麦 序 

  主后1550年,英国亨利八世的女儿棗玛利皇后,残害了三百位英国宗教改革领袖。那些未被迫害殉道的宗教改革领袖们逃亡至欧洲大陆,以致他们有机会与加尔文和其他欧洲之宗教改革宗领袖一同学习。玛利皇后死后,这些流亡在外者重返英国,开始了清教徒的运动。清教徒牧师们和神学家们被英国历代的国王与皇后们迫害有超过一个世纪之久的时间。然而,靠着上帝的恩典,他们遭受迫害的结果反而使得教会蒙受极大的祝福。这些蒙福的果实包含了早期清教徒的美国(主后1620-1670年)、韦斯敏斯德会议(主后1643-1648年),和许多神学上最纯正的灵修书籍的出版。

  主后1958年,英国真理之旌旗出版社(The Banner of Truth Trust),开始重新发行清教徒作品,他们所出版的第一本书就是汤姆·华森(Thomas Watson)的《系统神学》(A Body of Divinity)。该出版社所发行汤姆·华森的《系统神学》自主后1958年起,已经过多次的再版,成为该出版社最受欢迎、最实际,和最具影响力的出版作品。这本书受欢迎的原因是显而易见的,因为它每一页都充满了宝贵的属灵真理,每一个段落都带领我们与圣经里的神面对面。这是一部把改革宗信仰深层的教义植入人心的极杰出罕见作品。司布真(Charles Spurgeon)称这本书是所有清教徒的作品中最宝贵的著作。

  如今,这本书被翻译为中文,中国教会应当欢喜快乐。本书系清教徒灵命和清教徒属灵作品最完美的引介。本书的内容包含了一系列有关韦斯敏斯德小要理问答的前38个问答讲道。本书第一版于1692年发行,亦即作者离世后之第三年。                       

                          1998年1月8日                        

Preface to "A Body of Divinity"

  In the 1550’s Mary Queen of England, daughter of Henry VIII, martyred 300 of the leaders of the English reformation. The leaders who were not martyred fled to the continent, where they had the chance to study with Calvin and other leaders of the European Reformation. After Queen Mary died, these exiles returned to England and began the Puritan movement. For more than a century, Puritan pastors and theologians were persecuted by English Kings and Queens. However, by the grace of God, the fruit of their persecution has been a great blessing to the Church. This fruit includes early puritan America (1620-1670's), the Westminster Assembly (1643-1648) and, many of the best theologically sound devotional books that have ever been written.

  In 1958, when the Banner of Truth Trust began to republish Puritan literature, the first book they published was Thomas Watson's "A Body of Divinity". The Banner of Truth Trust edition of Watson's "A Body of Divinity" has gone through many editions and reprints. It is the most popular, useful, and influential of their publications. The reasons for its popularity are obvious. Every page is full of precious spiritual truths, every paragraph brings us face to face with the God of the Bible. It is a rare work that applies the deep doctrinal truths of the reformed faith to the hearts of men. Charles Spurgeon calls it the most precious of all the Puritan writings. The Chinese Church should rejoice that this work is now available in Chinese. It is an excellent introduction to Puritan spirituality and Puritan literature. As to content, it is a series of sermons on the first 38 questions of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. It was first published in 1692, three years after the death of its author.

                        January   8,1998

[返回]