as divine ordinances. [This is no obstacle to the spiritual kingdom.
] The Gospel forbids private redress [in order that no one should
interfere with the office of the magistrate], and Christ inculcates
this so frequently with the design that the apostles should not think
that they ought to seize the governments from those who held
otherwise, just as the Jews dreamed concerning the kingdom of the
Messiah, but that they might know they ought to teach concerning the
spiritual kingdom that it does not change the civil state. Therefore
private redress is prohibited not by advice, but by a command, Matt.
5, 39; Rom. 12, 19. Public redress which is made through the office
of the magistrate, is not advised against, but is commanded, and is a
work of God, according to Paul, Rom. 13, 1 sqq. Now the different
kinds of public redress are legal decisions, capital punishment, wars,
military service. It is manifest how incorrectly many writers have
judged concerning these matters [some teachers have taught such
pernicious errors that nearly all princes, lords, knights, servants
regarded their proper estate as secular, ungodly, and damnable, etc.
Nor can it be fully expressed in words what an unspeakable peril and
damage has resulted from this to souls and consciences], because they
were in the error that the Gospel is an external, new and monastic
form of government, and did not see that the Gospel brings eternal
righteousness to hearts [teaches how a person is redeemed, before God
and in his conscience, from sin, hell, and the devil], while it
outwardly approves the civil state.

It is also a most vain delusion that it is Christian perfection not
to hold property. For Christian perfection consists not in the
contempt of civil ordinances, but in dispositions of the heart, in
great fear of God, in great faith, just as Abraham, David, Daniel,
even in great wealth and while exercising civil power, were no less