忏悔录 Confessions | BOOKV Chapter 2 福斯图斯到迦太基

BOOKV Chapter 2

福斯图斯到迦太基

I would lay open before my God that nine-and-twentieth year of mine age.

我将在我上帝之前，谈谈我二十九岁那一年了。

There had then come to Carthage a certain Bishop of the Manichees, Faustus by name, a great snare of the Devil, and many were entangled by him through that lure of his smooth language: which though I did commend, yet could I separate from the truth of the things which I was earnest to learn: nor did I so much regard the service of oratory as the science which this Faustus, so praised among them, set before me to feed upon. Fame had before bespoken him most knowing in all valuable learning, and exquisitely skilled in the liberal sciences.

这时有一个摩尼教的主教来到了迦太基。这人名福斯图斯，是魔鬼的一张巨大罗网，许多人被他优美的词令所吸引而堕入网中。我虽则赞赏他的词令，但我能把词令和我所渴求的事物真理区分开来；我对于人们口口称道的福斯图斯，不着眼于盛词令的器皿，而着眼于他对我的知识能提供什么菜肴，因为我先已听到他学识渊博并擅长自由艺术的声誉。

And since I had read and well remembered much of the philosophers, I compared some things of theirs with those long fables of the Manichees, and found the former the more probable; even although they could only prevail so far as to make judgment of this lower world, the Lord of it they could by no means find out. For Thou art great, O Lord, and hast respect unto the humble, but the proud Thou beholdest afar off. Nor dost Thou draw near, but to the contrite in heart, nor art found by the proud, no, not though by curious skill they could number the stars and the sand, and measure the starry heavens, and track the courses of the planets.

我已经读了许多哲学家的著作，并已记在心头。我还把有些论点和摩尼教的冗长神话作了比较，我认为那些“多才多艺，能探索宇宙秘奥，却不识宇宙主宰”[3]的人们所论列的比摩尼教可信。但你、“伟大的上帝，垂怜卑微的人而藐视骄傲的人”，[4]你俯就诚心自怨自艾的人。那些骄傲的人，即使他们嗜奇而专精，能计算星辰与沙砾的数字，度量天体，窥测星辰运行的轨道，却找不到你。

For with their understanding and wit, which Thou bestowedst on them, they search out these things; and much have they found out; and foretold, many years before, eclipses of those luminaries, the sun and moon, -what day and hour, and how many digits, nor did their calculation fail; and it came to pass as they foretold; and they wrote down the rules they had found out, and these are read at this day, and out of them do others foretell in what year and month of the year, and what day of the month, and what hour of the day, and what part of its light, moon or sun is to be eclipsed, and so it shall be, as it is foreshowed.

他们凭自己的理智和你所赋畀的才能，探求以上种种，确有很多发现；他们能在好几年前预言某日某时某刻有日月蚀，他们所预测的数字丝毫不差的应验了。他们得到二两很准确，他们的预报全部应验。他们用文字写出科学的定律；到现在我们还念着。根据那些定律，我们可以确切推测：日蚀和月蚀的年，月，日，时，面积。

At these things men, that know not this art, marvel and are astonished, and they that know it, exult, and are puffed up; and by an ungodly pride departing from Thee, and failing of Thy light, they foresee a failure of the sun's light, which shall be, so long before, but see not their own, which is. For they search not religiously whence they have the wit, where with they search out this. And finding that Thou madest them, they give not themselves up to Thee, to preserve what Thou madest, nor sacrifice to Thee what they have made themselves; nor slay their own soaring imaginations, as fowls of the air, nor their own diving curiosities (where with, like the fishes of the sea they wander over the unknown paths of the abyss), nor their own luxuriousness, as beasts of the field, that Thou, Lord, a consuming fire, mayest burn up those dead cares of theirs, and re-create themselves immortally.

人们对这些成就表示赞叹，没有这种知识的人感到惊愕，那些行家却沾沾自喜。目无神明的骄傲使他们和你的无限光明隔绝；他们能预测日蚀，却看不到自身的晦蚀。原因是他们不能本着宗教精神探求他们所以能探求以上种种的才能来自何处。即使他们发现是你创造他们，也不肯把自己贡献于你，使你保持着所创造的工程：他们祭祀自己，却不肯以自身祭祀你，他们不肯宰杀和“空中飞鸟”一样的好高鹜远的意愿、和“海中鳞介”一样的“潜行深渊”的好奇心，以及和“田野的牲畜”[5]一样的快乐，使你上帝能以销铄一切的烈火烧毁他们导致死亡的欲望，赋予他们不朽的生命。

But they knew not the way, Thy Word, by whom Thou madest these things which they number, and themselves who number, and the sense whereby they perceive what they number, and the understanding, out of which they number; or that of Thy wisdom there is no number. But the Only Begotten is Himself made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and was numbered among us, and paid tribute unto Caesar. They knew not this way whereby to descend to Him from themselves, and by Him ascend unto Him. They knew not this way, and deemed themselves exalted amongst the stars and shining; and behold, they fell upon the earth, and their foolish heart was darkened. They discourse many things truly concerning the creature; but Truth, Artificer of the creature, they seek not piously, and therefore find Him not; or if they find Him, knowing Him to be God, they glorify Him not as God, neither are thankful, but become vain in their imaginations, and profess themselves to be wise, attributing to themselves what is Thine; and thereby with most perverse blindness, study to impute to Thee what is their own, forging lies of Thee who art the Truth, and changing the glory of uncorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things, changing Thy truth into a lie, and worshipping and serving the creature more than the Creator.

他们不认识“道路”，不认识你的“道”：你是通过“道”而创造了他们所计算的万类，创造了能计算的人类，创造了他们观察万物的官感和所以能计算的理智。“你的智慧是无限无量的。”[6]你的“独子”“成为我们的智慧、正义与圣德”，[7]成为我们中间的一员，向凯撒纳税。他们不认识这一条从自身下降到“圣子”，再通过“圣子”而上升到“圣子”的道路。他们不认识这条道路，自以为高高在上，与星辰一样光明；因此堕落到地上，他们冥顽的心便昏暗了。他们对于受造物有许多正确的见解，但不能以虔诚的心寻求真理、寻求造物的主宰，因此一无所获；即使找到，“认识了是上帝，但不能以崇奉上帝的敬礼光荣他”，感谢他；他们的思想流于虚妄，反自以为聪明，把本属于你上帝的占为己有，为此之故，他们既狂且瞽，竟然以自身种种强加于你上帝，即是以虚妄归于你真理本身，“把不朽上帝的光荣比于朽坏的人，比于禽兽蛇虫一般的偶像，以你的真理变为邪说，他们不崇拜奉事造物的主宰，反而崇奉受造之物”。[8]

Yet many truths concerning the creature retained I from these men, and saw the reason there of from calculations, the succession of times, and the visible testimonies of the stars; and compared them with the saying of Manichaeus, which in his frenzy he had written most largely on these subjects; but discovered not any account of the solstices, or equinoxes, or the eclipses of the greater lights, nor whatever of this sort I had learned in the books of secular philosophy. But I was commanded to believe; and yet it corresponded not with what had been established by calculations and my own sight, but was quite contrary.

我记取了他们观察受造物所得出的正确论点，我也领会他们推算时辰季节并用观测星辰相互印证的理论，拿来和摩尼教关于这一方面的大批痴人说梦般的论著比较后，看出教外哲学著作有关夏至冬至、春分秋分、日蚀月蚀以及类似现象所给我的知识，在摩尼教的著作中都无从找到。摩尼教只命令我们相信，可是这种信仰和有学术根据的推算，以及我所目睹的事实非但不符，而且截然相反。

Doth then, O Lord God of truth, who so knoweth these things, therefore please Thee? Surely unhappy is he who knoweth all these, and knoweth not Thee: but happy who so knoweth Thee, though he know not these. And who so knoweth both Thee and them is not the happier for them, but for Thee only, if, knowing Thee, he glorifies Thee as God, and is thankful, and becomes not vain in his imaginations.

主、真理的上帝，是否只要通晓这些事理，就能使你愉悦？一人精通这一切而不认识你，是不幸的，相反，不知道这一切而能认识你，是有福的。人既认识你，又明白这一切，并不因这些知识而更有福。相反，如果能认识你，能以敬事上帝之礼荣耀你，感谢你，不使思想陷于虚妄，那么他的幸福完全得之于你。

For as he is better off who knows how to possess a tree, and return thanks to Thee for the use there of, although he know not how many cubits high it is, or how wide it spreads, than he that can measure it, and count all its boughs, and neither owns it, nor knows or loves its Creator: so a believer, whose all this world of wealth is, and who having nothing, yet possesseth all things, by cleaving unto Thee, whom all things serve, though he know not even the circles of the Great Bear, yet is it folly to doubt but he is in a better state than one who can measure the heavens, and number the stars, and poise the elements, yet neglecteth Thee who hast made all things in number, weight, and measure.

一人有一棵树，虽则不知道这树高几肘，粗几肘，却能享用这棵树而感谢你，比了另一人知道有多少高，有多少桠枝，并不占有这树，也不认识这树的创造者，一定更好。对于信徒也如此，世间一切财富都属于他，“似乎一无所有，却一切都有”[9]；他归向你，一切为你服务，即使连北斗星的轨道也不知道，但毫无疑义，这人比起一人能计算天体星辰，称量元素，却忽视了“用尺度、数字、衡量处置万物”[10]的你，一定更好。

But yet who bade that Manichaeus write on these things also, skill in which was no element of piety? For Thou hast said to man, Behold piety and wisdom; of which he might be ignorant, though he had perfect knowledge of these things; but these things, since, knowing not, he most impudently dared to teach, he plainly could have no knowledge of piety. For it is vanity to make profession of these worldly things even when known; but confession to Thee is piety. Where for this wanderer to this end spake much of these things, that convicted by those who had truly learned them, it might be manifest what understanding he had in the other abstruser things. For he would not have himself meanly thought of, but went about to persuade men, "That the Holy Ghost, the Comforter and Enricher of Thy faithful ones, was with plenary authority personally within him." When then he was found out to have taught falsely of the heaven and stars, and of the motions of the sun and moon (although these things pertain not to the doctrine of religion), yet his sacrilegious presumption would become evident enough, seeing he delivered things which not only he knew not, but which were falsified, with so mad a vanity of pride, that he sought to ascribe them to himself, as to a divine person.

但谁要求一个摩尼教徒论撰这些事物呢？即使不知道这些事，也能是一个虔诚的信徒。你对人说过：“诚信即是智慧”。[11]有人即使精通这些学问，也能不知诚信为何物；但一人对此种学问一无所知，却敢无耻地教导别人，这人不可能是虔诚的信徒。标榜那些尘世间的学问，即使确有心得，也是虚妄；而诚信则在乎运用这些学识来赞颂你。于此可见，摩尼教人违反了此项原则，对那些事物信口雌黄，已由精于此道者证明他不学无术，那末更能清楚看出他对于其他比较深邃的问题也是一窍不通。但这人又不愿别人小觑他，力图使人相信那赋畀信徒恩宠的“圣神”、“施慰之神”，威权神力都附在他身上。有人揭发了他关于天体日月星辰运行的谬论，这一切本与宗教无关，但他的狂妄依旧敢公然亵渎神明，因为他不仅谈论所不知的事情，甚至恬不知耻地发挥他不经的言论，还自称有神圣的威权。

For when I hear any Christian brother ignorant of these things, and mistaken on them, I can patiently behold such a man holding his opinion; nor do I see that any ignorance as to the position or character of the corporeal creation can injure him, so long as he doth not believe any thing unworthy of Thee, O Lord, the Creator of all. But it doth injure him, if he imagine it to pertain to the form of the doctrine of piety, and will yet affirm that too stiffly where of he is ignorant. And yet is even such an infirmity, in the infancy of faith, borne by our mother Charity, till the newborn may grow up unto a perfect man, so as not to be carried about with every wind of doctrine.

我听到某一基督徒错误百出谈论他不懂的事情，我能耐心地听他的见解，我认为这种错误无害于他，因为即使他不懂物质世界中受造物的位置和性质，但对于你万有的创造者未尝抱有不正确的信仰。相反，如果他认为这些问题关系到信仰的道理，而且敢于固执他错误的成见，那么便有害于他了。但即使有这样的弱点，在信仰的摇蓝中时，有母亲的慈爱扶持着，从新生成长为“完人”，便“不再随各种学说的风气而飘摇动荡了”。[12]

But in him who in such wise presumed to be the teacher, source, guide, chief of all whom he could so persuade, that who so followed him thought that he followed, not a mere man, but Thy Holy Spirit; who would not judge that so great madness, when once convicted of having taught any thing false, were to be detested and utterly rejected?

至于那一个在信徒之前以博士、权威、领导自居的人，竟敢宣称谁相信而跟随他，不是跟随一个凡人，而是跟随他的“圣神”。这人的荒谬既已确然有徵，那么对这样的疯狂，谁能不表示深恶痛绝呢？

But I had not as yet clearly ascertained whether the vicissitudes of longer and shorter days and nights, and of day and night itself, with the eclipses of the greater lights, and whatever else of the kind I had read of in other books, might be explained consistently with his sayings; so that, if they by any means might, it should still remain a question to me whether it were so or no; but I might, on account of his reputed sanctity, rest my credence upon his authority.

但我尚未能确定根据他的话，对于其他书籍所载的日夜潜运，星辰明晦等现象能不能得到解释；如果他所说是有可能，那末我对于事物的真相依旧疑而不决，我仍将相信他具有圣德，仍将奉他的理论作为我信仰的见解。