it is the deflowered Dinah, where men make war about the houses of stone, and temporal goods, and thereby declare that the spiritual virginity in the spirit of Christ is made a whore, who plays the harlot for the kingdom of this world.
25. Hearken, all you who call yourselves Apostles of Christ, has Christ sent you to fight, and to make war, that you should strive about temporary goods and outward power and glory? Is that your authority (John xx. 23)? When he gave you the sword of the spirit did he command you that? has he not sent you to make known the peace which he has brought us? What will he say to you, when he shall see that your Apostolic heart has put on armour, and that you have instigated your worldly kings and princes to the sword and wars, and have allowed them that, as of Christian liberty? Will he find you thus, in his ministry? Do you that, as the disciples of Christ?
26. Are you not the apostles of the anger of God? Where will you go with your reproach? Do you not see, that, as to Christ who has taught you peace, you are become forsworn or perjured harlots? Where is your Christian virginity? have you not with Dinah squandered it away in worldly pleasure? What will Christ say to you, when he shall come again, who on earth had not whereon to lay his head (Matt. viii. 20; Luke ix. 58), when he shall see your pomp, state, and glory, in such palaces [and colleges], which you have built in his name, for which upon earth you have made wars?
27. When have you striven about the temple of Jesus Christ? Have you not always striven about your colleges or palaces, and about your own laws, wherein you have lived in opinions, and disputed about those opinions? What need has Christ thereof? Christ bestows himself upon his children substantially, in a living manner, to dwell in them, and will give them his flesh for food, and his blood for drink. What needs he opinions, that men should strive about him, who and what he is?
28. When I consider a true Christian, then I understand that Christ is and dwells in him. What means then your outward worship of God? Wherefore do you not serve him in your hearts and consciences? He is present within you, and not in the solemnity and ostentation of outward things. You have the sword of the Holy Ghost by right, with that you should strive: Use you the power of the true Apostolic Churches, and not the sword of man's hand.
29. The excommunication is your sword; but yet it must be used in the power of the Holy Ghost, in divine zeal against the wicked and ungodly, and not for that purpose to maintain human inventions and fictions, that a man must call your spiritual whoredom in opinions a chaste virgin: as for a long time the Babylonish Church has used it to such a power.
30. All outward ceremonies, without the inward ground, that is, without Christ's spirit and co-operation, is whoredom in the sight of God, that a man will approach to God without Christ the Mediator. For none can serve Christ but a Christian, where the spirit of Christ itself co-operates in the service. But how will he serve Christ, who holds in one hand the cup of Christ, and in the other hand the sword of self-revenge? Christ must, in a Christian, overthrow sin by his spirit, and not [by] the Father's fiery sword in the law of severe righteousness.
31. O ye children of Simeon and Levi, the spirit at Jacob's end has signified concerning you, that your swords were murderous, that Christ is not in your councils. As Jacob says, My soul, that is, the Covenant and grace of Christ, be you not in their Churches and congregations, nor in their council. Read Genesis xlix. 5, 6, where the council of the Pharisees and Scribes, who institute themselves pastors without the divine calling, is thereby signified.
it is the deflowered Dinah, where men make war about the houses of stone, and temporal goods, and thereby declare that the spiritual virginity in the spirit of Christ is made a whore, who plays the harlot for the kingdom of this world.
25. Hearken, all you who call yourselves Apostles of Christ, has Christ sent you to fight, and to make war, that you should strive about temporary goods and outward power and glory? Is that your authority (John xx. 23)? When he gave you the sword of the spirit did he command you that? has he not sent you to make known the peace which he has brought us? What will he say to you, when he shall see that your Apostolic heart has put on armour, and that you have instigated your worldly kings and princes to the sword and wars, and have allowed them that, as of Christian liberty? Will he find you thus, in his ministry? Do you that, as the disciples of Christ?
26. Are you not the apostles of the anger of God? Where will you go with your reproach? Do you not see, that, as to Christ who has taught you peace, you are become forsworn or perjured harlots? Where is your Christian virginity? have you not with Dinah squandered it away in worldly pleasure? What will Christ say to you, when he shall come again, who on earth had not whereon to lay his head (Matt. viii. 20; Luke ix. 58), when he shall see your pomp, state, and glory, in such palaces [and colleges], which you have built in his name, for which upon earth you have made wars?
27. When have you striven about the temple of Jesus Christ? Have you not always striven about your colleges or palaces, and about your own laws, wherein you have lived in opinions, and disputed about those opinions? What need has Christ thereof? Christ bestows himself upon his children substantially, in a living manner, to dwell in them, and will give them his flesh for food, and his blood for drink. What needs he opinions, that men should strive about him, who and what he is?
28. When I consider a true Christian, then I understand that Christ is and dwells in him. What means then your outward worship of God? Wherefore do you not serve him in your hearts and consciences? He is present within you, and not in the solemnity and ostentation of outward things. You have the sword of the Holy Ghost by right, with that you should strive: Use you the power of the true Apostolic Churches, and not the sword of man's hand.
29. The excommunication is your sword; but yet it must be used in the power of the Holy Ghost, in divine zeal against the wicked and ungodly, and not for that purpose to maintain human inventions and fictions, that a man must call your spiritual whoredom in opinions a chaste virgin: as for a long time the Babylonish Church has used it to such a power.
30. All outward ceremonies, without the inward ground, that is, without Christ's spirit and co-operation, is whoredom in the sight of God, that a man will approach to God without Christ the Mediator. For none can serve Christ but a Christian, where the spirit of Christ itself co-operates in the service. But how will he serve Christ, who holds in one hand the cup of Christ, and in the other hand the sword of self-revenge? Christ must, in a Christian, overthrow sin by his spirit, and not [by] the Father's fiery sword in the law of severe righteousness.
31. O you children of Simeon and Levi, the spirit at Jacob's end has signified concerning you, that your swords were murderous, that Christ is not in your councils. As Jacob says, My soul, that is, the Covenant and grace of Christ, be you not in their Churches and congregations, nor in their council. Read Genesis xlix. 5, 6, where the council of the Pharisees and Scribes, who institute themselves pastors without the divine calling, is thereby signified.
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