Lex saecularis intra Regnum Sanctam Vol. I

[Lortime 1153]

Vol I.

On Secular Law in Holy Realms

Published 2002 A.D, on the 13th of Sigismund's End

A Monk Espouses the conflicts and Harmonys betwixt Canonist and Secular law.

 

AS AUTHORED AND PROMULGATED BY HIS GRACE,

ALARIC BISHOP ANDRIKEV

 

PREAMBLE 

Since time hath began, man has been aimless, fraught with hapless desire and self-destructive tendencies. Left unchecked, man would be its own demise; yet humanity thrives. What is the sole halt upon the maddening desires of man that would bring RUINATION upon all of society? Law. Those statutes protected by a mutual desire for general safety and order, enacted by those wise monarchs who see what others fail too; a natural state of chaos that must be regulated, controlled, and curbed. 

 

These laws rest upon universal principles of good that must derive from some original source. How is it that such diverse and robust cultures, all penalize theft, robbery, murder? Because all law is an expression, occasionally distorted or a misunderstanding thereof, of GODAN’s holy virtues. So I say unto thee: 

 

HARKEN, 

 

Ye Goodfolk of the canondom and attend here my musings upon the intersection of Secular and Canonist law. O’ Blessed Lord, I ask you grant me your wisdom and insight as I seek to decipher and extoll your endless virtue in my thoughts upon this most fascinating and curious of subjects. Countless inquiries arise from this understudied subject; I seek to address as many as I can in this humble project. 

 

In seeking to determine what harmonies and conflicts exist between secular statutory law and the Canonist laws of the Holy Mother Church and GOD, one might mistake this document as being overly harsh or critical of the laws of canonist princedoms; this is indeed incorrect. This document merely serves an analytical purpose, seeking the TRUTHS of God, and perhaps as wholly benevolent and friendly advice to all canonist princes who query the holiness of their nations laws, and wish to amend them to bring the very core of their states closer to GODAN.

 

This will be the first volume of a set of 2. This volume is chiefly meant to lay the framework for how secular law can, and ought, to align with the tenets of morality proscribed in the Scroll of Virtue. The second one shall inquire into the current state of secular law and how well it aligns with canonist precepts of virtue. 

 

May GODAN’s unlimited intellect grace us all in pursuit of TRUTH.

 

Sections

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I. How can Secular Law ever be in line with Godan’s Laws? 

II. From where can we glean what our laws should be? 

III. Where are there Canonist-secular harmonies in today’s laws? (Vol 2.)

IV. What nations excel or fail in holy law? (Vol 2.)

 

Section I:

The Alignment of Secular and Canonist Law

All statutes are inherently a proclamation of the normative behavior that is expected of the honest and virtuous and consequently an establishment of what behavior is antithetical to good. We must note, that the origin of these definitions comes from different sources; Secular law is an expression of the normative will of the monarch (or in few cases, the general will of the people, such as that curious republican experiment of Salvo), whereas Canon Law is the direct expression of the normative will of GODAN.

 

These two need not necessarily be separate, and inherently good, honest, virtuous monarchs’ wills oft align with GODAN’s. However, the possession of morality and goodness is not the only element that is necessary for the alignment of statues. Though GODAN calls us to be compassionate, there are notable times where the compassion of the monarch may run counter to the GODAN’s intentions. Indeed, though sympathy be a great virtue, greater still is the iron-clad moral of Justice. Naturally sympathy is a part of justice, for without sympathy for the victims of criminal behavior, there can be no justice.

 

Consequently, as all laws are meant to achieve justice for the victim who doth been offended and harmed by the acts of another, all laws seeking to be holy in nature must consider the victims of the Church, the Canondom, and most importantly of all GOD. 

 

Lastly, the exact statutory composition of law can certainly vary, but it must include key components based on the sins outlined in Virtue. 

 

It can then be said that secular law most aligns with holy law when these statutes:

1. Understand the Holy Mother Church, the Canondom and Her people, and GOD as victims of sin as all peoples are victims of crime.
2. The Morals of a Monarch are aligned with the teachings of god.
3. The Statues enclosed within a legal codex align with the sins outlined in Virtue. 

 

Section II:

The Derivation of Law from Virtue

Though GODAN’s true and entire wisdom can never be comprehended in it’s full majesty and awesomeness, humanity has been graced with an inherent codex from which it’s own laws might follow: The Holy Scroll of Virtue. Here, I shall enumerate what laws are directly derived from each of Godan’s 7 virtues; Indeed, this list may serve as a natural benchmark from which to judge the Virtuousness of secular codices of law. This subsection will discuss each passage, and consequently a legal recommendation for what law pertains to the enactment of each virtue. 

 

II.I - Faith

 

There are two tenants within the canticle of faith from which law may be naturally derived; this is never to of course understate the immense importance of the excluded passages, but that their discussion is not pertinent in this specific theses. This applies to all the canticles discussed here. 

 

“And so I shall guide you in a theater of virtue, and the virtuous shall not live except by My Word.” Virtue, 1.7.

 

From this auspicious passage, we are called to enforce the disallowance of heathenistic behavior. Thus, laws pertaining to the protection of honest, righteous canonists against heathens and their saulician methods, ought to be in every canonist princedom’s statutes. 

 

The second passage from which law might be derived from is as follows: 

“So I am the Most High, and in pursuit of My Virtue, I bid my faithful this: You shall not blaspheme My Word, nor any thing that is holy.” Virtue, 1.8.

 

From this passage we glean the sin and thus the crime of Blasphemy. As opposed to heathenism, the crime of Blasphemy is a direct contradiction, or denunciation of GOD's holy words and virtue. Consequently, it constitutes it’s own category of crime and punitive measures.

 

This is assuredly one of the most foul acts one can commit, and indeed can only be committed with great and grave ill intent; this wretched intentfulness increase the gravity of the act tenfold; for though a fool may offend GODAN, he can learn of his mistake and rectify it; those who seek to incur his wroth willingly and knowingly and the threshold for their SALVATION is much higher. 

 

Statutory Recommendation:

1. “Any person who is found to adhere to the teachings, morals, virtues or general principles of a being, or philosophy other than canonism, is guilty of heathenism.” 
2.  “Any person who willingly, of their own free volition, Blasphemes the teachings of GOD and His Holy Mother Church, shall be guilty of Blasphemy.”

 

Punishment Recommendations:

1. Blasphemy, being a willing act by its nature, demands a harsher punishment than accidental offenses against god. Consequently, blasphemers ought to have their tongues removed to prevent further offenses, and for despoiling the gift of language God has granted us.
2. If Blasphemy was spread by writing, the removal of a hand shall be equally valid.
3. Depending on severity, anything from the simple proscription of a prayer rule, to execution may be warranted. This is a sin that is highly dependent upon the actual act of heathenism.

 

II.II - Charity 

 

The canticle of charity imparts a short yet crucial message from which we can understand that the absence of positive action can indeed constitute a crime and a sin. The passage pertinent to this discussion reads as follows:

 

 “So I am the Most High, and in pursuit of my Virtue, I bid my faithful this: You shall not desire the wealth of this world, nor the wealth of others, but the wealth of the spirit.  I am the Lord GOD without peer, and My abundance is the holy abundance, and My wealth is the virtuous wealth, and all the blessings of the Virtue shall fall before the righteous who share it.” Virtue, 2.10-11.

 

Two primary sins, and thus crimes can be derived from this text. Both shall be called Greed but shall be prefixed to better explain the specific misdeed that has occurred. 

 

First shall be, Idolatric Greed. This we shall define as the love of physical material wealth over the love of the wealth of the spirit. Though this is perhaps somewhat difficult to define in a criminal sense, nevertheless we must endeavor to find an adequate definition of this offense and a punishment therefore.

 

I shall posit the notion that a person who would spend more time accumulating wealth for the sake of wealth, than they do praying or engaging in other faithful, spiritual activity be deemed guilty of the sin of Idolatric Greed. 

 

The next form of Greed shall thus be named Negligent Greed. This sin is the failure to be charitable within one's community. Regardless of means or wealth, every individual can never be excused from aiding those who are indeed, most in need of said aid. Consequently, Negligent greed is the crime of neglecting thy community and kin in lieu of protecting and hoarding material goods and wealth. 

 

Statutory Recommendations:

1. “Any person who, as deemed by the law and their faithful community, to engage in wealth-accruing activity in excess of their duties to their brother and GOD in spirit, shall be deemed guilty of Idolatric Greed.”
2. “Any person who is found to hoard and accumulate wealth, and neglecting those in need in their community, shall be found guilty of Negligent greed.”

Punishment Recommendations:

1. The estate and goods of the convicted ought to be divided thusly into thirds; from which 1/3rd will be tithed to the Church who can remedy ills and sins within the world with the funds, 1/3rd shall be donated to charities of their community, and the final third may be retained by the accused should they repent; lest they will be forced to divide their estate in half, to Church and Charity. 
2. The punishment for such an offense ought to inhibit wealth acquiring behavior and promote spiritual activity. This might include the revocation of a trade license, or the forced attendance of holy ceremonies- balance must be restored through such a punishment. 

 

II.III - Temperance

 

From temperance, there is foremost a singular sin which can be derived from one passage near the end of the canticle, so this section will consequently be fairly brief. 

 

“So I am the Most High, and in pursuit of My Virtue, I bid my faithful this: You shall not lie with your kin, nor those of other tribes, and none shall lie together but in holy union.” Virtue, 3.9

 

The sin from this canticle is well-articulated in canonist law, and various jurisdictions, so I shall briefly reiterate. This is simply the sin of Adultery, and a grievous offense to GOD’s gifts; for the holy and blessed union of matrimony, only between canonist adults of the same race, should ever revel in the splendors of love. 

 

All other forms of sexual conduct is a disgraceful mockery of true love and virtue. Let those wicked beings who mock true, honest, moral love be punished as so. 

 

Statutory Recommendation:

1. “Any person who lies with a member of another race, a member of their kin, or with another outside of the holy union of matrimony, shall be deemed guilty of Adultery.”

 

Punishment Recommendation:

1. The Offending parties ought to be castrated, so that they can no longer enjoy the gift of holy union and the pleasures of the body god tentatively gave us, for they hath despoiled themselves and mocked his intentions greatly.

 

II.IV - Diligence

 

I would like to simply point readers of this theses to another well-articulated document on the matter of idleness before I began my brief discussion of the topic; On Rest, By Father Reinhardt. It is a thorough articulation of the sin of idleness, and indeed how we ourselves are weakened by idleness. 

 

I fully encourage those interested to read the document in question, for a greater understanding of why idleness is such a wicked evil. Nevertheless, the chief passage from which insight upon criminality and sin can be gleaned is as follows:

 

“So I am the Most High, and in pursuit of My Virtue, I bid my faithful this: You shall not be idle, nor forget your duties in favor of sloth.” Virtue, 4.8

 

Statutory recommendations:

1. “Any person, who, given the opportunity, fails to engage in fruitful behavior, shall be deemed guilty of Idleness.”

Punishment Recommendations:

1. It is recommended those guilty of Idleness ought to be immediately put to work under the supervision of the state, with minimal compensation for survival. This shall assuredly instill within the idle an appreciation for a bountiful harvest, or a masterful craft.

 

II.V - Patience

 

It seems, especially in our current times, that the canticle of patience is often forgotten. This is a great tragedy; still, many secular laws already originate and design from GOD’s instructions of patience. Murder, Assault, and other such legal provisions are good articulations of the canticle of patience; thus I shall not here recommend a specific statute nor punishment, for many monarchs have done well in this field. 

 

As a brief reminder, I will reference here the specific passage which instructions us all, in it’s exact wording for the benefit of all:

 

“So I am the Most High, and in pursuit of My Virtue, I bid my faithful this: You shall not raise a hand in wrath, nor in envy, nor in any kind of sin.“ Virtue, 5.9

 

As aforementioned, most legal codes prescribe punishments and articulate statutes well enough that I am pleased to say there is no particular need for recommendation. 

 

II.VI - Fidelity

 

This canticle poses a somewhat difficult question; though the improvement of one’s lot in life is something to strive for, as in accordance with the canticle of Diligence, and so too it charity to thus improve the lives of others in accordance with Charity, God still yet calls us to not be filled with reckless ambition.

 

How do we reconcile these contradictory instructions? Simply put, they are not contradictory at all. There are permissible and unacceptable forms of ambition. Hard Work, through industry and diligence ought to be rewarded in line with GOD’s call for diligence.

 

 However, to upset the order of the social strata or the economic order by trying to ruin or achieve the status of another, is unacceptable. Thus, though the merchant may afford himself a small estate or the worker a fair abode; he should never be allowed to enjoy the ordained privileges of the aristocrat, royal, or monarch; for this is the order given to us BY GODAN.

 

Let us here reference the exact passage:

 

“So I am the Most High, and in pursuit of My Virtue, I bid my faithful this: You shall keep fast to your word and station, and aspire not to greatness among men, but to My glory.” - Virtue, 6.8

 

Statutory Recommendation:

1. “Any person who is found attempting to deliberately upset the social and economic order, beyond what is acceptable for the betterment of one's own life, be found guilty of Infidelity.”

Punishment Recommendations:

1. Depending upon the severity of the action, the revocation of titles, lands, or confiscation of property that is being used to upset the social order is necessary; and an act of humbling, such as forced labor in the fields or confinement as a monk, to allow them to realize the natural order of the world better. 

 

 

II.VII - Humility

 

Last, but most assuredly not least, we turn to humility; a virtue that is all too often outright ignored, as braggarts and boasts fill taverns and spill forth into the streets, hailing themselves and ignoring the true glory of god. This is certainly an issue that needs to be addressed, with urgency.

 

“ For I have given to you a theater of virtue, and I have ordered the estates of the world.  And you shall be without pretense or conceit, for before the mountain, the ant and the aurochs are equally small. So I am the Most High, and in pursuit of My Virtue, I bid my faithful this: You shall not judge your own virtue, be it great or small, for all fall short of Me.” Virtue, 7.7-8.

 

From this, we ascertain that a grievous offense is the place oneself upon the pedestal of glory where only one should and can, reside; GODAN. This sin is particularly insidious, because not only does it make the incorrect assumption, that mortals, even the Exalted themselves, could ever equal, rival, or supersede the glory of his light. For this, death is the only reasonable punishment. 

 

Thankfully, very few hubrises are filled with such egoism to foolishly believe such a thing, nevertheless it is important to enforce humility. Thusly, derives two crimes in particular from the violation of this canticle.

 

Let us name the first, Grand Hubris. This is an offense where one has elevated themselves so far above and beyond reality, to claim they are equal to an Exalted, Saint, Aengul, or GODAN.

 

The second shall be called, Petty Hubris. This is simply the crime of braggarts and petty charlatans, who claim untrue deeds or heroics, or believe themselves superior to the common or noble man.

 

Statutory Recommendations:

1. “Any person who, with such foolish contempt, claims themselves equal or superior to the Exalted, the Saints, the Aenguls, or GODAN be guilty of Grand Hubris.”
2. “Any person, with such foolish contempt, claims themselves equal or superior to their common brother, or Noble, Cleric, or other leader of society, be guilty of Petty Hubris.” 

Punishment Recommendations:

1. There is no other fair punishment than death. 
2. Petty hubris is a somewhat minor, yet sinful offense- let the punishment be equal to assault, for hubris is an assault upon the honor of others. 

 

Explicit volumen unum.

IN NOMINE DEI

His grace, 

Bishop of Andrikev, Royal Chaplain of the B.S.K, Royal Alderman,

Court Chaplain to the Sovereignty of Hsypia

Edited November 13, 2024 by Lortime