THE CREED OF REDEMPTION ; BULL OF THE FAITH MILITANT

[MadOne 3772]

1974.

 

 

HIS HOLINESS CAIUS I, High Pontiff of the Church of the Canon, Archbishop of Visigia, Successor of the High Priesthood of the Church, Supreme Pontiff of the Church of True Faith, Keeper of the Canon, Missionary to Aeldin, High Servant to the Exalted's Testaments, Sovereign of the Apostolic City, Humble Servant of the Faithful and Vicar of GOD does decree the following…

 

 

 

Brother Thomas Williams once said; 

 

“The first law must not be hatred of sin, but love of God. We don't start with sin and hate, that is to have it wrongly proportioned, for we know that sin is wrong because it is a violation of the Good.”

 

Grace onto you, and behold now my decree, my brethren in faith, from the Judite Warrior, to the humble monastic within the sanctuary of God’s embrace, and allow me to pen my wise counsel onto you for the betterment of the Soul.

 

Verily, my tenure indeed has been characterized by my strife against the Saulician, the Defilers and all manner of the Unclean thing. And verily so, I have indeed taken up my blade, and have done the most valiant of efforts in an attempt to diminish their presence from embroiling our flock, for whom you and I share both share ministrations and the crook. By my works, you will find that I am no pacifist, nor do I cower away from the sight of battles to come, nor do I cower from the flame which springs forth from the blade of Prophet Owyn. 

 

It is during these crusades of mine, in which I have come across many strangers, who do not know our Lord, nor know the words of our Prophets. By all means and metrics, I consider these men totally severed from the Tapestry of Man, in that they do not profess the same things which I profess. And during these crusades, I have also faced many of the iniquitous kind, many made after the image of Saul himself. It was during this time during my erstwhile Cardinalship that I had deliberated greatly on the issue of spirits, and moral well being of those severed from the Covenant made by our Father, Horen. As I have seen wretched creatures, such as that of Malphas and Sarryn, who deserve the flame that we bless them with, I have also had the genuine pleasure of meeting the virtuous pagan as described by our catechism, such as Ar-Malna. And too, I have had the pleasure of meeting with men who, despite being sinful in their lives, seek to embody the value of virtue deeply within their spirit, men such as Atticus of Reinhold. 

 

Despite being a zealous warrior in my youth, to behold the ones whom we condemn the most and wish to strike down, to shake his hand, to compare my life with them, to be presently aware that we share the same gifts of Virtue blessed by the hand of God, whether he is born a gentile, or if he is not has stirred my spirit greatly, and I have abandoned such wanton hatred of the unknown, purging it from my spirit. I have come to embrace my philosophy of the ‘Canonist Elect’.

 

As I reflect upon the journey of my faith and the encounters I've had with individuals of various creeds and convictions, I am compelled to delve deeper into the theological concept of the 'Elect.' Let me thus impart onto you this notion, which has long intrigued and challenged my understanding of divine providence and human salvation. In our sacred scriptures and teachings, we find the notion that some individuals are to earn the covenant of the Lord, such as the kind of our Prophets, while others are destined not to embody this path, as exemplified by Harren.

 

My thesis upon this doctrine of predestination, rooted in the mysteries of God's will, is that those who are born into the Canonist faith or who earnestly convert to it are among the Elect. They are chosen vessels, blessed by the Spirit, to walk the path of righteousness and ascend to the celestial heights of the seven skies. Take the ploughman of Hanseti-Ruska, or the armsman of the Heartlands and Balian; Those among the covenant of Horen will embody the path of virtue, and will unmistakably become a part of the Tapestry of Man, as has been suggested by our philosophers and scholars for many centuries. From the infidel and the Elf too, I have identified members of the Elect, whom have an innate understanding of the Lord’s hand across the realm, who have their heart opened up to rational wisdom and discourse, ranging from the Brother-Convert Pius of Sutica, to the virtuous Cunimund Hal’Cingedoz. No matter where this man of the elect is born, his soul is marked by the hand of the Lord, thus the words of the Lord resound with clarity within his mind. Conversely, I find that those who choose to apostatize or who are fated never to embrace the Canonist faith are not counted among the Elect, for they have hardened their hearts. I beseech you! Travel to the land of the Elf, and the metropolis of the Magi. While you may embark onto them every wisdom, and every conceivable path that provides and illuminates the path of the Lord, ultimately, their destinies will lie elsewhere, outside the covenant of our Lord. Indeed, you can take up the hand of this man, guide him towards a monastery, sieve him through years of monastic and scriptural education, the mark upon this Man’s soul will never be redeemed, for he holds no innate understanding of the Lord’s Grace within the world. Too many times have I seen this, from Callahan’s Serwa, to Valindra, to the condemned Harren, who always will seek to use the faith in the name of glorifying their own name and prestige similar to the men of Elvenkind who use the arts of the magick to glorify themselves. I have seen this of men such as Arthur Burke, who, despite being born Canonist, will never hold a true understanding of the emanations of glory - they cannot perceive it! They, if they have not outright condemned the Church, nor have apostatised themselves overtly, will play at being one of the faith, while cynically manipulating and using their so-called faith in the name of earning glory among men, and worldly gain. See, that our faith will beseech men to perform selfless acts, acts of humility and submission to the wider will of the Lord. You will see these men spit upon such acts, and live their lives in every manner that is against a binding covenant. You would think that men who profess their soul being tethered to Virtue would not shun eternal salvation so easily, lest they were insincere in the beliefs which they hold! 

 

Verily, I say unto you that this division between the Elect and the non-elect is not arbitrary. You may rightfully criticize my penning as fatalistic, and cry that salvation is earned through the effort of man! But see that the notion of the Elect is not meant to absolve individuals of their responsibility in seeking salvation, nor does it negate the importance of free will! Nay, I do not scorn this. However, I earnestly profess that salvation is ultimately a gift from God, bestowed according to His will, that Man must trust in God's sovereignty and thus seek to embody the virtues of faith, hope, and love in their daily lives to reflect the divine wisdom and sovereignty of God. 

 

Now, I hear whispers among you as I pen this, frowning onto the words to criticize my word as such; that the all-loving nature of the Lord God will contradict rebuke this doctrine. How can I profess the destiny of the Elect, when only the elect are predestined for the salvation offered of the Covenant? For which I will remind you the true nature of the Seven Skies, and it’s layered nature; 

 

“God is not only a being, but a state of infinite virtue emanating from His throne in the Seventh Sky. Whoever is virtuous is alike to God, and thus is near to him. Whoever is unvirtuous is unlike God, and thus is spiritually distant from Him. The Void exists as the farthest spiritual distance from God, a place completely deprived of His virtue or His mercy. Thus, whoever is unvirtuous cannot enter the Seven Skies upon their death, because the Seven Skies are close to Him and the unvirtuous are far. If a soul leaves the World and cannot enter the Skies, where else is there to go except the Void?” 

 

The Catechism of the Canonist Church

 

Our dogma around the Seven Skies stipulates that the ascension of the Faithful for its embrace is embroiled with a justification for that ascension in the first place; Indeed, the Covenant is binding, and man may ascend to the Second Sky by being ‘Justified in Faith.’ However, this does not come to mean that those who are not of the Elect, thus not having the status of being Justified in Faith, are justified in other terms in accordance with the Lord’s Wisdom. Verily, while the Covenant is binding and in effect for the body of the flock, there exists another covenant extant without faith - being VIRTUE. For those who are justified by virtue will gain admittance to the First Sky, to dwell among their kinfolk and other virtuous of their kind, embraced by the Lord’s favor and glory. Thus, I find that the true test of the realm Mundus is not that one must be justified in faith, for we have seen wicked men who are otherwise justified in faith, but that the true and righteous test given and mandated by the Lord is VIRTUE. Verily, this is the exact reason why the Scroll of Virtue was delivered by the First Prophet - for it was the most important creed, which would be binding for all Creation! Who are we, to condemn to the Void the one who will embody the Scroll of Virtue fervently? Does it matter if he is a man of the flock or not? Thus, it is crucial to understand that the favor of the Lord does not exclude the possibility of redemption for those who are not among the Elect. While the path to salvation may differ for them, the virtuous among them still have the opportunity to embody the virtues and ascend to the First Sky.

 

 

---

 

 

 

Informed by my previous musings, do I now see it fit to introduce you to the concept of Mercy, and the sacred purpose of the Canonist Church, the mission of which you, reader must surely embody as a servant of the Light; 

 

“He entrusted to them the Word of GOD, which were the Virtue and the Spirit, and charged them to instruct their brethren in the path of holiness. At Owyn’s command, the brothers set shepherds over the flock of men, and so created a priesthood for their instruction, in anticipation of the second son of spirit.”

 

It is the purpose of the Canonist Church that we must tend and minister to the spiritual worries over Men, to guide and instruct them towards the right path, to sit as judges, and to make moral verdicts in an attempt to guide our brothers from the flock and gentile alike to the path of righteous salvation. So, I find that our enshrined purpose is one of gentle guidance and the placement of wisdom upon the minds of our brethren so that they may not be compelled to stray from the path set out before them. Verily, the Lord is just, but the flesh is weak, and loves the worldly boons granted onto it, from the sin of avarice to greed. Thus, our struggle, I find, is not to do with the sword, but rather with the pen! In the face of adversity, when the clamor of war and the thirst for vengeance resound, it is the duty of the faithful to uphold the banner of mercy and understanding. For what profit is there in crushing those who stray from the path, if not to further distance them from the embrace of the Light? Nay, it is through patience and benevolence that we may lead even the most wayward souls back to the fold.

 

Verily, in this righteous pursuit of the Church's mission to cleanse the souls of men, I have traversed treacherous paths where darkness reigns unchecked. Amongst the gentile masses of Kaethul, I beheld a people, though noble in their ignorance, ensnared by the vile temptations of Saul and his accursed ilk. Upon the sight of their ignorance and the city beset by the Saulician, The brethren of Saint Jude clamored for blood, to purge the unrighteous. My clergy have cried; "Let us make war on them! Let us destroy their very foundations!" Yet, I have stayed their hand, urging restraint and prudence. Instead of the sword, I wielded the quill, drafting a treaty with the heathen, granting respite to their beleaguered city, allowing their people to rest easily at night. Through this act of mercy, the seeds of Virtue were sown, unbeknownst to them, the ignorant elect and the gentile alike were drawn closer to the divine light.

 

I have ventured forth across the Vale, who have otherwise belittled, insulted and threw stones at us at their gates, rebuking us and spreading heresies of the faith. And with this, the voices of Saint Jude cried for retribution, and the clergymen called; "Let us make war upon them! Let us reduce their keeps and holdfasts to rubble!" And yet, I have held out my hand, and sought to reason with this Council of the Vale - for although they are not of the elect, they may be guided towards Virtue, as it was the mission of the Mother Church. And with this, did I make correspondance with the druid who spread heresies within the righteous Kingdom of Numendil. I faced them, extended my hand, and cried, "Behold, for the Lord's love is just!" And thus, did I now have their ear that they may hear my word and listen; thus softening the heart of the gentile that he may ascend to the first sky in virtue, while drawing the Elect closer before us by our word.

 

In the realm of the Hohkmati mage, ensnared by the allure of forbidden magic, defying the edicts of Owyn, they sought independence to establish a bastion of wisdom. Yet, upon seeing their spires and towers, the men of Saint Jude and of the clergy have cried unto me; "Let us make war upon them! Let us rip their robes and wands to shreds, that the world may know of the glory of the Church!" Yet, I stayed my hand, preaching caution, reminding them of the Church's mission to save souls from iniquity. Thus, a pact was made with Razad, exchanging words of wisdom to remind them of the path to salvation. With that, the mage Laurissa approached, engaging in dialogue, acknowledging past grievances but recognizing the righteousness in my words, thus altering her perception of the faith. She imparted to me that she had a distaste for my religion on account of some mistreatment in her youth, but that she had seen reason and righteousness within my words, and thus, I had changed her view of the faith.

 

I have pardoned Haus, I have forgiven Cassius Javron, I have forgiven Sermi. And for those deeds, the more zealous and fervent brothers among Saint Jude and the Clergy scowled at me, mocking me as "Caius the Merciful" behind closed doors and gates. Some deemed me weak, fearing conflict, blind to their perception of an assault upon the faith, forgetting the true mission of the Church to which they are sworn. Forgiveness, that oft-forgotten virtue amidst the clamor of righteous indignation, I bestowed generously upon those who erred. Thus, I find that it is not weakness that guides my hand, but the steadfast conviction in the true mission of the Church - to save, not to condemn.

 

Thus, Verily, as I stand amidst these troubled lands and my kvetching colleagues, I am reminded of the sacred charge laid upon us by Owyn himself, the charge to shepherd His flock with compassion and wisdom, not with the brunt force of steel;

 

“Observe Owyn’s Epistles. When inter-acting with the gentile races and peoples, he does not begin with what they have gotten wrong, but begins by praising them. He does not merely rebuke, but he also consoles with God's mercy.”

Brother Thomas Williams

 

Thus, I must now rebuke the more zealous men, who cry for war among my Church. When confronted with the ignorance of the gentile and the heresies of the misguided, it is not with swords drawn and banners raised high that we shall prevail, but with the gentle persuasion of reason and the unwavering conviction of our faith. Verily, I see men among my clergy, and the men among the Holy Orders who are fast to draw their swords, who are fast to strike the iniquitous down, who are fast to rebuke and condemn. Despite the Flame of Owyn burning brightly within your hearts, I find that you have strayed in your duties as a priest, and have forgotten the true mission of the Church in offering redemption and safekeeping. I beseech and remind you that you, as a minister and a holy warrior are the first avenue in which men may find sanctuary and gain access to the Lord’s unending mercy. How can you embody a Lord, who loves and cherishes all of Creation, when you draw for your sword and search for blood before you impart the Lord’s love and wisdom? How can you slay a man which you have not forgiven before? 

 

Nay, brethren. As men, it is not our charge to proffer judgment, for the time of judgment comes through the breath of the Lord upon death. As Brother Williams quotes, if we must decide between mercy and severity, then it is tenfold better to decide in favor of mercy. Our swords are present within our scabbards not that we must use them to purge iniquity, but that we are forced to achieve this deed in the name of keeping iniquity out of the Covenant, that it must be pointed towards the men of Saul and the Deceiver, rather than men who are otherwise capable of salvation, even if erroneous. Why do you rebuke mercy, and praise severity and violence? Is it not the goal of our faith to guide? Will you guide corpses?

 

It is in the moments of greatest trial that the true character of a servant of the Light is revealed. To forgive the transgressions of others, to extend the hand of reconciliation to those who have strayed, this is the mark of a heart ablaze with the fervor of GOD's love.

 

 

---

 

 

Mediated by these musins and theology herein, I, Caius I, in my capacity as the High Pontiff and the Vicar of God thus designate the following as LAW and DOGMA for the Faith Militant of the Canonist Church.

 

TITLE I. PROCEDURES OF HOLY KNIGHTHOOD

 

 

1. A Holy Military Order is a Canonist order of knighthood that is founded for the purpose of spreading the one true Canonist faith and defending the lands of Canondom and Canonist faithful where necessary.
2. A Holy Military Order may only be established as such by official decree of the High Pontiff. To whom, in his capacity as Vicar of GOD, Holy Knights swear vows of obedience, owing allegiance first to his office.
3. Thus those wishing to form a Holy Military Order must petition the High Pontiff and Church directly.
4. A Holy Military Order is led by a Grandmaster appointed by the High Pontiff, and further managed by the Commandant of the Pontifical Guard, who is tasked with the organization and management of all orders of holy knighthood as well as given authority to oversee and command them on the Pontiff’s behalf.
5. All holy knights must answer to the Grandmaster of their respective Holy Military Order, who themselves are required to answer to and obey the commands of the Commandant of the Pontifical Guard.
6. Grandmasters of respective Orders may choose to knight their own holy knights, though they must first have explicit prior approval from either the High Pontiff or the Commandant of the Pontifical Guard.
6. All holy knights are required to take a holy oath before being knighted in a proper religious ceremony.
7. All holy knights before being oathed must from now on read the Creed of Redemption, this document.

8. Holy Military Orders may draft their own oaths, however, they must include the following at all times;

 

1. An oath of fealty to the received holy tradition of the Holy Mother Church, condemning all heresy.

2. An oath of fealty to the High Pontiff  and the further hierarchy of the Holy Mother Church.

3. An oath to keep true to customary chivalric and martial values of knightly orders, chivalry and honor.

4. An oath to keep true to the tenets and dogma of the Creed of Redemption, that is, this very document. 

6. Furthermore a person seeking to join a Holy Military Order needs to meet the following criteria:

1. Have been a Canonist for at least two years prior to their proper induction. 

2. Have sworn no secular oaths that would conflict with serving the Holy Mother Church.

3. Have reached the age of majority, that is to say eighteen years of age. 

4. Be of unblemished character with no cause for public notoriety.

 

TITLE II. PROCEDURES OF APPREHENSION

 

 

1. Knights must prepare on a case by case basis prior to apprehension. This must be done in accordance with what is known of a target to ensure the best possible outcome and safety of all. Magi, to name one example, will require that null-arcana weaponry and auric oil be used, and any cuffs treated with this also.
2. One must get a letter of warrant signed by a Bishop or above before setting off to the arrest. Once such a letter of warrant signed by a Bishop or above has been granted and the target found, knights are to surround them and inform them they are to be detained. When doing so, violence is to be eschewed, safe should the target in question try to flee or engage, in which case the use of non-lethal violence is permitted.
3. Once the target has been detained, they must speedily be brought to either the Holy See or any territory such as outposts maintained by the Holy Mother Church for the purpose of proper interrogation.

 

 

TITLE III. PROCEDURES OF INTERROGATION

 

 

1. Once a target has been successfully detained and brought to the Holy See or otherwise, knights are to interrogate them on their suspected Darkspawn nature and are, in doing so, to try and extract a confession.
2. Confessions are to regard the target’s crimes, as well as names of their accomplices and their locations.
3. Once a target has confessed, they are to be offered redemption and a cure to their ailments where possible. This is to be done in the spirit of the mission of the Holy Mother Church, salvation and redemption.
4. If the target denies the offer of redemption or is found to be incurable, they are to be executed, which must be followed by a letter of notice regarding the execution to the nation from which the executed hails.
5. If the offer of redemption is accepted, the target is to be cured of their ailments and brought before a priest, this priest preferably a Bishop or above, with the aim of prescribing the target appropriate penance.
 

TITLE IV. PROCEDURES OF PUNISHMENT

 

1. First offenders, if they accept redemption, are to be prescribed a penance that will force them to cut down on their evil ways. Corrupted magi, for example, are to cut themselves off from their magic in entirety.
2. Once a first offender has accepted redemption and been cured and given penance, they are to be provided with a letter of proof that they have stood trial and done penance. This letter of proof is to be provided by the Bishop of whichever priest prescribed it, or themselves should they be a Bishop or above, and is given to ensure that these formerly captured targets are not harmed again based on past suspicions.
3. Known second offenders or those so corrupted that they are incurable may be executed without issue. 

 

 

 

[KillerMaid 106]

Ar-Malna points at her name in the decree "Hey! I give that guy cake!"

[sam33497 3299]

The young elf Silwyn Cerusil read the lengthy missive with intense closeness. He sighed, remarking to the wall, as people tended to after reading such missives. "If not for his wisdom. . . The world would be burning. I fear for the age of violence that comes when he is gone. What shall I do?"

[ToodIes 1405]

Faeryel reads the decree, and smiles.

 

Turning to a friend, she remarks; "To think that Lanre's Lich, by killing Caius' predecessor and speeding his ascension, contributed more to world peace than any of his destructive acts could ever outweigh."

[Hom 703]

Off in a secluded corner of the world, Atticus Reinhold still keeps up with the news. Gold-rimmed reading glasses bring the words into focus as he scans each page, before his eyes widen slightly- At the mention of his name. A stunned look crosses his face, as he re-reads the passage a few times. Then, his expression softens into a sort of awed, stuttering smile. He places the paper down for a moment and exhales, closing his eyes. “Thank you.”  For some reason, those words feel like a weight off his chest. Affirmation that he’s moving in the right direction. 

 

As he continues to peruse the rest of the missive, his assurance only bolsters. “This will do a lot of good, for a lot of people- And it will solve a lot of problems,” He adds, with a reminiscent wince, before his expression softens again. “A hand of redemption, rather than wrath.”

Edited May 16 by Hom

[Cheese 2652]

Juniper, for the first time, read over a Canonist missive with some thoughtfulness… After a time of contemplation, the heretical voidstalker finally reached her own verdict of the Pontiff’s words, and perhaps the man himself that she held a previous distaste for.

 

”…..Perhaps he’s not that bad after all.”

[ellielove15 352]

A certain Devil-Knight read this missive with a puzzled look. This sounded like an entirely different person than the Caius that she had met several years back. She pens a letter to the Pontiff. 

 

High Pontiff Caius I, 

 

I agree with your sentiment of leaning towards redemption rather than condemnation when it comes to those that lose their way to the darkness. I would ask that you find that same amount of compassion for the likes of Sermi for the rest of those that are NOT guilty of any crime and are forced out of Canonist lands at point of sword: The Cursed Children. We are not inherently darkspawn despite our outward appearance, and are not destined to go down the same path as those that cursed us. An entire group of people should not suffer for the crimes of one that is now undead, and another that was put within Church custody. Further condemning them in the way they have would only make the theory of us being destined to be demons a self-fulfilling prophecy. I have spoken with you once before, with many words that came more from pain and hurt than any malice towards you personally. I have grown older and wiser, and I think that you, in your wisdom, can also listen to reason. I implore you to consider my words, so that we can foster peace and kindness and show the world that Devil-kind are not beyond redemption. 

 

Sincerely, 

 

Dame of Acalonn

[satinkira 6308]

7 hours ago, MadOne said:

While you may embark onto them every wisdom, and every conceivable path that provides and illuminates the path of the Lord, ultimately, their destinies will lie elsewhere, outside the covenant of our Lord. Indeed, you can take up the hand of this man, guide him towards a monastery, sieve him through years of monastic and scriptural education, the mark upon this Man’s soul will never be redeemed, for he holds no innate understanding of the Lord’s Grace within the world. Too many times have I seen this, from Callahan’s Serwa, 

 

In the wilds of Numendil, Serwa, the leper, fairly wept for frustration.

[xo31 593]

A student of Arthur's showed him the missive. He read through it carefully, sitting upon some random hill.

"Accuse me of manipulation and lying and defend Hohkmat in the same breath. Interesting." Arthur said, distastefully. "He does make some good points. It is unfortunate that Hohkmat is still tainted. Hopefully Faeryel will solve it."