並履行必須與憐 憫的義務。

VIII. This Sabbath is then kept holy unto the Lord, when men, after a due preparing of their hearts, and ordering of their common affairs beforehand, do not only observe an holy rest, all the day, from their own works, words, and thoughts about their worldly employments and recreations,(o) but also are taken up the whole time in the public and private exercises of His worship, and in the duties of necessity and mercy.(p)

(o) Exod. 20:8; Exod. 16:23, 25, 26, 29, 30; Exod. 31:15, 16, 17; Isa. 58:13; Neh. 13:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22.

(p) Isa. 58:13; Matt. 12:1 to 13.