多特信经Canons and Decrees of the Synod ofDordt (1619)

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多特信经 Canons and Decrees of the Synod ofDordt (1619)

（洛杉矶华⼈改⾰宗恩约教会译版）

第一项教义  上帝的拣选与遗弃（ 18条，9个错误教导与反对理由）

TheFirst Main Point of Doctrine Divine Election and Reprobation

 第二项教义  论基督的死，和人藉此所得的救赎（ 9条，7个错误教导与反对理由）

TheSecond Main Point of Doctrine Christ’s Death and Human Redemption Through It

第三与第四项教义  论人的败坏、回转归向上帝，以及回转的途径（ 17条，9个错误教导与反对理由）

TheThird and Fourth Main Points of Doctrine Human Corruption to God, and the WayIt Occurs

第五项教义 圣徒的持守到底  （ 15条，9个错误教导与反对理由）

The Fifth Main Point of Doctrine The Perseverance of the Saints

结论 拒绝错误的指控

ConclusionRejection of False Accusations

第二项教义

论基督的死，和人藉此所得的救赎

The Second Main Point of Doctrine

Christ’s Death and Human Redemption Through It

第一条、上帝的公义所要求的刑罚

上帝不但无限慈爱，也无限公义。正如圣经所启示的，祂的公义要求，我们所犯的罪，冒犯了祂无限的威严，必须受到现世和永远、灵魂和身体上的刑罚。除非上帝的公义得到满足，否则我们不能逃脱这刑罚。

Article 1: The Punishment Which God’s Justice Requires

God is not only supremely merciful, but also supremely just. His justice requires (as he has revealed himself in the Word) that the sins we have committed against his infinite majesty be punished with both temporal and eternal punishments, of soul as well as body. We cannot escape these punishments unless satisfaction is given to God’s justice.

第二条、基督满足了上帝的公义

尽管我们自己不能满足上帝的公义，也不能救自己脱离上帝的忿怒，但是上帝在他丰富的怜悯中把他的独生子赐给我们作为中保，使他在十字架上为我们、代替我们成为罪和咒诅，好使他为我们满足上帝的公义。

 Article 2: The Satisfaction Made by Christ

Since, however, we ourselves cannot give this satisfaction or deliver ourselves from God’s anger, God in his boundless mercy has given us as a guarantee his only begotten Son, who was made to be sin and a curse for us, in our place, on the cross, in order that he might give satisfaction for us.

第三条、基督的死具有无限价值

上帝儿子的死，是唯一的、最完全的赎罪祭，能满足公义对罪的要求；这赎罪祭有无限的价值， 足以赎全世界的罪。

Article 3: The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death

This death of God’s Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins; it is of infinite value and worth, more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world.

第四条、无限价值的原因

基督的死具有无限的价值与尊严是因为这位受死的人——必须如此才能作我们的救主——不但是一个真实且完全圣洁的人，更是上帝的独生子，与圣父、圣灵拥有同样永恒而无限的本质。另一个原因是，这死伴随了经历上帝的忿怒与咒诅，这本是我们因着自己的罪所配得的。

Article 4: Reasons for This Infinite Value

This death is of such great value and worth for the reason that the person who suffered it is — as was necessary to be our Savior — not only a true and perfectly holy man, but also the only begotten Son of God, of the same eternal and infinite essence with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Another reason is that this death was accompanied by the experience of God’s anger and curse, which we by our sins had fully deserved.

第五条、向所有人宣讲福音的命令

除此之外，福音的应许是，任何人相信这位钉十字架的基督，就不至灭亡，反得永生。这应许，要与悔改和相信的命令一起，向万国万民宣告传扬，不作区分、没有差别，上帝在祂的美意中把这福音传给他们。

Article 5: The Mandate to Proclaim the Gospel to All

Moreover, it is the promise of the gospel that whoever believes in Christ crucified shall not perish but have eternal life. This promise, together with the command to repent and believe, ought to be announced and declared without differentiation or discrimination to all nations and people, to whom God in his good pleasure sends the gospel.

第六条、不信是人的责任

但是，许多人被福音呼召，却不悔改，也不相信基督，而是在不信中灭亡。但这不是因为基督在十字架上所献的祭有任何缺点，或是不足够，而是他们自己的过错。

Article 6: Unbelief Man’s Responsibility

However, that many who have been called through the gospel do not repent or believe in Christ but perish in unbelief is not because the sacrifice of Christ offered on the cross is deficient or insufficient, but because they themselves are at fault.

第七条、信心是上帝的礼物

但那些真正相信的人，就因基督受死而得救，脱离罪恶，不致灭亡。他们领受这好处，完全是出于上帝的恩典——祂不欠任何人——从永恒中在基督里赐给他们。

Article 7: Faith God’s Gift

But all who genuinely believe and are delivered and saved by Christ’s death from their sins and from destruction receive this favor solely from God’s grace — which he owes to no one — given to them in Christ from eternity.

第八条、基督之死的功效

父上帝完全自由的计划，无比恩典的旨意和安排，就是祂儿子宝贵的死，所产生的重生和拯救的功效要在所有选民身上工作，好把称义的信心唯独赐给他们，借此带领他们不至失落，必定得救。换句话说，上帝的旨意是，基督要通过在十字架上的宝血（借此祂确立了新约），有效的从各民、各族、各国、各方中买赎且仅买赎那些上帝从永恒中拣选以致得救的人，是圣父赐祂的那些人；基督要赐他们信心（这信心，连同其他圣灵其他拯救的礼物，都是祂用自己的死买来给他们的）；基督要用祂的血洗净他们一切的罪，包括原罪与本罪，不论是他们有信心之前还是之后所犯的一切罪；基督要信实的保守他们到底；基督要最终把他们献给自己，做荣耀的子民，无有瑕疵。

Article 8: The Saving Effectiveness of Christ’s Death

For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son’s costly death should work itself out in all his chosen ones, in order that he might grant justifying faith to them only and thereby lead them without fail to salvation. In other words, it was God’s will that Christ through the blood of the cross (by which he confirmed the new covenant) should effectively redeem from every people, tribe, nation, and language all those and only those who were chosen from eternity to salvation and given to him by the Father; that he should grant them faith (which, like the Holy Spirit’s other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death); that he should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins, both original and actual, whether committed before or after their coming to faith; that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end; and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle.

第九条、上帝的计划应验

这计划，是出于上帝对选民永恒的爱，从创立世界直到今天，祂一直都在以大能成全这计划，并且还要在未来一直继续成全，阴间的权柄要拦阻这计划本是虚妄。这计划的最终结果是选民都按照自己的时间聚集合一，而且任何时候都一定有信徒组成的教会，建立在基督的宝血上，坚定爱祂，忠心敬拜祂，并且——从今世直到永远——称颂赞美祂，祂是教会的救主，曾在十字架上为她舍命，如同新郎为新娘一样。

Article 9: The Fulfillment of God’s Plan

This plan, arising out of God’s eternal love for his chosen ones, from the beginning of the world to the present time has been powerfully carried out and will also be carried out in the future, the gates of hell seeking vainly to prevail against it. As a result the chosen are gathered into one, all in their own time, and there is always a church of believers founded on Christ’s blood, a church which steadfastly loves, persistently worships, and — here and in all eternity — praises him as her Savior who laid down his life for her on the cross, as a bridegroom for his bride.

反对错误教导

在阐明正统教义之后，本总会反对以下的错误教导︰

Rejection of the Errors

Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those

错误教导之一

父上帝已经预定祂的儿子要死在十字架上，但没有颁布特定的计划，要拯救任何人；这样，即使基督成就的救赎从来没有施行在任何人身上成为现实，基督的死成就的必要性、有效性和价值，仍旧完整如常、完美无缺。

I. Who teach that God the Father appointed his Son to death on the cross without a fixed and definite plan to save anyone by name, so that the necessity, usefulness, and worth of what Christ’s death obtained could have stood intact and altogether perfect, complete and whole, even if the redemption that was obtained had never in actual fact been applied to any individual.

反对理由：这种教导是对父上帝的智慧和耶稣的功劳的一种侮辱，并且违反圣经。因为救主曾说︰“我为羊舍命...我也认识他们”（约十15、27）。先知以赛亚论到救主也说︰“耶和华以他为赎罪祭。他必看见后裔，并且延长年日，耶和华所喜悦的事，必在他手中亨通”（赛五十三10）。最后，而这教导违反我们在大公信经中所宣告、相信的关于教会的真理。

For this assertion is an insult to the wisdom of God the Father and to the merit of Jesus Christ, and it is contrary to Scripture. For the Savior speaks as follows: “I lay down my life for the sheep, and I know them” (John 10:15, 27). And Isaiah the prophet says concerning the Savior: “When he shall make himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days, and the will of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand” (Isa. 53:10). Finally, this undermines the article of the creed in which we confess what we believe concerning the Church.

 

错误教导之二

基督受死的目的不是要借着祂的血建立新的恩典之约，而只是为父上帝获得重新与人立约的权利，不论这个约是恩典之约还是行为之约。

II. Who teach that the purpose of Christ’s death was not to establish in actual fact a new covenant of grace by his blood, but only to acquire for the Father the mere right to enter once more into a covenant with men, whether of grace or of works.

反对理由：这教导违反圣经，因为圣经教导说，基督“已成为更美之约的中保”，这更美之约就是“新约”（来七22；九15），“人死了，遗命才有效力”（或译作：“只有当祭物死了，约才生效”，来九17）。

For this conflicts with Scripture, which teaches that Christ “has become the guarantee and mediator of a better — “that is, “a new-covenant” (Heb. 7:22; 9:15), “and that a will is in force only when someone has died” (Heb. 9:17).

错误教导之三

基督通过祂对公义的满足，并没有为任何人赚得拯救，也没有为任何人赚得信心，借此将基督对公义的满足有效的施行在身上以致得救。而是说，基督通过对公义的满足，只是让祂使父上帝有权或有意再次与人相交，并让父上帝按祂所喜悦的制定新的条件，而人是否能满足这些条件取决于人的自由选择； 结果是，可能没有任何人能履行这条件，或是每个人都能履行这条件。

III. Who teach that Christ, by the satisfaction which he gave, did not certainly merit for anyone salvation itself and the faith by which this satisfaction of Christ is effectively applied to salvation, but only acquired for the Father the authority or plenary will to relate in a new way with men and to impose such new conditions as he chose, and that the satisfying of these conditions depends on the free choice of man; consequently, that it was possible that either all or none would fulfill them.

 

反对理由：这种教导太轻视基督的死，完全不承认基督因祂的死得到的最重要的果效与益处，并从地狱里召唤回来伯拉纠主义的错误。

For they have too low an opinion of the death of Christ, do not at all acknowledge the foremost fruit or benefit which it brings forth, and summon back from hell the Pelagian error.

错误教导之四

父上帝透过基督的死与人所立的新的恩典之约，不在于我们因信心接受基督的功德，而在上帝面前称义而得救，而是在于上帝不再要求人完全顺服律法，而是把我们不完全的信心和顺服算成是完全顺服律法，并且上帝按着祂的恩典认定这种不完全的信心和顺服配得永生的赏赐。

IV. Who teach that what is involved in the new covenant of grace which God the Father made with men through the intervening of Christ’s death is not that we are justified before God and saved through faith, insofar as it accepts Christ’s merit, but rather that God, having withdrawn his demand for perfect obedience to the law, counts faith itself, and the imperfect obedience of faith, as perfect obedience to the law, and graciously looks upon this as worthy of the reward of eternal life.

反对理由：这违反圣经所说︰“如今却蒙上帝的恩典，因基督耶稣的救赎，就白白的称义。上帝设立耶稣作挽回祭，是凭着耶稣的血，借着人的信”（罗三24-25）。 这种教导和不敬虔的苏西尼一样，都在宣扬一种在上帝面前的新奇的称义，不符全体教会的共识。

For they contradict Scripture: “They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ, whom God presented as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood” (Rom. 3:24-25). And along with the ungodly Socinus, they introduce a new and foreign justification of man before God, against the consensus of the whole church.

错误教导之五

全人类都被上帝接纳到与上帝和好的地位，进入恩典之约的恩典中，所以没有人应该因为原罪而被定罪，所以每个人都脱离原罪的罪责。

V. Who teach that all people have been received into the state of reconciliation and into the grace of the covenant, so that no one on account of original sin is liable to condemnation, or is to be condemned, but that all are free from the guilt of this sin.

 

反对理由：这种教导与圣经冲突。 圣经说︰我们「本为可怒之子」（弗二3）。

For this opinion conflicts with Scripture which asserts that we are by nature children of wrath.

错误教导之六

有人利用“获取”与“施行”上的区分，想灌输给粗心大意，没有经验之人这样的思想，就上帝本身而言，祂已经决定要把基督的死所带来的益处，一律平等地施行在每个人身上；至于有人罪得赦免得永生，有人则否，原因在于他们自己的自由选择（恩典是毫无分别给了每个人，而人有自由选择把恩典应用在身上），而不在于上帝怜悯的独特礼物，以大能运行在他们心中，使得他们，而不是别人，把恩典应用自己身上。

VI. Who make use of the distinction between obtaining and applying in order to instill in the unwary and inexperienced the opinion that God, as far as he is concerned, wished to bestow equally upon all people the benefits which are gained by Christ’s death; but that the distinction by which some rather than others come to share in the forgiveness of sins and eternal life depends on their own free choice (which applies itself to the grace offered indiscriminately) but does not depend on the unique gift of mercy which effectively works in them, so that they, rather than others, apply that grace to themselves.

反对理由：这种教导假装提出一个可以接受的区分，其实是企图将伯拉纠主义错误教导的毒素放在人们心中。

For, while pretending to set forth this distinction in an acceptable sense, they attempt to give the people the deadly poison of Pelagianism.

 

错误教导之七

基督既不能死，也不必须死，也没有真的为那些上帝极其所爱并拣选得永生的人死，因为他们不需要基督的死。

VII. Who teach that Christ neither could die, nor had to die, nor did die for those whom God so dearly loved and chose to eternal life, since such people do not need the death of Christ.

反对理由：这种教导违反使徒保罗所说︰“基督爱我，为我舍己”（加二20），“谁能控告上帝所拣选的人呢？有上帝称他们为义了。谁能定他们的罪呢？有基督耶稣已经死了”（罗八33-34），就是“已经为他们死了”；也违反救主所说︰“我为羊舍命”（约十15）、“你们要彼此相爱，像我爱你们一样，这就是我的命令。 人为朋友舍命，人的爱心没有比这个大的”（约十五12-13）。

For they contradict the apostle, who says: “Christ loved me and gave himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20), and likewise: “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? It is Christ who died,” that is, for them (Rom. 8:33-34). They also contradict the Savior, who asserts: “I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:15), and “My command is this: Love one another as I loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13).

抗罗宗与信条Protestantsand Creeds

作者: Kim Riddlebarger     译者:  王一

http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/protestants-and-creeds/

http://reformedbeginner.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/protestants-and-creeds/

问：什么是基督徒所必须相信的？

Q. What is then necessary for a Christian to believe?

答：就是在福音里所应许我们的一切，也就是我们基督教不容置疑的大公信条中简略地教训我们的。

（海德堡要理问答，第22问）（Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 22）

A. All that is promised us in the gospel, which the articles of our catholic, undoubted Christian faith teach us in sum.

(Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 22)

我永远不会忘记第一次在长老会教会（Presbyterian church）里参加敬拜的经历。我是在独立的圣经教会（independent Bible church）长大的，从小就被灌输了基督徒是信圣经的，罗马天主教徒是依靠传统的思想。我们是“不要信条唯独基督”的（no creed but Christ）。你可以想象到当我听到长老会基督徒们充满热情认真地诵读使徒信经（Apostles’ Creed）时有多么惊讶，尤其是当读到“我信圣而公之教会”（the holy catholic church）时，实在令我难以启齿。

I’ll never forget the first time I worshiped in a Presbyterian church. I had been raised in independent Bible churches where it was a given that Christians believed the Bible, while Roman Catholics relied on tradition. We had “no creed but Christ.” You can imagine how I was taken aback when the Presbyterian faithful recited the Apostles’ Creed with great gusto, including the line that, at the time, I could not bring myself to repeat: “I believe…in the holy catholic church.”

但很快我就发现很多抗罗宗基督徒（protestant）今天仍然诵读这个古老信条。事实上，这个信条在许多扎根宗教改革信仰的教会中发挥着巨大作用。海德堡要理问答（改革宗教会最钟爱的要理问答），甚至使用使徒信经来总结基督徒必须相信的教义内容。如果你问，“基督教的定义是什么？”答案就是，“基督教的定义就在这个信条当中。”

I soon learned that many Pro-testants still recite this ancient creed. In fact, the creed serves an important purpose in many of those churches whose roots are deeply planted in the Reformation. The Heidelberg Catechism (the beloved catechism of the Reformed branch of the Christian family in which I am now a minister), even utilizes the Apostles’ Creed as a basic summary of those things that every Christian must believe. If you were to ask, “What is it that defines Christianity?” the answer would be “the definition of Christianity is given us in the creed.”

海德堡要理问答从第23问到第58问逐一展开第22问中所介绍的“不容置疑的大公信条”，讲解了使徒信经中所阐述的各个教义。抗罗宗基督徒并非相信信经、信条和要理问答是无误的（infallible）——这个词只能用在圣经身上。但是认信的抗罗宗基督徒的确相信只要信经、信条和要理问答准确地总结圣经的教导，它们就具有可靠的权威性（authoritative），这也是它们被写下来的首要目标。

The articles of our “catholic, undoubted Christian faith,” which question 22 of the Heidelberg Catechism introduces, are unpacked in questions and answers 23–58 of this catechism. This “unpacking” amounts to an exposition of the various doctrines set forth in the Apostles’ Creed. Protestants do not believe that creeds, confessions, and catechisms are infallible — that can only be said of Scripture. But confessional Protes-tants do believe that creeds, confessions, and catechisms are authoritative insofar as they accurately summarize the teaching of Scripture, which is their primary purpose.

撒迦利亚•乌尔西努（Zacharius Ursinus）——海德堡要理问答的主要作者——告诉我们为什么在这个改革宗的要理问答中选择使徒信经来总结基督徒必须相信的教义内容，他说：“使徒信经是对基督教信仰的简要总结的形式，将教会和其成员与其他宗教区别开来。”（《海德堡要理问答注释（Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism）》，117页）

Zacharius Ursinus — the primary author of the Heidelberg Catechism — tells us why the Apostles’ Creed was chosen for his own distinctly Reformed catechism as the summary of what it is that Christians must believe in order to be truly Christians: “It signifies a brief and summary form of the Christian faith, which distinguishes the church and her members from the various sects” (Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism, p. 117).

换句话说，如果你打算阐明基督教与其他所有宗教的不同，包括那些一神论（Monotheistic）宗教（例如，犹太教和伊斯兰教），使徒信经会为你提供一份基督教独有教义的优秀总结。信经阐述了三位一体的教义（doctrine of Trinity），阐述了救赎的基本工作——父上帝是万物的创造主（Creator），耶稣是唯一的救主（Savior），而圣灵赐我们信心使我们与基督联合。信经还肯定了福音的基本历史事实——我们的主是童贞女所生，祂受苦、受死并且身体复活。此外，信经也肯定了耶稣降在阴间（改革宗相信这是指耶稣在十字架上遭受上帝的忿怒），祂的身体复活和祂的升天，如今耶稣在天上统管万有直等祂在末日再来审判世界，叫死人复活。

In other words, if you are to set out those things that differentiate Christianity from all other religions, including monotheistic ones (for example, Judaism and Islam), the Apostles’ Creed would provide an excellent summary of those doctrines unique to Christianity. The creed sets forth the doctrine of the Trinity. It sets forth the basic economy of redemption — the Father is the creator of all things, Jesus is the only Savior, and the Holy Spirit is the one who gives us faith and then unites us to Christ. The creed also affirms the basic historical facts of the gospel — our Lord’s virgin birth, His suffering, death, and bodily resurrection. Furthermore, the creed affirms Jesus’ descent into hell (which the Reformed believe refers to Jesus’ suffering the wrath of God upon the cross), His bodily resurrection, and His ascent into heaven where Jesus now rules over all until He returns at the end of the age to judge the world and raise the dead.

接下来，信经肯定了圣灵的位格和工作，一个“圣”（指那些以耶稣基督的救赎之工为属天唯一盼望的人）而“公”之教会，指的是普世教会（基督的身体）从建立直到耶稣再来一直存在。信经肯定了圣徒相通（被称义的罪人与复活的基督之间的团契），罪得赦免（基督的工作满足了一切公义，并为祂百姓的罪而受死），末日身体复活（因为耶稣第三天身体复活，当祂再来时我们也会身体复活）和永生（新天新地）。

Next, the creed affirms the person and work of the Holy Spirit, the existence of a “holy” (those whose only hope of heaven is in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ) and “catholic” church, a reference to the universal church (the body of Christ) that will exist from the time it was founded until Jesus returns. The creed affirms the communion of saints (the fellowship of justified sinners with the risen Christ), the forgiveness of sins (Christ’s work in fulfilling all righteousness and dying for the sins of His people), the resurrection of the body at the end of the age (as Jesus was raised bodily on the third day, so will we when He returns) and life everlasting (new heavens and earth).

乌尔西努选择使徒信经作为要理问答中上帝的恩典一部分的框架结构，因为信经如此有效地总结了基督教信仰的根本内容，没有任何非基督徒愿意去背诵它。从这点来说，信条定义了什么是基督教，什么不是基督教。

Ursinus chose the Apostles’ Creed as the skeletal structure for the section of his catechism dealing with God’s grace because the creed so effectively summarizes the basics of the Christian faith that no non-Christian could possibly recite it. In this sense, the creed defines what is Christianity and what is not.

然而，当乌尔西努详细解释使徒信经时，他也努力地体现出在诸如唯独因信称义（justification by faith alone）、基督工作的本质（nature of the work of Christ）和圣礼（sacrament）等核心教义上，改革宗基督教信仰与罗马天主教的不同。这样，在阐明基督教信仰核心独有的教义同时，抗罗宗基督徒也揭露了罗马教会在许多关键要点上黯然违背了这些教义。

But as Ursinus expounds upon the Apostles’ Creed, he also endeavors to demonstrate how Reformed Christianity differs from Roman Catholicism on such essential doctrines as justification by faith alone, the nature of the work of Christ, as well as the sacraments. So, while the creed may set forth what is essentially and uniquely Christian, Protestants contend that the Roman Church sadly defaults on these same doctrines at a number of critical points.

正因为我们非常需要总结圣经的教导，与过去世代忠心的基督徒建立认同，许多抗罗宗教会仍然诵读使徒信经。这也是为什么改革宗教会将使徒信经视为对基督教信仰基本教义最好的总结，并在海德堡要理问答的核心部分详细阐述它。

Because there is great need to summarize the teaching of Scripture and to identify with the faithful who have gone before, many Protestant churches still recite the Apostles’ Creed. This is why the Reformed churches consider the Apostles’ Creed to be the best summary of the basic doctrines of the Christian faith, and this is why an exposition of the creed lies at the heart of the Heidelberg Catechism.

改革宗信仰宣言導論

文/方鎮明博士

摘錄自《新譯本研讀版聖經》p. 2088環球聖經公會（2013）

https://plus.google.com/u/0/105106813742373627205/posts/1WvjHA84yyU

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

在十六、十七世紀，改革宗教會(the Reformed Church)確立了六份重要的信仰文獻，它們分別是：

　　 　　

1．于荷蘭和德國確立的《比利時宣言》(Belgic Confession)、《海德堡教理問答》(Heidelberg Catechism)、《多特法典》(Canons of Dort) ；

　　

2．于蘇格蘭和英國確立的《西敏斯特信仰宣言》 (Westminster Confession of Faith)、《西敏斯特小教理和大教理問答》(The Shorter and Larger Catechism of the Westminster Confession of Faith)。

　　　

這些信仰文獻雖然來自不同的教會傳統，卻有著相同的特色。在教義上，它們都強調神的主權和恩典，相信人的得救全是神的恩典，而且在得救的事情上，神是預定和預知的。在內容鋪排上，都是先解釋使徒信經，后討論十誡，目的是要強調律法的功用除了能夠帶領罪人歸向基督，也能夠幫助基督徒在生活中成長，喜悅地事奉基督。

　　

本研讀版圣經所引用的就是上述的信仰宣言。為了讓讀者更清楚各宣言的內容，現將有關背景和特色分述如下。

　　　

　　

一、《比利時宣言》 (1561)

　　 　　

《比利時宣言》共有37項條文，分以下三部分講論：

1．三一神和圣經中關于神的知識；

2．基督的創造和救贖；

3．圣靈在教會和藉教會達成的成圣工作。

　　 　　

《比利時宣言》由德布利(Guido de Bres，1522-1567)主力執筆，他是蘇格蘭東南部法語教會的巡回牧師。1559年，《法國宣言》(French Confession)在加爾文的監督下成稿，德布利就以此為藍本撰寫了一份個人信仰告白；內文多引用圣經，并經常使用『我們』這個人化的字眼。這信仰告白由法文寫成，于1562年印刷，1571年修訂，后來被荷蘭的改革宗教會采納，并于1618年在多特會議得到確認，正名為《比利時宣言》。

　　 　　

當時，西班牙國王腓力二世與天主教結盟，逼迫荷蘭和比利時的改革宗教會，德布利因而起草這份宣言，為這些『十字架下的教會』辯護，向腓力二世解釋他們的信仰，表達他們是遵守法律的公民而非反抗者，且認同三一神的教義，指出他們是有別于重洗派的；他們也藉這辯護教導信徒謹守教會紀律，提醒他們在面對壓迫時要甘愿受苦，至死忠心。

　　 　　

二、《海德堡教理問答》 (1563)

　　 　　

《海德堡教理問答)共有129條問題和答案，按52周編排，內容分別講述：

　　 　　

1．人的不幸；

2．神的救贖；

3．人在福音之下的快樂景況。

　　 　　

《海德堡教理問答》是由兩位海德堡神學家用德文寫成的，他們是烏爾西努(Zacharius Ursinus，1534-1584)和俄利維亞努(Casper Olevianus，1536—1583)，而前者是主要的作者。問答中除了第80題批評天主教彌撒之外(這是選侯的要求)，其余都是信仰的闡述，并無辯駁的色彩。這問答指出『道德的更新和基督徒的信服，是從稱義引發出來的』，而書中只肯定了神的預定，沒有強調預定論。這問答后來給翻譯成拉丁文、希臘文和希伯來文，在得到大部分的改革宗教會接納后，更被譯成歐洲、亞洲和非洲的各種語言，享有崇高的地位，至今仍備受高等路德宗教會所重視。

　　 　　

當時，德國教會隸屬路德宗，而政府傾向打擊改革宗教會。但改革宗得到費特烈三世(Frederick Ⅲ，the ruler of the Palatinate of the Rhine)的認同，這位在德國極具影響力的選侯同意讓改革宗教會成為合法組織，并吩咐人編寫這份教理問答，向路德宗教會解釋改革宗的信仰，也藉此安慰德國境內被壓迫的人民，故這問答又稱為『安慰之書』。

　　 　　

三、《多特法典》 (1618-1619)

　　 　　　

十七世紀初，亞米紐斯主義(Arminianism或Remonstrants)在荷蘭改革宗教會內興起。簡單來說，這主義在救恩的理解上近似天主教，他們挑戰宗教改革家對『人的敗壞』和『神的恩典』的理解。荷蘭改革宗教會遂于1618年11月13日至1619年5月9日期間舉行多特會議，62位荷蘭代表和來自八個國家的27位代表，共同就亞米紐斯主義對改革宗提出的五點批評發表聲明，這份稱為(多特法典)的聲明，聯同《海德堡教理問答》，備受荷蘭、法國、德國的百勒天奴、比利時地區的改革宗教會及英國的清教徒接納。

　　 　　

在多特會議中，與會者對亞米紐斯主義的批評逐一回應，例如指出人的得救唯靠基督的救贖，這救贖是出于神的恩典，并非像亞米紐斯主義所說，救恩同時是需要人的自由意志來成就的。因為會議的目的是回應亞米紐斯主義，所以在『神的主權』和『人的責任』兩者的關系上著墨不多，以致有人批評會議過分高舉神的主權。其實改革宗的信仰核心——『圣約神學』，就是同時強調『神的主權』和『人的責任』，批評者若更多認識多特會議舉行的目的和改革宗的信仰，就不會有這樣的誤解了。

　　 　　

四、《西敏斯特信仰宣言》 (1643-1647)

　　 　　　

《西敏斯特信仰宣言》原本分為33章，后來福音長老會的薩默敦文本加插了34和35兩章。宣言內容首先論述圣經是神圣事物的知識來源，然后闡述神的本性、神的法旨、創造、治理、恩典之約，基督的工作、得救的保證等，其后加插的篇章則專論圣靈和福音。在教會崇拜、體制、紀律和安息日上，也有詳細的講論和指引。

　　 　　

在十七世紀，英國國會召開了西敏斯特議會(Westminster Assembly)，盼望藉此重整英國的教會。在1643年7月1日至1649年2月22日期間，經過1，163場的討論后，就訂立了《西敏斯特信仰宣言》(Westminster Confession of Faith)。與會者包括30位議院議員和121位牧師，他們分別來自英國七個省份的長老會、圣公會和少數的獨立團體。會議遭到當時的皇帝查理一世(1625-1649)的反對，圣公會遂拒絕繼續派代表出席。而英國與蘇格蘭兩國剛巧結盟，于是邀請了八位蘇格蘭代表列席，故此這宣言在信仰內容和教會實踐方面都有著蘇格蘭長老會的風格。

　　 　　

編寫《西敏斯特信仰宣言》的目的有二。第一是要確立英國教會的政制、禮拜儀式和教義。第二是反駁天主教天特會議(Council of Trent，1545-1563)對宗教改革思想的批評。由于天特會議以精確和縝密的神學表達方式批評基督教，因此，《西敏斯特信仰宣言》的鋪排也以類似的結構表達基督教思想。這宣言雖然從未正式得到英國圣公會的接納，但卻受到蘇格蘭長老會、英屬愛爾蘭長老會、美國長老會及這些教會的宣教地區的重視，成為這些教會的教義根據。宣言中的教義部分也一直影響著英國和美國的浸信會和會眾制教會。隨著十七世紀的移民潮，這宣言更加傳播到澳洲、新西蘭及南非英語體系的長老會。

　　 　

　

五、《西敏斯特大教理及小教理問答》 (1647-1648)

　　 　　

為了讓孩童和初信主的信徒有效地學習真道，西敏斯特議會于1647年按《西敏斯特信仰宣言》編寫了《西敏斯特小教理問答》。這107條的問與答，簡短易讀，字句顯淺，每個問題多以一句句子來回答，是神學入門的必備，廣受當時人士的喜愛。雖然對于孩童來說，內容略嫌深奧，須要再加解釋，但這問答連同《海德堡教理問答》和路德的《小教理問答》，仍是基督教最常用的教理問答。

　　 　　

另外，議會于1648年又依據《西敏斯特信仰宣言》寫成《西敏斯特大教理問答》，作為教牧講道時的參考。這196條的問與答較《西敏斯特小教理問答》詳盡，根據圣經的原則處理倫理問題，但因在律法上的解釋過于教條化，用字又不夠通俗，故不太受當時的人歡迎。 　　　　 　　

《西敏斯特大教理問答》和《西敏斯特小教理問答》都包括以下兩個部分： 　　 　　

1．主題是『我們當信甚么』，內容包括神的屬性、神的創造及救贖； 　　　　　

2．主題是『我們當作甚么』，內容包括十誡、如何得救，信徒如何藉神的話語、圣禮和禱告成長。