Book Third

[LoLzboi 661]

Book Third

Concerning Faith

 

The Baptism of High Pontiff, St. Daniel I

 

Penned By High Pontiff Siegmund I

 

1st of Horen’s Calling, 1694

 

 

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Within this book I shall be continuing my thoughts upon Faith, with this iteration concerning itself wholly with the fundamental goodness found within it, as opposed to my previous work which explored the lack of it.

 

So, with as little further explanation of its contents will provide, I shan’t bore you anymore with my explanation of this book, and shall begin where I had left myself.

 

 

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Upon the question of Faith regarding what is Faith

 

With this understanding of what the lack of Faith entails, and encompasses, and is, we then move on to that which is left. The leavings being, through the discernment of what it is not, Faith.

For if the lack of Faith is defined as the absence of belief, and discernment, and acceptance, and application, then the Faith would be defined as the presence of these things wholly, completely, and without modification.

 

Upon the question of the meaning of Faith

 

So then, as naturally as the question arises when discussing the topic, what is to be the benefits of upholding GOD’s teachings above any other mortal or false deities, if not but to preserve one’s self from punishment, as the most forceful of corrections, at the hands of GOD? This being the inverse to the previously explored question regarding the fruits of lack of Faith, yet also as equally flawed. For it is not the punishment from which we remove ourselves from, for the punishment is but only a guidance to the truth, but the goodness of life, and its fulfillment with GOD.

 

So to cower as a dog would do from a brutal, and cruel master when the question of faith arises is to cower from one's own salvation, with any actions done in fear of suffering being numb to the reasoning of why they are done in the first place. For it is not out of cruelty, or malice, or enjoyment of suffering that GOD passed down His judgements to us, but out of love for us so that we might grow within His gardens of creation, and protect it as He has done to us. So with a heart of fear one cannot truly hope to follow the path of GOD, for they have already been led astray.

 

Upon the question of Faith regarding the fruits of Faith

 

With this framing of GOD's love, we might then move to that which is the subsequent joyous celebration of our Faith upon this earth. Glorious is He, for although the corruptions I spoke of are true to each descendant race, for even through the hardships given to us by Iblees’ and his corruptions, we find our savior in GOD ultimately through Faith. It is He that, upon the ending war with Iblees and the casting of him down from this plain, saw what Iblees had cursed us with, and it is He that alleviated those curses with gifts of His own.

 

“So Aeriel came among them, and by GOD’s will the brothers were alleviated of the pains of their imperfections. And thus Krug’s wrath was tempered with honor, Malin’s impotency with sanctuary, and Urguan’s greed with strength of will. But at the command of GOD, Aeriel did not alleviate Horen’s pain. For to Horen, the Lord promised the Skies.” - Godfrey 2:16

 

To Malin and his tribe, he gave them sanctuary in the form of the grottoes and lifegiving abilities they enjoy within their realms. The tending to the plants and the animals with masterful ability, so that they might know of the parenthood they had been stripped of.

 

To Urguan and his tribe, he gave them the strength of will each one carries. For even with their physical bodies reduced to those of the other descendants, they know not shame, nor sadness, and instead carry themselves and their brethren with great pride. Pride with which the people of Urguan carry into all things of their race.

 

To Krug and his tribe, he gave them honour. For although they seem as brutish and backwards as any among the descendants, through honour they bind themselves together, and through honour they carry themselves from wallowing in the pits of blood and piss they fight within to greater achievements.

 

To Horen and his tribe, he gave them the Seven Skies. For although humanity may suffer upon this earth with their curses, bleed and die in thousands in their wars, they shan't know of great fear so long as they know of GOD and what awaits them once their pain is ended.

 

Upon the question of GOD's gifts

 

Yet even with gifts such as these, most tangible and beneficial, some would question why GOD did not simply remove the curses of Iblees and cast them down with him. For what purpose did GOD see fit to leave these curses upon our combined flesh forever?

 

To understand this, perhaps we must reflect upon the origins of the descendants in regards to Faith, or rather, the lack of Faith. For in a time when there were no curses, when the tribes lived, and loved, and were loved without suffering, or trouble, or hardship, what happened to each? In places of their choosing, with the bounties of all GOD's creation surrounding them, with no wants, or needs unmet, what occurred?

 

For if it was not out of unrest, or displeasure, or some other feeling that the descendants were tempted by Iblees, then perhaps it was out of thought to ease what little pain they may have endured. Or perhaps to increase the pleasures they already knew, and enjoyed to feverish levels of indulgence. All of these perhaps led the descendants astray in those early times, or perhaps some other reason, but nonetheless they were led astray and paid in blood for their transgressions against Faith in GOD's judgements.

 

And so, with this knowledge of their own transgressions being as quickly forgotten as the food they have eaten, or of a wrong they have done another to save their face in their own eyes, perhaps GOD did see fit to leave those marks of iniquity upon His peoples so that, should they think to forget His word, they might be reminded to the cost of what they wish to delve themselves once again into simply by looking upon one another and themselves. The ultimate, tangible, real, undeniable truth of these corruptions and what their fruits will forever be.

 

Upon the question of Faith regarding its entirety

 

And so, as we have delved to understand, that which we most commonly refer to as Faith is the guiding hand of GOD, gifted to us so that we may be led upon the righteous, and good path.

From this, we take its devices, those of Belief, Discernment, Acceptance, Application. From them, we understand how each creates the whole, and acts as safeguard for the others.

 

We understand the fruits of lack of this Faith, the detractions of inequity, the curses we suffer from, the ultimate pain we have.

 

And we understand the fruits of this Faith, the salvations we garner, the gifts we have, the ultimate salvation from earthly discomforts.

 

Finally, we postulate upon the retention of our curses at the hands of Iblees, and to what end they service ourselves in reminding us in the physical of each day what it is we work to overcome through faithfulness to GOD.

With these thoughts bearing upon us, we then might understand that which we colloquially refer to as Faith in its most rudimentary form, and might yet seek to further refine its principles and doctrines with which we of the current age live to uphold. Those doctrines and principles being the foundations from which religion is built upon as a whole.

 

 

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[osumanduas 1442]

Moved to The Great Library. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.

 

If you feel this is a mistake, please contact myself or any FM and we'll restore it.