thesmellypocket

 

Discord: You have it

Name of Nation: The Philosophate of Arpinium.

Type of Government: Oligrachy of Philosophers, aka neo-Aurelianism or Philosophism.

History/Culture: In antiquity, a remarkable man was born in the city-state of Arpinium. This state was once a major sea power and a pioneer, but had fallen into decline under the democratic system. This man, called Gaius Tullius Aurelius, called out the hypocritical demagogues, advocated for monotheism and espoused a philosophy antithetical to the ruling elites. By popular demand he was put to death, but his philosophy lived after him, spreading throughout the world: one man commented that all philosophy thereafter was ‘footnotes to Aurelius.’ Gradually, his successors and pupils took over every aspect of government and education. And never have they looked back. This ultra-hierarchical, anti-materialist, anti-egalitarian ideology is bizzare to many, and utterly despised by both liberals and communists. 

 

Over the next centuries, Arpinium dominated the humanities and their study around the world. The Arpinian philosophers, rhetoricians and historians are still the base of education in much of the world. The city has had two major crises, but the island enjoys a remarkable stability. The first was in the 11^th century, there was violence in the streets and constant gang violence that threatened civil war. THe issue was whether the old polytheistic gods were supreme, or there were no such gods. In 1171 at the First Arpinian Council it was defined that the gods existed, but that they were subordinate creations of the supreme God; the ‘unknown God, also known as The Good. The second was in the present century. Many of the philosophers had become corrupt, unbelieving and lived in luxury, which strictly went against the original teachings. This caused massive discontent. Now, the neo-Aurelians rise. Living strictly according to the highly ascetic rule, the current council largely belong to this strictly orthodox and highly fanatical movement, and harshly persecute Communism and other foul ideologies wherever they can be found. 

 

The society is very hierarchical and is governed by a small caste of hereditary philosophers, numbering 51. These men are expected to live by the most rugged rule, and are taught philosophy from a young age. The society grants many protections to women at all levels, except that of government: women never have been admitted into the philosopher caste, although there have been women who have held influence through marriage and family ties. The idea of women being in government is considered utterly absurd. 

 

The Philosophate was the first state to abolish slavery. No man owns another, but instead there are castes running through society. The society is very moralistic with monogamy and no divorce except in the case of adultery. 

 

Starting Points: (30)

Size: 2

Aviation: 2

Military: 5

Industry: 1

Development: 4

Economy: 6

Education: 10

Notable Characters: 

 

Marcus Didius Gracchus: A man of remarkably young age, head of the Philosopher’s council. He is a man full of fervour, who lives a strict moral life, and is regarded as very honourable, if naive. A neo-Aurelian, he despises Communism and Democracy, and is friendly toward the Nazr and their Mysticism, considering it very similar to Aurelainism. 

 

Gaius Didius Gracchus: The brother of Marcus...A secret Communist and subversive who wants to bring down the system from the inside! He is even younger than his brother though, so he hasn't achieved such a prominent position...yet.

 

Numeria: The wife of Gracchus the Elder. A beautiful and intelligent woman, and also downright evil – a Machiavellian figure, she stoops to levels her husband would not, unknown to him. Many have died of ‘natural causes’ in suspicious circumstances. 

 

Spurius Furius Cato: See as the chief enemy of the neo-Aurelians, head of a faction called the Catonists. An old man tired of their moralising and reformist antics! He wants to go back to the lax softness of the 18^th and early 19^th centuries, a fervent capitalist with a lot of liberal influence. At least, unlike the younger Gracchus, he opposes the neo-Aurelians openly. He also wants a standing army, an idea that sickens the neo-Aurelians. His strident manner has almost seen him ejected from the Philosophers, but he has too many prominent friends. Including...

 

...Aulus Furius Cato, his son, who commands the navy!

 

National Idea: Far and wide: Since Aurelian philosophers pretty much invented the humanities, and since Arpinian educators have always been famous, Aurelian ideas exhibit an awesome influence. Many crypto-Aurelians and open Aurelians can be found among prominent capitalists, university professors, priests and other powerful men, giving Arpinium a ‘lobby’ throughout the world, and allowing them to exhibit their influence without shedding blood. Hence, they avoided getting involved in the Great War. 

 

Unique Units: Hoplites (Irregulars): having no standing army, the Arpinian buys his own equipment and serves a temporary term in the army.

Map Position: See above.

Proof you’ve read the intro and the rules: Exists only at and for the Englishman’s pleasure. 

 

A Guide to Confession for Laymen, Religious and Priests

Written for the Judite Monks by Father Humbert, O.S.J.

 

Father Humbert, O.S.J. was a monk, priest and cardinal who spent up to 18 hours a day in the Confessional, on at least one occasion falling asleep there, clearly showing his great devotion to the Sacrament: he would literally beg people from the bottom of his heart to come - on his knees - and even rebuked proud princes in the harshest of terms, all but dragging them to the Confessional. He wrote this guide for the Judite Monks, who would have confessed their sins weekly.

 

‘Note that I use the word ‘Confessor’, not ‘priest’ - for priests must also go to Confession! And indeed have greater reason to.’

 

 

Examination of Conscience

 

I: Be not afraid. Thou hast sinned, but it is not the end. Take heart, for even Horen sinned. God’s mercy endureth forever, and there is no offence too great for His forgiveness - no wound beyond the great Physician’s skill. What unfathomable goodness! What brilliant light! What a depth of justice! Therefore fear not, and be ashamed of thy sin, but not of thy repentance. Go to Confession at least once a year - and let no man say ‘I confess my sins before God, having no need of a priest.’ Wouldst thou mock at God? He hath instituted this Sacrament as the means of forgiveness, and if thou hast any sense, thou wilt drink this bottomless cup of mercy. For I hath observed that we have only a limited time on this earth, but an eternity in the Skies. Prepare accordingly. 

 

II: Before going to Confession, it is imperative that thou thoroughly examine thyself in the light of God. Therefore, firstly, go to the Altar or to the household shrine and humble thyself profoundly before God. Implore the aid of all the Saints, that the courage of the martyrs, the purity of the virgins and the dedication of the holy priests might be thy ally in the great outpouring of mercy which thou art about to receive. Ask Saint Julia to take dominion over thy heart, in order that thou mightest be in the same disposition as her.  It is useful to do this examination every night, and just before confessing. Examine thyself according to the virtues and the sins:

 

III:Substantial Sins, or Those Crying out to Heaven for Vengeance:

 

Rape, sodomy, adultery, incest, spilling seed, racial interbreeding; fornication. Murder, attacking the innocent and defenceless; defrauding labourers of their wages. Theft - unless the penitent is impoverished, in which case it is no longer reckoned substansial. False witness, especially in court. Apostasy.

 

IV: Sins Against the Seven Virtues:

 

Humility: Have I been prideful or vain? Have I been smug or superior? Have I refused to forgive? Have I not respected or obeyed my father/husband/officer/mother, or some other in authority over me, insofar as he does not cause me to sin?

 

Liberality: Have I refused to help those in need? Have I been covetous, greedy or stingy? How? 

 

Chastity: Have I dressed or acted immodestly, in a way that could tempt others? Have I deliberately tempted myself sexually? Have I offended against purity and chastity? Have I been unfaithful to my spouse?

 

Meekness: Have I been cruel, angry, or peevish? How?

 

Temperance: Have I over-drunk or over-eaten? Am I a drunkard or a glutton? Have I put temporal desires before God? Have I failed to keep penitential fasts?

 

Brotherly Love: Have I been envious, hateful, or held grudges? How?

 

Diligence: Have I been slothful and lazy; have I neglected my duties of work, family and prayer? How?

 

V: Against Faith

 

Have I taught or accepted error or Heresy? Have I indulged in superstitious practices, such as palm reading? Have I used the name of God or an holy person irreverently, in cursing or swearing? Have I failed to go to Confession at least once a year? Have I lied in Confession, deliberately omitting sins? Have I failed to perform the proscribed penance? 

 

 

Basic Guidelines for Confessors

 

I)Charity. Do not view each Confession as a chore, but see in each man a potential Saint. For the greatest proof of God’s glory is the raising of the most dreadful sinner to the glory of sanctity. Therefore, be ever-mindful, for the soul thou must most tenderly care for may become a great Saint, and thou shalt have to answer for thy negligence to the Great Judge. 

 

II)Do not be judgemental. Each man has his fault. Even if thou art revolted by what thou hearest, remain silent and stoic as he unfolds his sins. Speak in a reassuring voice of the evil of sin, but most of all the greatness of God’s mercy. Thou shalt catch more flies with honey than with vinegar - so it is with the salvation of souls!

 

III)Remain mostly silent until giving advice. Simply nod curtly and reassuringly for them to continue - for he is confessing to God through thee. 

 

IV)The Seal is inviolate. A priest must resolve to die before he gives up that which is revealed in the secrecy of Confession. If he is not willing to, he should never have become a priest. If he already is, he had better pray for the grace of courage! 

 

V)When giving advice, be totally frank.

 

Confessing Sins

 

Confessor: In the name of the Father, and of Horen, and of all the Exalted. 

 

Penitent: Bless me (OR pray for me), Father, for I have sinned...It has been (x) days since my last Confession. These are my sins...

 

 

Advice

 

This can be short or long. I hath spent hours with the same penitent, for truly, truly I write, that one repentant sinner causes more joy in the heavenly court among the Angels and Saints, than all the earthly palaces in the world! For God can save the sinners we are, but not the Saints we pretend to be. 

 

The advice should focus on how to combat the specific sins the penitent hast committed. They should be filled with the light of Scriptural and spiritual quotation, and totally tender and kind in tone; although we may out of kindness rebuke a brother who repeatedly falls into the same sin. 

 

Penance

 

Traditionally, a penance is a short set of small prayers. But the state of our times requires often more creative approaches, and these special penances are the most effective in draining out sin. Do not be afraid, Confessor, to be extreme, and demand whatsoever is needed to tackle the problems at the root. Useful penances include:

 

i)’Adopt a patron Saint.’ So many are without, that they deprive themselves of superabundant graces! The stories of the Saints are the true exposition of Scripture and a great way to connect with the faithful.

 

ii)’Adopt a prayer rule.’ If thou art not praying regularly, thou art going into battle against armoured knights armed with nothing but a twig. But armed with God’s help, there can be no number of knights that can hope to even dent thee. Therefore, pray throughout the day. 

 

iii)’Humiliate thyself.’ If the penitent struggles with pride, make him humble himself: make him shave half of his beard off, or make a woman shave her head, make people wear beggar’s clothing, etc. 

 

iv)’Whatever it takes.’ If it takes demanding a radical lifestyle change to make someone give up sin, then prescribe it. If thou art a penitent, listen to the priest and resolve to do the penance, even if it completely changes thy life. A doctor of the body prescribes medicine. The Confessor, the doctor of the heart, prescribes his own form of medicine - penance. 

 

Question: What if the penance prescribed is sinful? Then the absolution is invalid. Find another Confessor. 
 

Absolution

 

Confessor: Dost thou resolve to do this penance here proscribed, rebuking all past sins and vowing never to sin again?

 

Penitent: I do. O God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. May I never offend Thee any more. O may I love Thee without ceasing, and make it my resolve to do in all things Thy most holy will.

 

Confessor: God, the Father of mercy, hath, through the authority of the Prophets, instituted a sacred priesthood for the administration of the Sacraments and for the remission of sins. In union with the Exalted, Saints and Angels in the Skies, and all the faithful departed, and on the authority of said priesthood, I do absolve thee from thy sins in the name of the Father, and of Horen, and of all the Exalted. Thy sins are all forgiven: go in peace!

 

Penitent: Thanks be to God!

((Brilliant work mate

I am touched by these responses, thank you all! The feelings are mutual.

Just a polite notice that I’ll be leaving lotc. Cheers to all the staff and players, particularly the Savoyard lads if any of you are still about, there were some good times. I 99% of the time played scholar types so if there was anyone who actually read or enjoyed my long writings I appreciate it.  Basically, I had grown bored of RP, but then playing a priest had renewed my interest so I became active again, but since I’ve grown very busy, and I don’t think I can really sustain it.

 

LOTC has become a drain and distraction from God (I was baptised a few months ago.) So now I’m focusing on living out a virtuous life, in my prayer, studies, family, work and friendships. And when I do have free time in the home I don’t have enough of it to create a character, plot his development and have any kind of complex RP, I’d rather just wack on a single player game tbh and have a pint...

 

Terr-ah. 

 

(Piov already took Benedict XVI!!!!!!)

 

On 11/3/2019 at 2:17 AM, Draeris said:

“GOD BLESS our benevolent race.” Reinhard would exclaim, signing a cross.

((Great post!))

((Thanks Roki lol I have to show you these https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A1sbp9inQ7BN5p4ktKdbsJLJ5sr2tv66lSW1-m66QPI/edit

THE PATH TO SAINTHOOD.

 

Daily Meditations of Father Humbert, O.S.J.

Edited by Cardinal Philip Pius Coppinger, Cong. Orat.

 

Father Humbert, O.S.J. (1696-1731), or Humbert the Slave of God, was a great mystic, scholar, preacher and monastic. Arguably one of the greatest spiritual writers of the last century, he converted from a debauched life to live a remarkably strict ascetism and state of ‘Divine Slavery’ in which he renounced his own desires entirely. These proverbs are drawn from his sayings, writings and work, and can be considered the masterpiece of Judite spirituality. He who follows these maxims will not have to fear Hades, for his soul will be in paradise, with the Angels and Saints of our Lord!

 

Father Humbert, O.S.J.

 

ONE:  Horen’s Calling

 

I: God alone is sufficient, God alone is necessary; God alone can make Saints of us. Therefore the man who has God lacks in nothing, and possesses in everything; he who does not have God wants in everything, and possesses in nothing.  

II: Since God is omnipotent and omnibenevolent, nothing should worry us. Hope and pray, for the Good will win in the end. 

III: God would not permit thee to suffer a temptation which could not, with His help, be overcome. 

IV: To go into any trial without the armour of silent prayer, is to fend off a cavalry charge alone and with a twig.

V: There is infinitely more joy in the Skies among the Angels and Saints at one repentant sinner’s soul, than at all the palaces, armies and empires in the whole world. 

VI: God can save the sinners we are, but not the Saints we pretend to be.

VII: If thou dost not see God in the beggar, drunkard and gangster, thou wilt not see Him on the altar.

VIII: The greatest testament of God’s glory in modern times is the conversion of the abominable public sinner to holiness. Therefore love sinners and wrap them in sweetness, for they can always be Saints-in-waiting. 

IX: Abandon all worry and resign yourself to God’s care. Say three words in all things: ‘Fiat voluntas Tua.’ (Thy will be done.)

X: Imitate the virtues of Saint Julia: Angelic sweetness, ardent charity, blind obedience, constant mental prayer, sublime purity, divine wisdom, heroic patience, lively faith, profound humility, and mortification in all things. 

XI: Go to Confession.

XII: God is so good that He permits us to live and even attain salvation in spite of our own evil.

XIII: Say only that which is true, necessary and beautiful.

XIV: Do only that which is true, necessary and beautiful.

XV: Pray only that which is true, necessary and beautiful.

((St. J.H. Newman)) XVI: God has created thee to do Him some definite service. He hath committed some work to thee which He has not committed to another. Thou hast thy mission. Thou mayst not know it in this life, but thou shalt be told it in the next. Thou art a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.

XVII: He has not created thee for naught. Thou shalt do good; do His work. Thou shalt be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in thy own place, whilst not intending it you thou do but keep His commandments.

XVIII: Therefore, thou shalt trust Him, whatever thou art, thou canst never be thrown away. If thou art in sickness, thy sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, thy perplexity may serve Him. If thou art in sorrow, thy sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. 

XIX: He may take away thy friends. He may throw thee among strangers. He may make thee feel desolate, make thy spirit sink; hide thy future from me. Still, He knows what He is about. 

XX: Do not fear men. What can they do unto thee? Kill thee? This is nothing; fear Him who can decide your fate for eternity. 

XXI: But our God is a merciful God; therefore trust and love Him also. Fear not men and love God above all things.

XXII: It is thereby better to spend a minute meditating on the glory of the Saints and Skies, than ten hours on the horrors of iblees and Hades.

XXIII: Cultivate in thyself love, wisdom and fear: so that if mean and base men shall cut thee into a thousand pieces, each and every one of them shall love thy butcher. 

XXIV: For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but the love of God is the beginning of light.

 

Exalted Owyn.

 

TWO: Owyn’s Light

 

I: Remember, Canonist soul, that thou hast: God to worship, God to yield to; God to love and desire. The Skies to gain, the Void to avoid; 

II:  The Saints to venerate, the martyrs to imitate, the Prophets to heed, the virgins to honour, the Confessors to call; the Rosary to pray;

III: Truth to preach, Good to do, trespasses to forgive, Charity to show; enemies and friends to love.

IV: Remember, therefore, that thy true citizenship is in Heaven: God wants thee, and he wants thee a Saint. Be ever a foreigner to the world, and the closest son of the Skies instead.

V: In that regard be thee LITTLE as children: for to he that is little, mercy shall be granted: but the mighty shall be mightily tormented. 

VI: For justice is perpetual and immortal: and those who account themselves righteous in this world shall have God as their judge in the next. But those who are innocent and childlike, shall be called of God.

VII: I have heard enough of the so-called ‘rights’ of man: let us now speak of the rights of God.

VIII: Go to Confession. 

IX: Strive not for the wealth of this world. The true wealth is God’s alone to grant (Virtue 2:5), and the man burdened not by greed shall surely have greater odds of being in union with Him.

X: Do not be afraid to resign all things to God, and all prayers to thy Patron Saint. For to be the abject slave of God, is greater than to be the Chamberlain of the Emperor himself, and we come to Him best through our Saints.

XI: The intention matters. Do a little kindness for the greater glory of God: offer to the stranger a small smile, pray to bless each man you see; tell those around you how much you love them.

XII: Without God nothing is possible: with Him alone, all things are possible. 

XIII: Even the most virtuous friend will disappoint: God alone cannot disappoint, if we truly want salvation.

XIV: Truly, I say that thou art a soldier in the most important war of ages. And it is no earthly foe I speak of: it is desire, greed, iniquity, unkindness, and iblees, that thou canst defeat only by adorning thyself with the armour of God.

XV: Yet in the battle against the occasion of sin, it is the cowards who flee sin who are the victors; and those that invoke God that alone triumph.

((Ratzinger))XVI: Truth is not decided by a majority vote.

XVII: The Lord hath sworn, and He will not repent: He will never desert His Church no matter how despairing the situation may seem. He may allow fools to govern her, degenerates to preach her and cowards to protect her, but He will never abandon His covenant with the Prophets.

XVIII: From Saint Jude we know: A lifetime of kicks and beatings, of stones and shite being thrown at thee, and at pure infamy and bile being spoken of thee: my friend, this is as nothing to a mere moment with God.
XIX: When shalt thou begin to do good?

XX: God has no need of men: rather, we have need of Him.

((St. Philip)) XXI: Obedience is the true holocaust; the true sacrifice we offer to God in our hearts.

XXII: If God be with us, who can be against us?

XXIII: Thou must die.

XXIV: In this fact, not our will, but His, be done.

 

 

Exalted Godfrey praying.

 

THREE: Godfrey’s Triumph

 

*Edited, see Confessions of Father Humbert, 1.1: the original quote is in the first person.

 

I: Let us not say ‘I’, except to pray, teach and self-admonish. 

II: Lean not on thy own understanding, but trust in the LORD.

III: See in each man a potential Saint.

((Augustine))IV: Say: ‘O God, my Lord and Master, why have I loved, why in my whole life have I ever desired, anything but Thee? Why have I wandered for all but Thee? O, spirit of God, love of God, mercy of God, reside in me, and have pity on me, the most wretched sinner!’ 

V: Penance, penance; penance.

*VI: We know ourselves too well to see virtue in ourselves; God’s grace alone can save us. The fact that God does not just strike us down to Hades for our misdeeds, but instead gives us a chance to repent, makes us living proof of His mercy.

*VII: Let us be His conquests: once His enemies, now his loving slaves. 

VIII: The Saints do not say: ‘witness my virtue’ - rather ‘witness the glory of God,’ for God works in and through us if we allow Him.

IX: Read and imitate the lives of the Saints. Adopt a Patron Saint.

X: He who commands must first learn how to obey.

XI: God has fashioned us two ears and two eyes, but only one mouth: let us therefore hear twice as much as we shout. 

XII: Go to Confession. 

XIII: It is better to give someone than the Plague than to lie to them.

XIV: TO those who gossip, if you can afford it, buy a chicken. Pluck the feathers, and scatter them in the square, and try to get them back. Then you will know that what is released is only retrieved with great difficulty.

((Newman))XV: Say: ‘MY Lord, I believe, and know, and feel, that Thou art the Supreme Good. And, in saying so, I mean, not only supreme Goodness and Benevolence, but that Thou art the sovereign and transcendent Beautifulness. I believe that, beautiful as is Thy creation, it is mere dust and ashes, and of no account, compared with Thee, who art the infinitely more beautiful Creator.

((^))XVI: To possess Thee, O lover of souls, is happiness, and the only happiness of the immortal soul!’

XVII: Obey the Bishop as if he were the Lord, obey thy father or husband as if he were a Prophet; obey thy Emperor as if he were a Saint - but above all, and first, obey God. 
XVIII:  He is Wisdom and he is Love - how canst thou want for more?

XIX: God knows thy greatest happiness: thou dost not.

XX: All things are for the greater glory of God: He sustains and maintains all things.

((St. Philip))XXI: We must therefore give ourselves to God altogether.

XXII: Go to Confession.

((Newman))XXIII: O most tender and gentle Lord , when will my heart have a portion of Thy perfections? When will my hard and stony heart, my proud heart, my unbelieving, my impure heart, my narrow selfish heart, be melted and conformed to Thine? 

((^))XXIV: O teach me so to contemplate Thee that I may become like Thee, and to love Thee sincerely and simply as Thou hast loved me.

 

Saint Theodosius.

 

FOUR: Tobias’ Bounty

 

I: Generosity to widows is obedience to God.

II: Despise not the poor, for God is the author of them all; and beggars now live and reign with Him in heaven, whilst Emperors are sent reeling in their own iniquity to Hades. 

III: The highest good is the salvation of souls.

IV: Sainthood, for ourselves and others, is our one and only goal.

V:  If every Canonist family prayed the Rosary every day together, the entire world would be saved.

VI: Go to Confession.

((Righteous John)) VII: When God is in our heart, we are contented with everything: what has been discomfort to us becomes the greatest comfort, what was bitter to us becomes sweet, poverty becomes wealth, our hunger is satisfied, and our sorrow turns into joy!

VIII: If a man marries the spirit of the age, he shall find himself a widower in the next.
IX: When thou receivest praise from others, do not consider this as the just esteem rendered to thyself, but attribute the praise solely to the kind heart of the man who grants it to you.

X: Better is wine drunk with humility, than water drunk with pride.

((St. Cyril)) XI: Thy accumulated offences surpass not the multitude of God’s mercies; neither do thy wounds surpass the great Physician’s skill.

XII: True happiness is interior.

XIII: The most important fast is the fast of rejecting evil, holding thy tongue, banishing lust and speaking, breathing and thinking only goodness.
XIV: It is necessary to have icons of the Saints in all parts of the home, for they remind us of the glory He can raise us to, if we but say ‘Non nobis, Domine.’
XV: There is nothing so repulsive to iblees as humility: there is nothing so pleasing to God as lowliness.

XVI: If thou believest what thou wouldst choose in the Canon, and reject that which displeases thee, it is not the Canon thou believest in, but thyself.
((St. Bridget))XVII: Let he who is intelligent have all the more reason to fear and love God, for He will not have ignorance as an excuse for negligence.

XVIII: Therefore, when God shall judge thee, he will not ask which books of Malin thou hast read, how many law-books thou canst quote, or what histories thou dost know, but Love shall be the whole syllabus. 

XIX: Thou wilt catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. So it is with souls!

XX: Be kind to all men, but harsh with thyself.

XXI: Love is the only thing worth living for.

XXII: God loves us more than all the mothers and fathers in the world love their children, all siblings love one another, and all friends sacrifice for each other. For God is the author of all these loves in the first place: they are a reflection of the divine love.  

((Chrystostom))XXIII: Be ashamed when thou sin, not when thou repent.
XXIV: The Emperors have the power to raise armies: the Church has the power to forgive sins. Which, I pray thee, is greater?

 

Blessed Jude I.

 

FIVE: Sun’s Smile

 

I: Go to Confession.

((Chrystostom))II: Hades is paved with the skulls of priests.

III: God and His Saints are with you always: you need only invoke His help and their prayers.

((Aug.))IV: A man has as many masters as he has vices.

V: I have observed, friends, that we are either slaves of iblees through vice, or slaves of God. I was of the former, now I consecrate myself to the latter.

VI: Better to die than to sin.

((St. Gemma)) VII: I would gladly give every drop of my blood to please God, and to stop sinners from offending Him.

VIII: Behave in church so that people might know Whose house it is; treat the Altar so that they might know Who dwells there.

IX: Better to be least in the Skies, than the first in Hades.

X: Make, first of all, a study of the lives of the Saints.

XI: Never forget his [Kristoff’s] name, and constantly invoke it, for if his Faith was so strong, by the grace of God and his intercession, so too may it become readily renewed in us.

XII: The daemons are still terrified of Saint Kristoff to this day.

XIII: If Saint Catherine was not too good to work at the feet of beggars, why thinkest thou to be so?

XIV: If thou hast sinned, turn to Saint Catherine for aid, if thou dost not wish to be refused.

XV: If the world was run by Saint Catherine’s example, there would be no war.

XVI: Julia called herself ‘ancilla Domini’ - the handmaid of the Lord. But a less sensitive translation might better render it ‘slave’; as showing total belonging and consecration to Him, which we also ought to practice.

XVII: Saint Jude knew...To look inward, humble thyself and practice mortification is the greatest crown of glory.

XVIII: This is what makes Jude our Glorious Patriarch: not any earthly deed, but the spirit he embodies.
XIX: Humbert’s last words: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all men of goodwill.’

XX: We owe God our all.

XXI: I recognise only one ‘human right’ - the right for a man to be treated as if he is an immortal soul and not a means to an end, for this is our duty not only to charity, but the substance of truth itself.

XXII: People complain that we Judites say the same thing, over and over again. ‘Go to Confession, pray, give alms.’ If we say them always, it is only because they are always true!

XXIII: It is much better to trust in the Lord than to hope in Mankind.

XXIV: How much better to trust in Him than in princes!

 

Saint Emma.

 

SIX: Harren’s Folly

 

I: What shall it avail a man, if he gain the world, but lose his immortal soul? 

II: Whenever thou thinkest evil against any man, turn thy thoughts into a prayer.

III: Whenever thou wouldst take the name of our Lord our God in vain, turn it into a prayer for deliverance. 

((St. Philip))IV: An excellent way to preserve ourselves from vice is to say, each day ‘to-morrow I may die.’

V: Persevere in an holy cheerfulness.

((St. Philip))VI: He who cannot suffer a loss of honour, cannot advance in things spiritual.

((^))VII: Humbert used to say: the sanctity of a man lies in the breadth of three fingers.

VIII: Love to be unknown.

IX: There is not a time in which prayer is not useful.

X: Imagine thyself as the servant to all, and treat each one as if they were God in person.

XI: The head of the Church, contrary to popular belief, is not the Pontiff. It is God.

XII: The Prophets sinned.

XIII: Beware of those who profess to be holy warriors as a cloak for their iniquity.

XIV: If husband and wife do not sacrifice for one another, they will not grow in love. Love thy spouse more than thou lovest thyself.

XV: A shrewish woman, however beautiful, will soon make thee miserable: so it is with a brutal man. 

XVI: Therefore, in courtship, maintain a distance from one another, and consider the soul first, for as saith the Prophet: ‘The man who gives thee ten roses in courtship will give but one after he has won thy heart.’

XVII: Religion is not a subjective sensibility personal to a single man, but objective truth.

XVIII: Neither, however, should it be a matter cold and emotionless - instead, the Divine Light should conquer us and work within and through us.

((Sheen))XIX: Not an hundred men hate the Church, but thousands hate what they think the Church is.
XX: It is profitable for us to acknowledge that our forefathers were greater men than we, in order that we might we spurred onto heroic emulation.
XXI: O God, give the earthly kings and emperors the grace to remember that they are but dust, and to dust they shall return.

XXII: Confession is a fountain of mercy - an outpouring of love! I beg thee, I entreat thee, and I beseech thee at thy feet to repent now, for God alone knows the hour.

XXIII: Father Humbert ended all letters: ‘Thy humble slave in God, Father Humbert, O.S.J.’
XXIV: Never speak in thine own defence unless absolutely necessary.

 

SEVEN: Sigismund’s End

 

 

Saint Julia.

 

I: As for the enemy, fear them not. (Delivered to soldiers.)

((Cato the Elder))II: Turn this over in your minds: if you do a bad deed to obtain a temporal thing, the thing shall quickly fade and the bad shall stay with you forever. But if you obtain something through virtue, the virtue will never leave you. (Same speech as above.)

III: Go to Confession.

IV: In thy prosperity, take not away that praise which is due to Him alone.

V: Yet remember that to be yet alive is a mercy of God, and so do the same even in the darkest depths - since alive we have the chance to become Saints!

VI: Better is one hour prayed fervently, than all seven mouthed idly!

VII: Diligence is a virtue, but without Charity, it is nothing. For I have seen men slave themselves to wealth, to drink and to honour, and so make themselves miserable. Remember, therefore, for what you work! (Pointing to the Skies.)

VIII: The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.

IX: Let no man say ‘I confess my sins before God, I have no need of priests.’ What madness is this? God instituted Confession; by rejecting it, thou makest a mockery of Him. God has desired, for reasons beyond our understanding, that this Sacrament would be His outpouring of mercy.

X: I beg of you, let me return to the Confessional! I esteem one Confession, one human soul, above all this earthly veneer! (Said he at a political meeting.)

XI: God bless you and keep you! (Said he to brigands who chucked rocks and shite at him, which he, kissing, blessed.)
XII: When there arose a certain petition, at the time of this postulancy, calling him unworthy to be a Brother of Saint Jude, Humbert signed it.

XIII: Beware of those who use ‘love’ as an excuse to tear down the law of God - as if they, in their pride, had a better idea of Love than our God, who is Charity itself. (Deus Caritas Est.)

XIV: Despise not the old; distrust not the young. For God is the author of old and young age alike!

XV: Whenever thou shouldst have a bad thought: lust or greed or unkindness, immediately think: ‘Glory be to the Father, and to Horen, and to all the Saints’ and write these words into thy heart!

XVI: Better to be the just man gaoled, than the unjust gaoler. For the unjust man is the base slave of evil; the just man is truly free from passion.

XVII: After a controversial but correct ruling: If the world be against truth, I am against the world.

XVIII: To... murderously pursue war without any attempt at a peaceful solution, surely makes men son of Krug, not of Horen. (Epistle to the Lotharingians on Peace)

XIX: For how shall we be justified in our Covenant if we behave with the same iniquity - nay, worse, than other races? (Ibid)

XX: Consider peace. Consider forgiveness. Consider sweetness. And live them.

XXI: The Lord ruleth me: I shall want for nothing. He makes me down to lie, in pastures green, he leadeth me, the quiet waters by!
XXII: Forgive them that wrong thee, and God will be inclined to forgive thee.
XXIII: Seeing a Novice help an old lady cross the street: Such is the kingdom of God on earth!

XXIV: The year is up, but not the time thou hast to do good!

 

A rather sad but kindly looking man walks in. He is dressed plainly and utterly without ostentation, and, although young, he walks and talks as if an older man, with an immaculate politeness.

 

Well, what’s your name?

Edmund Jutkiewicz, sir. 

Aye. And from whence do you hail?

Reza.

Alright, alright, that’s a fine place this time of season. How many years have you lived?

Twenty-three.

Got it. Your ethnicity, good man? I can’t make it out.

Probably because I am half Marian, I should suspect. My father was Marian, and my mother is a Courlander. 

Mmm. I never would have expected it. Are you literate?

Yes.

Good, that won’t hurt you. Do you have a wife at home, or children?

No.

They call Sixtus the Third ‘the Lewd’ for having two bastards. Don’t be like him. Have you got anything against taking oaths?

No.

You’re all set. I’ll have this filed away to the Prelate at once. He’s all the way off in Pembroke, at least a day’s trip. Give him a while.

8 hours ago, ExtremeCode said:

The poor drunkard was also killed shortly after with a sword through his chest, but in his dying moments, his soul was able to find rest due to Coppinger’s kind words of reassurance. He was truly grateful of this priest’s charity and love as he cried his last tears and passed away.

Hopefully they are buddies in the Skies.

Cardinal Philip Pius Coppinger [hopefully!!!!] in the Skies and not in the Void, prays for God to shew mercy unto his murderers!

If there was one virtue Cardinal Coppinger could be said to have possessed in the least, many people would have answered Caritas. Charity. This firebrand priest had been thrown out of political meetings and threatened by a Cardinal for his insistence on Confession and regular prayer. But few know that he did these things out of such a Love, such a Charity – the love and concern for the salvation of souls. It is for this cause for which he lived, and, on a cold night in the early spring of 1739, it would be for this cause he would die.

 

A bandit assailed and tried to rob a drunk man – Coppinger – alone and unarmed – intervened. The bandit also tried to rob him, the Cardinal telling him flatly that since he lived in poverty, he could rob him of nothing, and besides that, he could not rob him of God’s enduring mercy. Trying to convert the mean and base bandit by heart, the drunkard drew his sword and attacked. Coppinger, knowing he could not let the drunk man be killed, surprised the bandit by barging him over from the side. Just as victory seemed near, the bandit called his friends, who had been waiting in the bush, unseen: mean and cruel men, cowardly men who preyed on the unarmed and the weak. 

 

Coppinger told the bandits that they were cowardly dogs: made in God’s image, but they had become less than rats, and asked them to follow him, so that he might help make them Saints. The lead bandit was filled with anger, because Coppinger kept refuting his stupid and false doctrine, and revealing his own cowardice and folly without reserve or fear. Now the bandits, filled with wrath at Coppinger’s assault on their friend, decided to give him a torturous death. Coppinger prayed for them all the while, assured the drunkard that they would be together in the skies, and turned his eyes up with ecstasy toward Heaven. His last words were ‘Glory to God.’ The murderers were astonished at this martyrdom. 

 

Coppinger had died for the same cause for which he lived. That same fervent calling to save others out of Love. A spiritual student of Fr. Humbert, O.S.J., his dreams for an Oratory combining Judite spirituality with pastoral care would never be realised in his lifetime.

 

Glory to God. 

 

‘God can save the sinners we are, but not the Saints we pretend to be.’-Father Humbert, O.S.J. (Pictured: Saint Kristoff hears Confessions.)

 

Friends. 

 

Are you tired of noblemen who care more about flaunting their vanity than saving their souls? Are you tired of Bishops who care more about political gain than Charity for the faithful? Do you think that the salvation of a single precious soul is more important than all the elections and senatorial debates in the world?

 

Then you may be the kind of man at home at the Oratory. The Oratory, based in Helena, is a house of priests and novices, living in a monastic manner but under no monastic vows, bound together by pure, voluntary love, and existing solely for the servitude of ordinary people. Through preaching, prayer and penance, the threefold outpourings of Divine Love, we hope to reform morals, en-kindle pure love and bring hope to the masses.  

 

We are at war; every man, woman and child is a combatant. And it’s not any Wood Elf who is our enemy in this particular war. It is Iblees. Therefore, let us go forth, like knights of old, armed with prayer and humility, and together purge iniquity from within ourselves!

 

Rule of the Oratory

 

‘For truly, the world was corrupted. But lo, God is merciful.’ -Gospel 5:10-11. (Pictured: Saint Jude in meditation.)

The Oratory has no formalised rule, since there are no vows beyond those of a religious priest. However, these principles exist:

 

I.The first duty and call of the Oratorian is the salvation of souls. 

 

II.The Oratorian shall wear the simple cassock. Between them, there shall be an equality of dress, and he shall prefer this plain and glorious vestment, to any earthly gown or crown. 

 

III.The Oratorian is called to refuse any office beyond that of priest. Only on the special and continued insistence of the High Pontiff himself, can the Oratorian become a Cardinal, much less a Bishop.

 

IV.The bond of the Oratory is Charity. There is no vow of obedience to the Provost, but love alone holds the fathers and brothers together. If you do not see God in the beggar, you will not see Him at the Altar. 

 

V.The Oratory is bound to his location. The Oratory are not a religious Order with different branches in different cities, but live in their place, and are independent, being THE Oratory. Oratorians can and are even encouraged to venture out in need, but always remain based in the house. 

 

VI.Oratorians are encouraged to live out a modest lifestyle, and live frugally, although there is no Vow of Poverty. There will be no opulence except for Charity to God and man.

 

VII.Oratorians are apolitical. They do not accept political office or vote in elections. If they appear in public meetings, they are there only to offer prayer. Only if the civil authorities oppress the truth Faith can there be direct political action, or if the Pontiff should order such action of the Oratorians. 

 

VIII.The Oratorian will not shrink, under pain of death, from uttering his firm conviction that the Canonist Faith is the true Faith: the same Faith as of Horen, Owyn, Siegmund and Godfrey. All other religions are either honestly searching for truth but partially in error, or totally false and disordered. He is therefore prepared for martyrdom.

 

IX.Finally, the Oratorian shall have no trouble calling himself the Slave of God, and belonging entirely to Him through ordination, out of love. 

 

Structure

 

’The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.’ -Proverbs 1:2 (Pictured: High Priest Clement blesses new priests.)

 

Provost: The leader of the Oratory, elected every five years by the Fathers. There is no Vow of Obedience to him, but he has the power of expelling unsuitable members from the community. He is a first among equals, not a dictator, relying on love and prayer to advance his ministry and unity.

 

Father: An ordained member, or priest, of the Oratory. He is called to offer the Sacraments regularly, to preach and to pray the Breviary, and to help the Provost train Novices. 

 

Novice: A brother who wears the cassock and is undergoing formation for the priesthood. 

 

Deacon: A ‘permanent’ brother who wears the cassock and is given licence to preach, but is not ordained. He can be unmarried and live with the Brothers, or be married and live apart, albeit usually nearby.

 

Spirituality and Saints

 

‘My wealth is the true wealth.’ – Virtue 2:5. (Pictured: Saint Catherine with Alms)

 

Most of our spirituality follows the Judite tradition, holding great reverence for Jude’s writings, as well as those of Father Humbert, O.S.J. That Humbert is known to us simply as ‘our Cardinal’, since his ideal of divine slavery, and his model of monastic life and priesthood, is an example that we hope will bear fruit in us. We celebrate according to the Judite Rite. Others Saints and holy people we revere include:

 

Saint Julia, our parish patron, whom we call Queen of our Hearts and Mother of Mankind. We seek to imitate her ten principal virtues. 

 

Saint Kristoff, priest and martyr, in his courage and pastoral care.  

 

High Pontiff Blessed Jude I, for his wisdom and scholarly disposition. 

 

Venerable Julia of Haense, O.S.C., a fiery nun who spread charity throughout the land. 

 

Adela Pieta, O.S.J., the lately dead Abbess, who renounced the wealth of the Empire to become a daughter of God, and was martyred. 

 

Apply

 

((please contact TotusTuus #3901 on discord. 

 

-Father Philip, Provost, Cong. Orat.-

’To Brother Roderick,

 

Thy most excellent Thesis has been, as thou hast clearly shewed, inspired by the spirit of God, through the intercession of that most glorious monastic, Saint Jude. I just wished to heartily commend thy writing of late, which I will put with the other Judite writings, for Judite though you not be, the spirit of Jude liveth and reigneth in thee. Unfortunately commitments to my flock as Bishop, and to my offices in the Church, has kept me from embracing fully the monastic life. Nevertheless, I still wish to found an Oratory in Helena, with priests and brothers living together: monastic in nature and priestly in duty. If thou art interested in such an idea, I have attached a plan for the Oratory, approved by Daniel VI, for thy reading.

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AcNieCEvrB7M_tI9dgisqPWSElfMwyn4Lzl6IVhdrn4/edit

 

Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam.

 

Cardinal Pruvia.’

Father Humbert, O.S.J. smiles from the seven skies to see the Judites renewed in Haense, and on Mother Adela, whom he remembers as a little girl whom he taught how to pray and Confess. 

35 minutes ago, yopplwasupxxx said:

Well, what’s your name?

Cetibor Barrow

 

Aye. And from whence do you hail?

Northern Haense

 

Alright, alright, that’s a fine place this time of season. How many years have you lived?

Twenty-seven years

 

Got it. Your ethnicity, good man? I can’t make it out.

Half-Haeseni, Half-Tarcharman

 

Mmm. I never would have expected it. Are you literate?

Fluent in Common, Naumarian, and Tarchar. Knowledge in Church Flexio and Auvergenian.

 

Good, that won’t hurt you. Do you have a wife at home, or children?

No

 

They call Sixtus the Third ‘the Lewd’ for having two bastards. Don’t be like him. Have you got anything against taking oaths?

No

 

You’re all set. I’ll have this filed away to the Prelate at once. He’s all the way off in Pembroke, at least a day’s trip. Give him a while.

With the Sede Vacante, Cardinal Philip takes the liberty of accepting the application. It finishes: ‘Report to me at the Basilica in Helena. Your Obedient Servant, 

 

Cardinal Philip Pius Coppinger, Prelate of the Priesthood.’

Cardinal Philip Pius Coppinger seems to be deep in internal prayer. He is wearing a simple cassock, with no pretension of status or wealth. The other noticeable thing about him is his youth: he is perhaps only 21. He seems to mutter something about his spiritual mentor, Humbert, and then Saint Julia. At length, he speaks powerfully and with a dogged stoicism, belying his inexperience:

 

'Are we not going to start with a prayer?!' He insists.

 

'Saint Julia, pray for us. Grant us, by the mercy of God, thy angelic sweetness, thy blind obedience, thy profound humility, thy ardent charity, and thy divine wisdom.

 

Now, brothers in God. I think the spirit of God must guide us in these proceedings. If God should choose me I know it must be His will: for there can be none as plainly unsuitable as I, who am all too young, all too immoderate, and all too rabblerousing. That being said, there is one among us who is clearly suitable in every respect, and the entreaties I have made to God furthermore confirm it in my heart.

 

That is Cardinal Avalain. His stout service to our beloved Daniel recommends him: and which is more, the love of my spiritual father Humbert makes him of especial regard to me. From the beginning he has been a friend to reformist and moralistic tendancies everywhere, so therefore I have no hesitation whatsoever in casting my vote for him.

 

Whatever God wills, gentlemen.' He resolves with an awesome certainty and a simple nod.

 

 

On 10/3/2019 at 9:56 PM, PunPal said:

Well, what’s your name?

Edwan Hershire, sir.

Aye. And from whence do you hail?

The City of Helena.

Alright, alright, that’s a fine place this time of season. How many years have you lived?

Twenty-six.

Got it. Your ethnicity, good man? I can’t make it out.

Heartlander.

Mmm. I never would have expected it. Are you literate?

Of course! I mean, I read the sign on my way here.

Good, that won’t hurt you. Do you have a wife at home, or children?

Nae.

They call Sixtus the Third ‘the Lewd’ for having two bastards. Don’t be like him. Have you got anything against taking oaths?

No, I love oaths and stick by them true.

You’re all set. I’ll have this filed away to the Prelate at once. He’s all the way off in Pembroke, at least a day’s trip. Give him a while.

@Hunwald

“Mr. Hershire is an excellent man, I will vouch for him,” says the Bishop of Helena, Philip Coppinger.

THE ARCHBISHOPRIC OF KLAGENFURT

 

In 1216, one of the final acts of Pope Innocent III was to authorise the Dominican Order. This was to have vast and unintended consequences for Klagenfurt, which was considered to be one of the mostly bad run and corrupt Archdioceses in Christendom. Whilst the pews grew gradually empty, in heart if not physically, the Archbishop and the great monastics grew fat and rich, barely, if at all, living by their various rules. Learning and literacy were rarely seen in the country, with some key clergymen, it is said, not having enough Latin learning to read the Vulgate Bible. There was even a scandal of sodomy among a priory of monks, who were de-frocked and flogged for their iniquity by the new...Pro-Domincan Archbishop in 1256.

 

Archbishop Dominic Donnaruma,  an eccentric and brilliant Italian accounted by many as a Saint, invited the Dominicans over in large numbers. Ungiven to compromise, by fervent and truthful investigation he purged the Archdiocese of corruption, and filled the pews once more. Devotion to the most Holy Rosary exploded. In 1277, the Pope even approved a new Dominican-run university which has since gained a reputation alike to Oxford or Paris. This was a religious revival on a national scale, and it was one man and his favour for a new religious Order that had made it so.

 

About a century later, a new Dominic confronts a different problem. The new Archbishop of the same name as his predecessor knows that the learning of the priests, monks and nuns of the country is very great indeed. Reams of brilliant scholastic treatises flood the shelves, whilst bold new ideas and debates take place at the University of St. Dominic. But popular devotion has grown stagnant. Corruption and hypocrasy once again slowly grips the Church. And now the peace is threatened by an uncertain succession. Dominic knows he must act with a like courage to his namesake. A Klagfurtian at heart, and a choleric not given to compromise, Dominic is driven toward the preservation of peace, the flourishing of learning, and the revival of piety.

Brother Philip Pius Coppinger, the scholarly Acolyte, nerds out over this most excellent work. ‘Deo gratias! God save the Auditor!’ He then pens a quick note to the Auditor’s Office:

 

‘Your Excellency,

 

May the Grace of our Lord God be with thee always.

 

I wished to congratulate both thyself and the High Pontiff on the conclusion of this Horenian effort. I was wondering if some provision could be made for Deacons. I know permanent Deacons has never really ‘took off’ as a concept in the Church before, but, due to the general absence of clergy in many areas, certainly in those I minister to, I am afeared they may be necessary; that there be permanent Deacons with right to marry, instead of having the Vow of Celibacy – only Obedience would be necessary. 

 

I am thankful, however, that the abominable practice of married priests is now once-and-for-all irreversibly banished from Holy Mother Church.

 

Thy Humble Servant,

 

Philip Pius Coppinger, Seminarian.’

 

On True Liturgical MUSIC

A CALL FOR SOLEMNITY; A REBUKE OF CERTAIN INNOVATIONS

 

 

I.A Word on Other Traditions (Akritians, Ruskans, etc.)

 

A short note is necessary before I proceed. When I refer to the music of the Liturgy, I am referring to the main Pontifical Rites of the Church, and not to that of Ruskan Orthodoxy, or the Liturgy in Akritian and other languages. I recognise that these have their own solemnity and beauty, and do not mean to denigrate them when I speak of Chant and Polyphony as the one benefitting music for the Sacred Liturgy.

 

This will concern itself solely with the main Liturgy in Flexio and Common.

 

II.On the Two Permissible Forms

 

Tradition, both of the High Pontiffs and of the Saints, has handed down to us two main forms of liturgical music, which I call the Two Permissible Forms: namely, Chant and Polyphony.

 

Chant, also known as Judite Chant (Although it did not originate with Saint Jude, it has been his followers that have perfected the art) or Plainsong, is simple, solemn and beautiful. It remains the main form of Liturgical music, and I would say it may even date back to the time of the Prophet Owyn, if not the Prophet Siegmund. The rich variety of Chants which have been composed to match dozens of Psalms and antiphons, make it a deep liturgical treasure. It can be called truly, easy to learn and hard to master, in that there have been masterful specialists of Chant that have explored its true form in an ever more sharp manner, but that most Chants can be picked up and sung by ordinary people. They require no specialist roles, except a Cantor. This makes them exceedingly simple, and yet at once profoundly beautiful. They are thus fit for the Sacred Liturgy, since they show that seriousness that would befit the Altar of God and public Liturgical celebration. 

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JN9Sdv_uXQ [!]Attached is the Plainsong notation for ‘Vidi Aquam’, ‘composed by unknown, but this refined by Father Humbert, O.S.J.’

 

Now the second form is Polyphony; that is to say music textured with two or more lines of simultaneous but different music. A range of liturgical pieces have been masterfully composed into Polyphony, which seems to vary more, and be more glorious, than Chant. It also often requires a professional choir, or a very good amateur one, since the specialist roles and complex layers make it much harder to sing than Chant; indeed, whilst Chant is usually sung without an organ, Polyphonic music almost demands one be played. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yT0kLA6DHA[!]Attached is the musical notation for a composition of the ‘Kyrie.’ This is ‘composed by Father Humbert, O.S.J.’

 

Now the advantage of Chant is comprehensibility: some have felt Polyphony to obscure hard to follow in terms of words, thus obscuring the meaning of the hymn. Which is more, they say that such innovation is impious, but that we should rather keep to the traditions of our forefathers. But I would count it as perfectly valid, owing to its sheer glory, and the fact that it is more than fitting for Sacred Liturgy, not being the music of the common world. So long as Polyphony is composed and sung well, it can be so glorious as to out-shine Chant entirely, owing to the range of tones and complexity which Plainsong cannot hope to match. 

 

III.Rejection of Certain Innovations 

 

Having upheld these two, I will not falter in proclaiming those common instruments of the day utterly bankrupt when used in the Liturgy. I will not cease from condemning the use of lutes, guitars, pianos, lyras and other common and base instruments in churches. These would make the music of the Church worldly music, when in fact I should think that we should make the music other-worldly; we are talking of the Altar of God, and only the utmost solemnity and seriousness is permissible. 

 

If we allow popular music to enter into the Liturgy, we swiftly become a laughing stock, subject to the whims of the general public, and lifts not the heart of man to God, but brings it down to the level of the world. Therefore, if any man should enter these instruments onto the Church, let him be thrown into the sea, let his damnable guitars be cast into the fire, and let his pianos be crushed into dust. And of his flutes and lutes and whatsoever else I will not even begin!

Second Epistle to the Qalasheen, Concerning the Scrolls

 

 

I.Introduction. Continuing to Wish Blessings and Friendship. Outlining Qalasheen Objections.

 

To our Qalasheen brethren in blessed Horen the Prophet, greetings. Over this past month, I have considered the response to my first Epistle, and have further endeavoured to learn your country’s language. I wish to make clear that I have nothing but good intentions toward your people, for which I continue to pray for the exaltation and health thereof. My wish is that, with a firm conviction as to the truth of the Canonist Faith, out of love I may correct error. For nations are not built on opinions, neither mosques nor cathedrals: but on conviction alone can greatness be built. And on my conviction I have resolved to live and die.

 

It seems the objections to my first thesis of late, overwhelmingly come in two forms. 

 

I)The first is to say that the Canonist doctrine has ‘changed’, whereas those of the Rashiduns has not; that the Canonist doctrine has been corrupted, whilst the Rashidun doctrine remains pure. But I will presently refute this argument.

 

II)The second is the more serious argument; namely that which dealt more squarely with my original point. I pointed out that, in the Scrolls given to us by the Prophets, the Prophetic authority and origin of the Church is clearly shewed. Suspicions have arisen that the Church somehow altered or changed these documents, which will be clearly refuted in this latest Epistle, which should clear the air, and therefore show the authenticity and truth of Canonist claims to legitimacy. 

 

These arguments, therefore, will I tend to refute in this Epistle, which should calm any fears that I have fabricated in the slightest, but have shewed only the authentic documents, which shew clearly that the Prophets which the Rashidun accept instituted the Church by Divine commandment. 
 

II.On The Unchanging Development of Doctrine.

 

Firstly, to this argument that the Canonist Church has changed in her essential beliefs, and that the Rashiduns have remained the same. Now, firstly, I must mention that my original argument was mistook. I wrote: 

 

‘I will not shrink from uttering my firm conviction, with the whole of human history as my witness, that never has there been an institution governed with so much rampant folly, so much wanton extravagance, and so much thoughtless malice as the Church of the Canon. And yet, for all that, she has survived countless wars, schisms and heresies: for all of, and, in spite of, all the olds, God truly has NOT repented: He has, in the end, always preserved His Church and her divine office. ‘

 

This was taken as an admission that the Church’s essential doctrine has been corrupted; which I do not hold. Rather, I hold that often-times her ministers have failed, but that the doctrine has never been corrupted, owing to the fact that God has preserved it from His own glory. I will show now that the essential doctrine of the Canonist Church has remained unchanged and pure, and that only the way it is expressed, or rather, the fullness of its detail, has changed.  You will see, rather, that without the authority of the Church, that truth is never firmly established, and that the Rashidun doctrine has often-times varied from era to era for reasons I will explain.

 

Take, for instance, on the veneration of Saints. I will show three historical documents to show that the essential doctrine on this matter has been preserved over centuries, despite all the corrupted folly which has often governed the Church.

 

This manuscript, written in 1424, or perhaps even earlier, is the exact same as the next one, written some time in the second half of the same century. Now, the next manuscript is written several centuries later, sometime in the 16th century, or perhaps the early 17th, yet the words remain the same. Now, this last document I will show is the current Catechism, promulgated in His Holiness’, Daniel VI’s, last Pontificate. It will become abundantly clear and historically certain that at no time has the essential Canonist Faith changed; it has the same traits as it did when it was founded by the Prophets, and the Faith we believe in now is the same Faith that the Exalted Prophets founded.

 

Now, the historians among you will note that 1424 is within the lifetime of Exalted Siegmund. So we are looking at a document that could only have been produced with Prophetic approval. The fact that this document continues to be valid, and has never been contradicted by later dogma clearly proves that the Church of the Canon has not wavered by the divine doctrines and authority given to her by the Prophets.

 

Now, this first document of 1424 says on the Creator:

 

‘The most fundamental concept of the True Faith is a rigorous monotheism, called the Doctrine of One. The Creator is architect of the universe and progenitor of humankind. He is unique and inherently one, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omnibenevolent.’

 

(https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/86410-the-faith-in-a-simplistic-view-just-to-give-a-small-idea/?tab=comments#comment-753624)

 

Now notice how the substance has remained entirely the same, despite at least a century of distance:

 

‘The most fundamental concept of the True Faith is a rigorous monotheism, called the Doctrine of One. The Creator is architect of the universe and progenitor of humankind. He is unique and inherently one, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omnibenevolent.’ 

 

(https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/151145-dogma-and-principles-of-the-church/?tab=comments#comment-1427870 see section: The Dogmatic Tenants)

 

Compare this to the current doctrine, seen in the Catechism:

 

‘God, sometimes called “the Creator,” “Godani,” or “the Lord,” is the single omnipotent, omnipresent, omnibenevolent creator of the universe. It is He who drives the motion of all things, and who is the source of all goodness and righteousness. He spoke the Holy Scrolls to the Exalted, and He rewards virtuous mortals in the Seven Skies. God has no aspects, no internal divisions, and no physical form.’

 

(https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/183892-the-catechism-of-the-canonist-church/?tab=comments#comment-1719098)

 

Do you see how the deposit of Faith has been guarded by God? Surely, the way it is expressed here is slightly different: because it is written for the evangelisation and education of peoples, whereas the previous documents are written to outline Dogma in its purity. The essential doctrines of omnipotence, omnipresence and omnibenevolence have remained unchanged: and this can be seen with any doctrine of the Church. I dare you to show me any dogmatic pronouncements of the Church that contradicts a previous one.

 

Before you should rush to the printing press, I should mention that I mean Dogma, not Practice. The Church has changed in practice but never in Dogma. For example, she has at some periods permitted married priests, but now does not. But never has there been any dogma prohibiting married priests: instead, the Dogma of the Church has remained silent on this, and the Pontiffs have ruled against them for practical and disciplinary reasons. The essential beliefs: on what the Church is, where she comes from, and what she believes, has remained pure over centuries, and these historical documents bear witness on this doctrine of Monotheism alone. Therefore any accusation that the Canonist doctrine is always changing and that the Rashidun doctrine has remained pure is entirely false. 

 

Now, it is the Rashidun doctrine that has changed over centuries: namely because you have no set doctrine. Of course, you have the authority of the Prophets, as we do, and you have your own alleged Prophet, who is supposed by you to have given a final revelation. Yet do you have set doctrine? No, not without religious authority. To the Qali, the only judge in religious matters is personal conscience and his own interpretation of the revelation, making his religion dangerously vulnerable to modernism and doctrinal relativism. 

 

I have heard, in my discourse with the Qalsheen, that some believe in the veneration of the Prophets and Saints, and asking them to pray for us, whilst others do not. Well, I would say this. Some have called the veneration of Saints idolatry. So the question is this: either the veneration of Saints is a noble and just practise as our Faith maintains, or it is foul idolatry and deeply sinful behaviour that must be rooted out at all costs. Some Qalsheen are of the first opinion, but a great many of the second. Yet only one can be true; some Caliphs, it must be so, have believed one, whilst some the other. You are not, then, truly a single Faith, but you have as many personal Faiths as you do adherents, for without an infallible judge to render in religious matters, you quickly fall into the clear error of Iconoclasm in many cases, or, as I say, doctrinal relativism. I hope this will satisfy any qualms, and prove that our Faith has remained pure despite all the turmoil of modern and past times. 
 

III.On the Infallibility of Scripture.

 

With the doctrinal integrity of the Church upheld, I do not think it a stretch to say that the Divine Revelation of the Prophets has also remained pure in the hands of the Pontiffs. For you alleged that although these texts that I shew clearly prove the authority of the Church, they are as yet clearly altered, and that Church no longer resembles that which was founded by the Prophets, thus spawning the need for another Revelation. This latter point I have already refuted by showing the unchanging character of doctrine.

 

It will be sufficient to say that I have already shown documents from Siegmund’s own time, which could only have been printed and promoted publicly, let alone preserved, with the Prophet’s approval. This clearly shows his backing of the Church, and that he supported each and every doctrine thereof. 

 

Now, as a printer and historian by background, I must say that modifications made to texts centuries after the fact are very obvious and cannot possibly be concealed. Therefore, if the Church has at any time altered the Scrolls, then the additions or subtractions are so meaninglessly minor as to not alter in any way the essential meaning of the text. The whole reason the Church has insisted that the Scrolls remain in Flexio is that they be preserved without modification or bias. The Scrolls were given to us in Flexio, and such is the commitment of the Church to textual purity that she will not consent to these Scrolls being in any other language, except that in which we received them. Yet surely it is in our interest that these Scrolls be more widely known and printed? For they confirm the Church’s authority, by making it clear that Owyn and Siegmund founded them. Yet they have remained in the original language, because God would rather preserve the purity of His word, then gain the greater advantage for His Church.

 

Consider your own argument. The historical record literally proves, without a doubt, that Siegmund at least proclaimed, by the earlier dogmas, the Canonist faith to possess only the fullness of truth. Yet you expect us to believe that, for some reason, the Church usurped the authority of the Prophets, and altered their works to make it seem as if they had Divine approval? Despite raising Canonism as the official Faith of the Empire in the 15th century, that the Prophets have been corrupted in their works by power-hungry men? The historical record flatly contradicts every claim you make. The historical record shows the unchanging Dogma of the Church, and that this Dogma was supported and proclaimed by the Prophets as the only true religion. 

 

-May the Divine Assistance Remain Always with You-

Br. Philip Pius Coppinger.

-Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam-

Just now, ibraheemc2000 said:

((they are in the merchant guild in their home, I doubt you are there irp, so please do not comment on what they say<3))

 

((Sorry, void that bit

 

Just now, ibraheemc2000 said:

“ I have not claimed the prophets to be mistaken, I have and will state that men, that were not the prophets changed the book for their own wills and desires, cannonism has changed many times, which proves to us that the books were altered, There is no need to be hostile effendi, as I stated, men changed the holy scrolls, which was not memorized by heart. In Imam rashidun, our faith was memorized by the heart through the sacred texts demanded such, we do not use the same scrolls of that of cannonism, but the holy book of Kitab Al-Salam, as the scrolls of cannonism have been changed many times.”

“Show me where the Scroll of Silence, which I quoted here, has changed. The whole reason it is written in Flexio is that it not be subject to change, but be preserved in the original language and text.”

Just now, ibraheemc2000 said:

“You claim prophets to be mistaken, only men have changed the word of god gifted from the prophets, and GOD had them changed as a test upon mankind, if you ask why god wishes to test us, it is that we are humble servants to god, and it is how we can achieve seven skies. I am not god nor do I know his plan for he is all knowing, all seeing.

“You are the one claiming that the Prophets are mistaken, not me. I am claiming that they were speaking truth when they vested authority in the Supreme Pontiff. You are claiming that they were lying. You are claiming that the Scrolls, the Word of God, is lying. Not me. Your error is selecting only those parts of Scripture that appeal to YOU, and rejecting those parts that would not do so, and cloaking this by saying that these parts, which you reject, are corruption. (Which you have, I should mention, not in the least demonstrated.)”

Just now, ibraheemc2000 said:

We accept them as prophets but we also recognise that MEN tanted the words of GOD, and use them for political gain, as you yourself have stated, the church changes their views by generations, god sent down prophets because men changed the book and his holy word over and over, so god sent down a final prophet the wandering wizard and gave us a book unchanged and memorized by heart. There is many deep and far more reasons as to why, but i shall leave that there to explain to you better.”

 

“I have accepted that certain prelates of the Church have often-times fallen into corruption, but the Church has never erred in matters of Faith, when she has been speaking with the authority of the Magisterium.”

 

“Godfrey himself accepted that he was only a man: it was his humility that led God to invest him in the Prophethood. Truly, I have not seen a greater prideful arrogance than that which you speak now. Does God make mistakes in whom he picks? Godfrey says that he is a weak, frail and sinful man, but ‘I hath passed on what I have received.’” (Proverbs 1:4)

 

“Would God vest a message in a Prophet for it to be corrupted? The word of God has NOT been corrupted, but was passed on, inviolate. And God, through these Prophets, vested authority in the High Pontiff; he, together with the Church Councils,can alone pronounce in matters of Faith. The Prophets did not give us the Scrolls of themselves, rather, God gave us the Scrolls through them, therefore by ascribing corruption to them, you ascribe corruption to God.”

 

“Which is more, were it merely one Prophet, and were they the lying vipers you would portray them as, but the Prophets and the Saints are in agreement on this matter.”

 

“Show me the error the Prophets made in establishing the priesthood. It did not serve their own interests to humble themselves and go to Confession in ash and sackcloth, and to rely on priests in religious matters. The Qalasheen use this as an excuse to accept only those parts of Revelation that are convenient to them, but pridefully reject those parts that would uphold the authority of the Canon, and force the Caliphs to give up their false power.”