22. We do not disallow of the offices, which are God's, as also the officers are God's servants: we distinguish only what a minister of Christ is, and what a minister of nature in human selfhood is. If any one be in a noble office in the kingdom of Christ, then is his office noble; but he is a minister or servant under this noble office, and is justly honoured in respect of the office; we detract not from his honour, which his office deserves; but all selfhood in the kingdom of Christ is the evil Adamical nature, which is departed from God; for in Christ there is no nobility, but we are all only children and ministers or servants.
23. Our Adamical nobility is lost in Adam; but whoever in this world in the kingdom of Christ is noble, he is noble in respect of his office (as a king and prince is noble in respect of his office in which he serves); but if he serves not Christ therein but only the nobility of his office and his selfhood, and says, The power and the kingdom is mine, he bereaves God of his power, and makes it appropriate to himself and becomes a Lucifer under the office of God.
24. Even as Lucifer, who also was a prince of a throne, and a king in God's office, but when he appropriated the office to self; then he was thrust out (Isa. xiv. 19), and another got the office which he had in the kingdom of God: but he remained indeed a prince in his own office, but not in God's love, but in his wrath, wherein he must now also serve him: as also is to be understood concerning the offices in this world.
25. For a wicked prince and nobleman remains indeed in the office, but he serves not God's love but his anger; as is done at present, where the princes serve the anger of God with murdering and wasting countries and people, as in vengeance, and in the power of selfhood, wherein God's anger also becomes creaturely: but they do not that to Christ in Christ's office, but to the anger of God, who thereby punishes the false and wicked titulary Christendom with his office of anger.
26. For in Christ's office there is only love and righteousness, as also humility and fear of God in self: But the office has the power to separate the evil from the good as a minister! of God, yet with righteousness, and not with self will. He who says, you shall not kill, says also to the officer, that without the authority of his office he should kill none, neither should he do injury to any [though by virtue of his office] .
27. For the office requires a just judgement, and then the office kills the wickedness, 2 and severs it from the good, and the officer is free from the commandment of death; but if he has any evil intent in his will, there the judgement passes upon the officer himself.
28. In Potiphar, Pharaoh's officer, we have a powerful figure; who set Joseph over his whole house, and gave him full power to rule in his government; showing how God has set his officers in his house ofthis world, that they should do and direct, judge and manage things in a creaturely manner, as God does in them after a spiritual manner.
1 Diaconissa ministresse. 2 Wicked thing or substance.
22. We do not disallow of the offices, which are God's, as also the officers are God's servants: we distinguish only what a minister of Christ is, and what a minister of nature in human selfhood is. If any one be in a noble office in the kingdom of Christ, then is his office noble; but he is a minister or servant under this noble office, and is justly honoured in respect of the office; we detract not from his honour, which his office deserves; but all selfhood in the kingdom of Christ is the evil Adamical nature, which is departed from God; for in Christ there is no nobility, but we are all only children and ministers or servants.
23. Our Adamical nobility is lost in Adam; but whoever in this world in the kingdom of Christ is noble, he is noble in respect of his office (as a king and prince is noble in respect of his office in which he serves); but if he serves not Christ therein but only the nobility of his office and his selfhood, and says, The power and the kingdom is mine, he bereaves God of his power, and makes it appropriate to himself and becomes a Lucifer under the office of God.
24. Even as Lucifer, who also was a prince of a throne, and a king in God's office, but when he appropriated the office to self; then he was thrust out (Isa. xiv. 19), and another got the office which he had in the kingdom of God: but he remained indeed a prince in his own office, but not in God's love, but in his wrath, wherein he must now also serve him: as also is to be understood concerning the offices in this world.
25. For a wicked prince and nobleman remains indeed in the office, but he serves not God's love but his anger; as is done at present, where the princes serve the anger of God with murdering and wasting countries and people, as in vengeance, and in the power of selfhood, wherein God's anger also becomes creaturely: but they do not that to Christ in Christ's office, but to the anger of God, who thereby punishes the false and wicked titulary Christendom with his office of anger.
26. For in Christ's office there is only love and righteousness, as also humility and fear of God in self: But the office has the power to separate the evil from the good as a minister! of God, yet with righteousness, and not with self will. He who says, you shall not kill, says also to the officer, that without the authority of his office he should kill none, neither should he do injury to any [though by virtue of his office] .
27. For the office requires a just judgement, and then the office kills the wickedness, 2 and severs it from the good, and the officer is free from the commandment of death; but if he has any evil intent in his will, there the judgement passes upon the officer himself.
28. In Potiphar, Pharaoh's officer, we have a powerful figure; who set Joseph over his whole house, and gave him full power to rule in his government; showing how God has set his officers in his house ofthis world, that they should do and direct, judge and manage things in a creaturely manner, as God does in them after a spiritual manner.
1 Diaconissa ministresse. 2 Wicked thing or substance.
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