EU 174 - Dominion

EU 174
. . . there are two kinds of dominion,
one of love towards the neighbor,
and the other of self-love;
and that the dominion of love towards the neighbor
is among those who dwell separated
into houses, families, and nations;
whereas the dominion of self-love
is among those who dwell together in society.
Among those who live separated
into houses, families, and nations,
he has dominion who is the father of the nation,
and under him the father of families,
and under these the father of each house.
He is called the father of the nation
from whom the families originate,
from which families the houses are derived;
but all these exercise dominion from love,
like that of a father towards his children,
who teaches them how they ought to live,
does good to them,
and as far as he can, gives them of his own.
It never enters into his mind to subject them to himself,
as subjects or as servants,
but he loves that they should obey him
as sons obey their father.
And because this love increases in descending,
as is known, therefore the father of the nation
acts from a more interior love
than the father himself
from whom the sons are next descended.
Such also is the dominion in the heavens,
inasmuch as such is the Lord's dominion;
for His dominion is from the Divine love
towards the whole human race.
But the dominion of self-love,
which is opposite
to the dominion of love towards the neighbor,
began when man alienated himself from the Lord;
for in proportion
as man does not love and worship the Lord,
in the same proportion he loves and worships himself,
and so far also he loves the world.