Christus dicit hic regibus, quod, qui volunt passagium facere et guerram contra paganos, debent hoc facere intencione recta, scilicet propter caritatem dei et animarum salutem, corrigendo se prius et reformando regnum suum.
The King's Inquiry
A Swedish king seeks divine counsel regarding his vow to wage war against pagans.
A king of Sweden asked the bride of Christ to consult God on whether it would please Him for the king to join an army against the pagans, since he had made a vow to do so. As the bride prayed about this, Christ appeared to her and said:
Counsel for a Holy Crusade
Christ offers voluntary counsel rather than a command, emphasizing the merit of free choice.
If the king wishes to go out against the pagans, I offer counsel, not a command, because there is greater merit in acting according to counsel than by command. Therefore, I offer him two pieces of advice.
The Interior and Exterior Reform
Christ instructs the king to prioritize personal virtue and the moral reform of his kingdom before seeking external victory.
First, he must have a good heart and a fit body: a good heart, so that his only intention in setting out is for the love of God and the salvation of souls; and a fit body, so that he may be reasonable in his fasting and labor. Second, he should work to ensure that his vassals and soldiers are willing and upright. Therefore, he should first travel through his kingdom, inquiring how justice is being upheld, and how and by whom judgments and government are being carried out. Because anyone who tries to lead others to heaven must start with himself, correcting his own mistakes, and only then warn and correct those under his care, while spurring them on with virtuous examples.
Read the original Latin
Rex quidam swecie rogauit sponsam christi, quod consuleret deum, si placeret ei quod iret in exercitu contra paganos, quia habebat hoc in voto. Super quo sponsa orante apparuit ei christus dicens:
Si rex exire voluerit ad paganos, consulo, non precipio, quia maius meritum est facere secundum consilium quam ex precepto. Ideo consulo ei duo.
Primo, quod habeat cor bonum et corpus aptum, cor scilicet bonum, vt nulla sit intencio alia exeundi nisi propter caritatem dei et salutem animarum, corpus vero aptum, vt scilicet racionabilis sit in ieiunio et labore.
Secundo laboret, quod vasallos et milites habeat voluntarios et correctos. Ideo circueat primo regnum suum inquirendo, quomodo iusticia seruata est, qualiter et per quos facta sunt iudicia et regimina,
quia qui alios conatur mittere in celum, necesse est vt incipiat a se ipso, corrigendo errores proprios et post hoc subditos ammonendo et corripiendo et virtuosis exemplis incitando.
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