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HT: Christian Herring (editor)HT：Christian Herring（编辑）
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Some who have been judicious spectators of those uncharitable quarrels, which have broken forth in these latter days, amongst professors, have been ready to conclude, that either men have not understood that thing which Religion signifies, or else they have abused the name of Religion, making it serve to advance themselves, and promote some worldly design:
一些对近来在信徒中爆发的那些不仁爱争端作出明智观察的人，已经准备得出结论，认为人们要么不理解宗教所表达的真义，要么滥用宗教之名，利用它来提升自己，推进某些世俗目的：
And if they shall consider the power of unmortified lusts in the hearts of wicked men emboldened by the advantage of such general dissensions, it will not be so great a wonder to see many cast off God and holiness, as to see any keeping the faith, and cleaving unto Christ in such an hour of temptation.
若他们考虑到未被治死的情欲在恶人心中的力量，这种力量因普遍纷争的优势而变得大胆，那么看到许多人抛弃神和圣洁就不足为奇，反倒在这样的试探时刻看到有人持守信仰、紧随基督才令人惊讶。
One great snare, that the Devil hath laid to entangle souls, hath been, to put them upon it to call every thing into question; which hath been the more dangerous, because such enquiry doth pretend to ingenuity, and is like that Tree of Knowledge, a tree to be desired to make one wise, and certainly it is far better to be humbly and modestly inquisitive, than popishly and sottishly ignorant, for the wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool destroys himself by a strange implicit faith, and blind obedience:
魔鬼设下的一个巨大陷阱，用来缠住灵魂的，就是促使人们对每件事都提出质疑；这变得更加危险，因为这种询问假装是出于天真，就像那知识树一样，是令人渴望的使人有智慧的树，当然，谦虚而适度地探询远比天主教徒般地、愚蠢地无知要好得多，因为智者的眼睛在他的头上，但愚人却因奇怪的隐含信仰和盲目服从而自我毁灭：
But when a proud spirit shall become one of those hesitating questionists, how will he vaunt and triumph in his conceits, as if he had posed and non-plussed truth it self:
但当一个骄傲的灵成为那些犹豫不决的质疑者之一时，他将如何在自己的想法中夸耀和得意，仿佛他已经使真理本身陷入困境和无法回答：
When such a one is gotten into this strong hold, what will not his bold confidence dare to question?
当这样的人进入这个堡垒时，他的大胆自信还有什么不敢质疑的？
And although he might consider that a fool may ask more questions than ten wise men can answer, yet still he persisteth in vain interrogatories;
尽管他可能会考虑到一个愚人可以提出比十个智者能回答的更多的问题，但他仍然坚持问那些徒劳的问题；
And such is the disturbance of his mind occasioned by the pride and wickedness of his heart, that let the most clear and pertinent reply be made to his demands; yet is he wholly indisposed to receive satisfaction.
而他的心因骄傲和邪恶所引起的心灵干扰是如此之大，以至于即使对他的要求作出最清晰和恰当的回应，他也完全不愿接受满足。
Thus is the poor, but proud and insulting skeptic, at once really the Devil’s bondslave, and conceitedly his own freeman.
因此，这可怜但骄傲和侮辱性的怀疑者，实际上同时是魔鬼的奴隶，而自负地认为自己是自由人。
When I was, by your Order, called to this public service, many things of this kind did press in upon me, and the greatest impression that I could perceive my spirit was, to speak something, that, by the blessing of God, tend to the vindication of the truth of Religion, from the malicious, but frivolous affronts of profane, yet cunning men;
当我被你们的命令召唤到这项公共服务时，许多这类事情压在我身上，我能感受到对我灵魂最大的印象是，要说一些事情，通过神的祝福，倾向于为宗教真理辩护，使其免受亵渎却狡猾之人的恶意但轻浮的侮辱；
and I could not find out a more direct means to this end, than by an appeal to the common sense of all regenerate souls, which I have done in the following discourse, according to the measure of the gift received, the effects whereof I heartily desire may be these two:
而我找不到更直接的方法达到这个目的，只有呼吁所有重生灵魂的共识，这是我在接下来的讲道中所做的，按照所领受恩赐的程度，我衷心希望其效果可能是这两点：
First, for ever to silence that Machiavellian blasphemy, that Religion is nothing but a political engine, and that there is no such thing indeed any where to be found.
首先，永远沉默那马基雅维利式的亵渎，即宗教只不过是政治工具，实际上在任何地方都找不到这样的东西。
There are those in the world, who in a true spiritual sense, have heard with their ears, and seen with their eyes, and handled with their hands of the word of life;
世上有那些人，在真正属灵的意义上，他们的耳朵听见，眼睛看见，手摸过生命之道；
And it is to be feared, that those souls, which deny, that there is any Religion abroad, are wholly devoid of it within themselves.
而可以担心的是，那些否认世上有任何宗教的灵魂，在他们自己内心中完全缺乏它。
Religion is not a chimaera or notion, but a real thing in the hearts and lives of good men.
宗教不是空想或概念，而是在好人的心中和生活中的真实事物。
Secondly, to stir up and awaken professors, that they rest not satisfied in any outward form, without the inward life and power of Religion.
其次，激发并唤醒信徒们，使他们不满足于任何外在形式，而要有宗教内在的生命和能力。
Oh! be not contented to serve in the oldness of the letter, but in the newness of the spirit.
噢！不要满足于在字句的旧样中事奉，而要在圣灵的新样中事奉。
We have raised such a dust by our disputes in lesser matters, and by our espousing such trivial quarrels, that we have almost lost our Christ, and alienated our affections from our first husband.
我们在小事上的争议，以及我们支持这些琐碎的争端，已经扬起了这么多尘土，以至于我们几乎失去了我们的基督，并使我们的情感疏远了我们的首任丈夫。
It is time for us now to call forth that primitive spirit of love and purity, if by any means we might remove the scandal of our contentions, and exhort one another so much the more, as we see the day approaching.
现在是我们呼唤那原始爱与纯洁之灵的时候了，如果有任何方法可以除去我们争端的丑闻，并更加彼此劝勉，因为我们看到那日子临近了。
After you had patiently given this Sermon the hearing, you were pleased to importune the publication thereof, whereby your selves and others might the better perpend, and truly examine what is therein contained;
在你们耐心听完这篇讲道后，你们很高兴催促其出版，使你们自己和他人能更好地思考，并真实检验其中所含内容；
which request of your Honours I could not easily deny, but have accordingly performed, and do here tender it to your Christian acceptance, with hopeful confidence, that seeing for the truth’s sake, it found such unexpected entertainment at your ear, it shall not be despised at the more severe tribunal of your eye.
这一要求我不能轻易拒绝，因此已相应履行，并在此将其献给你们基督徒的接纳，怀着希望的信心，既然为真理之故，它在你们耳中找到了如此意外的款待，在你们眼睛更严格的法庭上也不会被轻视。
Now, that good spirit of Jesus Christ open the eyes of your minds, that you may see and approve things that are excellent, and persuade your hearts to receive the truth in the love of it, and direct your steps to walk in the paths of mercy and truth, that you may be saved.
现在，愿耶稣基督那良善的灵开启你们心灵的眼睛，使你们看见并赞同那美好的事物，说服你们的心以爱心接受真理，引导你们的脚步行走在怜悯和真理的道路上，使你们得救。
SO PRAYETH,
YOURS AND THE CHURCH’S SERVANT IN THE GOSPEL,
如此祈祷，
你们和教会在福音中的仆人，