There are two kinds of things with men that must be in order, namely, the things that belong to heaven, and the things that belong to the world. The things that belong to heaven are called Ecclesiastical; and the things that belong to the world are
called Civil.
Order cannot be maintained in the world without overseers, who must take note of
all things that are done according to order, and that are done contrary to
order; and who must reward those who live according to order, and punish those
who live contrary to order.
If this be not done, the human race will perish. For there is born in everyone,
by inheritance, the desire to rule over others, and to possess the goods of
others. From this come enmities, envyings, hatreds, revenges, deceits, fierce
ragings, and many other evils; and therefore unless men are kept in bonds by
laws, and by rewards suited to their loves, which are honors and gains for those
who do good things; and by punishments contrary to their loves, which are the
loss of honors, of possessions, and of life for those who do evil things, the
human race must perish.
There must therefore be overseers learned in the law, wise, and god-fearing, to
keep the assemblages of men in order. Among the overseers also there must be
order, lest anyone should from caprice, or from ignorance, permit evils that are
contrary to order, and should thus destroy it. This is guarded against when
there are higher and lower overseers, among whom there is subordination.
Overseers over the things with man that belong to heaven, or over ecclesiastical
things, are called priests, and their office is called the priesthood. But
overseers over such things with man as belong to the world, or over civil
matters, are called magistrates, and their chief, where such supreme powers
exist, is called a king.
As regards priests, they must teach men the way to heaven, and must also lead
them. They must teach them according to the doctrine of their church, and they
must lead them to live according to it. Priests who teach truths and by means of
them lead to the good of life, and thus to the Lord, are good shepherds of the
sheep; but those who teach, and do not lead to the good of life, and thus to the
Lord, are evil shepherds. The latter are called by the Lord "thieves and
robbers," in John 10:7-16.
Priests must not claim for themselves any power over the souls of men, because
they do not know in what state are a man's interiors; and still less must they
claim for themselves the power of opening and closing heaven, because this power
belongs to the Lord alone.
Priests must have dignity and honor on account of the holy things which they
engage in; but those of them who are wise give the honor to the Lord, from whom
come all holy things; and not to themselves. But those of them who are not wise
attribute the honor to themselves. These take it away from the Lord. Those who
attribute honor to themselves on account of the holy things which they engage
in, set honor and profit above the salvation of souls, which they ought to have
regard for. But those who give the honor to the Lord and not to themselves, set
the salvation of souls above honor and profit.
No honor of any employment is in the person; but it is adjoined to him according
to the dignity of the thing which he administers, and that which is adjoined is
separate from the person, and also is separated from him together with the
employment. The honor that is in the person is the honor of the wisdom and fear
of the Lord [that he displays].
Priests must teach the people, and lead them to the good of life by means of
truths. But they must not compel anyone, because no one can be compelled to
believe contrary to what he thinks in his heart to be true. He who believes
differently from the priest, and makes no disturbance, must be left in peace;
but he who makes a disturbance must be separated; for this also belongs to the
order for the sake of which is the priesthood.
As priests are overseers for the administration of the things that belong to the
Divine law and to worship, so are kings and magistrates for the administration
of the things that belong to the civil law, and to judgment.
As the king alone cannot administer all things, therefore there are overseers
under him, to each of whom has been given the official duty of administering
what the king cannot attend to. Taken together these overseers constitute the
royalty, but the king himself is the chief.
The royalty itself is not in the person, but is adjoined to the person. The king
who believes that the royalty is in his own person, and the overseer who
believes that the dignity of the overseership is in his own person, is not wise.
The royalty consists in administering according to the laws of the kingdom, and
in judging from justice according to these laws. The king who regards the laws
as above him, consequently himself as below the laws, is wise; but he who
regards himself as above the laws, consequently the laws as beneath him, is not
wise.
The king who regards the laws as above himself, and thus himself as beneath the
laws, makes the royalty to consist in the law, and the law rules over him; for
he knows that the law is justice, and all justice that is justice is Divine. But
he who regards the laws as beneath him, and thus himself as above them, makes
the royalty to consist in himself, and either believes himself to be the law, or
the law which is justice to be from himself; consequently he arrogates to
himself that which is Divine, and under which he must be.
The law which is justice must be brought forward by persons in the realm learned
in the law, who are wise and god-fearing; in accordance with which the king and
his subjects must then live. The king who lives in accordance with the law which
is justice, and therein sets an example to his subjects, is truly a king.
A king who has absolute power, and who believes that his subjects are such
slaves that he has a right to their lives and properties, and who exercises this
power, is not a king, but a tyrant.
The king must be obeyed in accordance with the laws of the realm, nor must he be
injured in any way by word or deed, for upon this depends the public safety.
(Continuation respecting THE DOCTRINE OF CHARITY −
Click Here)
