多年來，我一直為基督徒群體，
其過度組織化的傾向所苦惱，
並且我也基於這個理由被控訴，
我並不信任組織。但事實並非如此！
在這個被創造的宇宙各處，
和全人類社會各個地方，
有一定數量的組織乃是必要的。
沒有了它，就沒有科學、沒有政府、
沒有家庭單位、沒有藝術、沒有音樂、
沒有文學、沒有任何種類的創作活動。
反對教會內一切組織之人，
必定是對生活的實際情況一無所知。
藝術是有組織的美麗；
音樂是組織過的聲音；
哲學是有組織的思想；
科學是組織化的知識；
政府只不過是組織化的社會。
而真正的基督教會豈不也是有組織的奧秘嗎？
而教會悸動的心乃是生命 -
在亨利史考格恰當的措辭中提到了
"神的生命在人的靈魂裡面"。
這個生命與基督實際的同在，在教會的裡面，
就把教會構成了一個神聖的事物、
一個奧秘、一個神蹟。
然而，沒有實體、形式和次序，
這個神聖的生命就沒有居所，並且
也沒有路來向群體顯出祂自己來。
而真正的危險就在於，
有些人的努力要以組織來替代生命，
結果是雖然他們按名是活的，
在靈性上他們其實是死的。
I have been for years much distressed about
the tendency to overorganize the Christian community,
and I have for that reason had it charged against me
that I do not believe in organization.
The truth is quite otherwise!
A certain amount of organization is necessary
everywhere throughout the created universe
and in all human society. Without it there could be
no science, no government, no family unit, no art,
no music, no literature, no creative activity of any kind.
The man who would oppose all organization
in the church must needs be ignorant of
the facts of life. Art is organized beauty;
music is organized sound;
philosophy is organized thought;
science is organized knowledge;
government is merely society organized.
And what is the true Church of Christ but organized mystery?
The throbbing heart of the Church is life—
in the happy phrase of Henry Scougal,
"the life of God in the soul of man."
This life, together with the actual presence of Christ
within her, constitutes the Church a divine thing,
a mystery, a miracle! Yet without substance,
form and order this divine life would
have no dwelling place, and no way
to express itself to the community.
There is real danger in the efforts of some
to substituteorganization for life,
so that while they have a name to live
they are spiritually dead.
- 陶恕 (A. W. Tozer, 1897-1963)
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