10. All royal and princely highness and excellency, together with all governments and dominions, do arise froin the order of nature. In the image of God there is no compulsion [nor force, violence or oppression], but a mere free- willing, desirous love-service, as one member in the body, or as one branch of the tree, does freely and readily serve each other, and rejoice in each other.
11. But seeing that man has introduced himself into the outward formed Word, evil and good, viz. into the kingdom of nature; the kingdom of nature has deprived him of the holy dominion; and has placed itselfwith its power over the human property. Therefore, if he will have the same again, he must be born anew of God, and then he may rule with the new regenerated life in the spirit of God, over the kingdom of nature.
12. Indeed there are orders of princely angels or hierarchies in the spiritual world; but all without compulsion, in one harmonious delightful love-service and will; as one member in the body doth readily serve another.
13. All whatsoever that man in the kingdom of nature doth draw under his power, and abuses it to superfluity and excess, and thereby withdraws from his fellow-members, whereby they are put to want, poverty and distress, and their freely-given right and due is wholly withheld from them; the same is imprinted [or comprehended] in turba magna, as an abomination of nature, and put into the judgement of God, to the day of separation.
14. Nature requires only order, and gives distinction of places and offices; but the turba brings its abomination from the dark world's desire thereinto, viz. pride, covetousness, envy, anger and falsehood.
15. These five vices or iniquities in the kingdom of nature are the whore's brats, and shall not inherit the kingdom of God. God holds the kingdom of nature for his order, and has given the same into the power of man, that he [as God's instrument in this world] should sever the evil from the good, and choose himself a judge to pass righteous judgement upon the iniquity and malice of the false desire and lust [of man] .
For he says, Whosoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood he shed, viz. by the order and institution of nature. Not that any should revenge himself upon others by his own selfish power [or force of arms], but through the order of nature, through God's law [and appointment]; the same is the true avengeress; for God said, / will avenge your lift's blood, and will avenge it upon every beast.
Here he means, by the order of his law, and its officers who officiate in the right and due execution of the same.
16. Not that a prince or lord has power to shed blood without the law of God; if he does so, then the law of God condemns him also to death. Here there is no peculiar self-full power given over man's blood; let him be king or prince;
for they are only officers over the order of the divine law, and they ought not to go further than the command of God gives leave. Indeed they have the law of nature committed to their charge, as servants of the same; but they must deal therein only according to righteousness and truth, and not do anything through selfish [covetous, proud and envious] desire, for God has created man in his own image. Now the kingdom of nature in its offices has no power over this divine image to kill the same, but the office or commission in God's order passes only upon 1 the outward image of nature.
1 Or has power over.
17. Therefore if an officer of nature [viz. any magistrate] takes away the life of a righteous man, him, nature appoints unto the judgement of God to the day of separation [wherein God will judge all the unrighteous acts of man].
What then will become of the tyrants who turn the truth into lies, and shamefully abuse and condemn the children of God for their divine knowledge and profession's sake, and stir up war and contention, to desolate and destroy country and people?
All these belong unto turba magna, to the judgement of God;
for they manage the sword of the turba in self-full lust and pleasure;
unless the Spirit of God command them, and then they must do it for their office and charge's sake [and execute the just judgement of God upon those who have filled up the measure of their iniquity], as
Israel was commanded to do among the heathen.
10. All royal and princely highness and excellency, together with all governments and dominions, do arise froin the order of nature. In the image of God there is no compulsion [nor force, violence or oppression], but a mere free- willing, desirous love-service, as one member in the body, or as one branch of the tree, does freely and readily serve each other, and rejoice in each other.
11. But seeing that man has introduced himself into the outward formed Word, evil and good, viz. into the kingdom of nature; the kingdom of nature has deprived him of the holy dominion; and has placed itselfwith its power over the human property. Therefore, if he will have the same again, he must be born anew of God, and then he may rule with the new regenerated life in the spirit of God, over the kingdom of nature.
12. Indeed there are orders of princely angels or hierarchies in the spiritual world; but all without compulsion, in one harmonious delightful love-service and will; as one member in the body does readily serve another.
13. All whatsoever that man in the kingdom of nature does draw under his power, and abuses it to superfluity and excess, and thereby withdraws from his fellow-members, whereby they are put to want, poverty and distress, and their freely-given right and due is wholly withheld from them; the same is imprinted [or comprehended] in turba magna, as an abomination of nature, and put into the judgement of God, to the day of separation.
14. Nature requires only order, and gives distinction of places and offices; but the turba brings its abomination from the dark world's desire thereinto, viz. pride, covetousness, envy, anger and falsehood.
15. These five vices or iniquities in the kingdom of nature are the whore's brats, and shall not inherit the kingdom of God. God holds the kingdom of nature for his order, and has given the same into the power of man, that he [as God's instrument in this world] should sever the evil from the good, and choose himself a judge to pass righteous judgement upon the iniquity and malice of the false desire and lust [of man] .
For he says, Whosoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood he shed, viz. by the order and institution of nature. Not that any should revenge himself upon others by his own selfish power [or force of arms], but through the order of nature, through God's law [and appointment]; the same is the true avengeress; for God said, / will avenge your lift's blood, and will avenge it upon every beast.
Here he means, by the order of his law, and its officers who officiate in the right and due execution of the same.
16. Not that a prince or lord has power to shed blood without the law of God; if he does so, then the law of God condemns him also to death. Here there is no peculiar self-full power given over man's blood; let him be king or prince;
for they are only officers over the order of the divine law, and they ought not to go further than the command of God gives leave. Indeed they have the law of nature committed to their charge, as servants of the same; but they must deal therein only according to righteousness and truth, and not do anything through selfish [covetous, proud and envious] desire, for God has created man in his own image. Now the kingdom of nature in its offices has no power over this divine image to kill the same, but the office or commission in God's order passes only upon 1 the outward image of nature.
1 Or has power over.
17. Therefore if an officer of nature [viz. any magistrate] takes away the life of a righteous man, him, nature appoints unto the judgement of God to the day of separation [wherein God will judge all the unrighteous acts of man].
What then will become of the tyrants who turn the truth into lies, and shamefully abuse and condemn the children of God for their divine knowledge and profession's sake, and stir up war and contention, to desolate and destroy country and people?
All these belong unto turba magna, to the judgement of God;
for they manage the sword of the turba in self-full lust and pleasure;
unless the Spirit of God command them, and then they must do it for their office and charge's sake [and execute the just judgement of God upon those who have filled up the measure of their iniquity], as
Israel was commanded to do among the heathen.
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