m of their very sweat,
necessitating and constraining them by force to submit to their wills,
and trampling upon them as their footstools, only that they themselves
may live in pomp and power, and spend the fruits of this poor people's
sweat and labour in voluptuousness, pride, and vanity?

MASTER

Christ suffereth in the persecution of his members. Therefore all the
wrong that such hard executors do to the poor wretches under their
control is done to Christ himself; and falleth under his severe sentence
and judgment. And besides that by such oppression of the Poor they draw
them off from Christ, and make them seek unlawful ways to fill their
bellies. Nay, they work for and with the Devil himself, doing the very
same thing which he doth: who, without intermission opposeth the Kingdom
of Christ, which consisteth only in Love. All these oppressors, if they
do not turn with their whole hearts unto Christ, and minister to or
serve him, must go into Hell-fire, which is fed and kept alive by
nothing else but such mere Self, which they have exercised over the Poor
here.

SCHOLAR

But how will it fare with those who in this time do so fiercely contend
about the kingdom of Christ, and slander, revile and persecute one
another for their religion?

MASTER

All such have not yet known Christ; and they are but as a type or figure
of Heaven and Hell, striving for each other for the victory.

All rising, swelling pride, which contendeth about opinions, is an image
of Self. And whosoever hath not faith and humility, nor liveth in the
Spirit of Christ, which is Love, is only armed with the Anger of God,
and helpeth forward the victory of the imaginary Self, that is, the
Kingdom of Darkness, and the Anger of God. For at the day of Judgment
all Self shall be given to the Darkness as shall also all the
unprofitable contentions of men; in which they seek not after Love, but
merely after their imaginary Self. All such things belong to the
Judgment, which will separate the false from the true; and then all
images or opinions shall cease, and all the Children of God shall dwell
for ever in the Love of Christ, and _that_ in them. For in Heaven all
serve God their Creator in humble love.

SCHOLAR

Wherefore then doth God suffer such strife and contention to be in this
time?

MASTER

The Life itself standeth in strife, that it may be made manifest,
sensible, and palpable, and that the wisdom may be made separable and
known.

Th