Crusade against the Pope

Chapter 209 A Passover Offering
Time is really strange.

Sometimes it feels too long, and sometimes it feels too short.

It has been two years since that rainy night and that confrontation with the Bedouins.

During these two years, Gillis drew a dotted line from the Red Sea to Cyprus in the Syrian-Palestinian region.

The southernmost point is Montreal, and further north are Karak, Arnon, Tyre, and Cyprus.

These strongholds are like sparks, scattered across the earth and lighting up the fields.

But these fires were not intended simply to reshape the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

That makes no sense, what Gaillis wants is the "Kingdom of Heaven".

Looking back at the tightly closed castle gate, Gaillis knew that Raymond was unreliable: this man was afraid of death, ambitious, and would forget his principles when he saw profit.

Of course, this is normal. This world is full of insects and despicable people.

Everyone has short-sightedness, and can only see the small area in front of them.

It is for this reason that people like the "Leper King" Saladin, Balian, and Amedee are particularly special.

Walking along the hill path in front of the castle, looking at the city of Tripoli in the distance, and then looking at the endless sea.

In the pale sunlight of May, Gailis walked lightly and even sang softly.

“Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth, and the old things will not be remembered, nor will there be any remembrance of the past.”

“I will make a delightful Jerusalem, and her inhabitants will find joy in it.”

“The whole world will rejoice over Jerusalem and be glad over her people; there will be no more weeping or mourning in it.”

"There shall be no more infants whose days are short, nor old men whose days are short;"

"For he who dies at the age of a hundred is considered a child; the sinner who dies at the age of a hundred is considered a curse."

“You will build your own houses and live in them, and no one else will occupy them;”

“You will plant vineyards and eat of them, and no one else will take their fruits from you.”

"Your days will be as long as the trees, and the fruits of your hands will be enjoyed forever."

“You will not labor in vain, nor will your produce be destroyed, nor will your descendants.”

"The Lord answers before you ask; He hears you when you speak."

“The wolf and the lamb will pasture together, the lion will eat straw like a calf, and dust will be the serpent’s food.”

“On the Holy Mountain, there will be no more evil or harm.”

The melodious tune, accompanied by the beat played by Garys, flows between heaven and earth.

This was such an incomparable joy that even the plants and trees responded to it.

Even the white horse suspended in the air, blocking the sunlight, looked sideways.

Dark clouds are beginning to gather, and the city of Tripoli does not yet know what is about to come.

It was rain, it was blood, and it was also a Passover offering.

……

Father Vincent of the Botlen Church left Botlen in this cloudy season and was about to arrive in the city of Tripoli.

He looked very bad because he had been reprimanded by the bishop again and again for what had happened before.

In the bishop's opinion, he, a priest, couldn't even deal with a doctor.

Losing face for Vincent is a small matter, but losing face for the entire Botlen Church is a big matter!
Now, where is the face of their church?
Even though Vincent argued that he had handed the documents to Gillis, Gillis did not attend the trial after all.

Afterwards, the church wanted to investigate Gellis's whereabouts, but was interfered with by Lord Pulwan of Botelun, so that they lost track of Gellis for quite a long time.

It was not until the news from Tripoli arrived that the Botlen Church learned where Garys had gone.

Based on the requirement to make amends, Vincent was sent to Tripoli as an envoy of the Church of Botlen.

I hope he can explain the pros and cons to the Archbishop of Tripoli and severely punish Gairis!

This is different from the church system in Cyprus, which has a clear hierarchical relationship.

The Catholic church structure certainly has a bureaucratic aspect, but it is also quite flat.

Strictly speaking, the Archbishop of Tripoli is only the first bishop of the Diocese of Tripoli (Ecclesiastical Province) and has the authority to supervise other bishops, but the relationship between them is not absolutely superior and subordinate.

He also had his own church to be responsible for, the Church of Tripoli.

When Vincent arrived at the Tripo Church and reported to the Archbishop.

After listening to this, Archbishop Olivier of Tripoli was silent for a long time.

The wind rushed in through the crack in the door, passed through the hall, and swayed the curtains on the wall.

Then Archbishop Olivier uttered a few words coldly: "He is practicing witchcraft."

"Knowledge about the human body's internal organs has already entered the realm of taboo. Without the help of the devil or witchcraft, how could he know it?"

"Disease is God's judgment. He is trying to usurp power. Even if you are saved temporarily, he will still harm you invisibly."

“Everyone knows that disease is the result of human sin, and only sincere prayer and atonement can appease God’s wrath.”

Vincent couldn't help but shudder when he heard the cold air coming out from between Archbishop Olivier's teeth.

There are differences between churches and between bishops.

Compared to the Church of Botlen, Archbishop Olivier actually conducted witch hunts. He believed from the bottom of his heart that witchcraft existed in this world, so much so that someone had to strike hard.

At the same time, Archbishop Olivier also did have some information about Gellis' activities in Tripoli.

For example, Garys once performed "miracles" among Orthodox Christians.

It can be said that this is no longer something suspected of witchcraft, but a complete "witch"!
"Contact Master Francois, we need their help."

“Now, it is time to unsheathe those swords of God to slay the enemies of the cross.”

Vincent couldn't help but shudder again as he listened to Archbishop Olivier's words.

The Holy Land, Palestine, this land always nurtures many fanatical people, and Master François is one of them.

He was the leader of the Tripoli Chapter of the Knights Templar, who, wearing white cloaks with a red cross, rampaged through the Holy Land.

For these people, killing pagans who do not believe in Christ and enemies of the Son of the Virgin Mary is a good deed.

……

A huge conference table occupied the center of the hall, and more than a dozen high-backed wooden chairs were placed next to the conference table.

On a lower level, Gellis had been waiting for a long time.

Raymond did abandon his subjects, but at least he wrote a document and gave it to Garys.

The document did not give Gellis any clear authorization, but only stated his attitude.

That is, Gillis is a doctor, and if the smallpox epidemic spreads, we can refer to his advice.

This paragraph is actually no different from nonsense.

But at least it gave Gairis a chance to rally the leading figures in Tripoli.

As the mayor, tax collector, guard captain... and other leading figures from various communities arrived one by one, for a moment only the representatives of the church were left in the council hall.

But at this moment, the door of the hall was suddenly pushed open, accompanied by the low sound of armor rubbing against each other.

Several Templar Knights wearing white cloaks with red crosses escorted Archbishop Olivier into the hall.

The bishop, wearing a vestment that symbolized the authority of the clergy and with a stern face, walked forward slowly, his sharp eyes pointed directly at Garys, completely ignoring the gazes of other people in the council hall.

After these people, many priests and soldiers carrying the emblem of the Knights Templar rushed into the venue.

The atmosphere in the conference hall became tense and chaotic. After Archbishop Olivier made sure that he had the venue under control, he walked up to the wooden platform as if no one was around.

There stood a chair decorated with intricate carvings.

"Gallis, do you know that what you did has been accused of witchcraft? Are you trying to control the bodies of believers through some unclean means?"

"Then, who allowed you to preach the Scriptures to those who have gone astray? How dare you claim to be the remains of the Lord and say that you came to this world to reiterate the Scriptures that have been misinterpreted by the world?"

“But you know this: Keep this teaching undefiled and blameless until the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Archbishop Olivier's action caused an uproar among the other people in the parliament, and they didn't even care about the original purpose of this meeting.

To avoid panic, Gellis only showed some of Raymond's documents and did not reveal the possibility of smallpox.

After all, in the current situation, any rash actions of these people may fuel the plague.

After Olivier's appearance, all the participants subconsciously felt that this meeting was actually an interrogation of Gérice.

When faced with Olivier's questioning, Garris was a little stumped for a moment.

“Indeed, Christ’s redemptive work, as a new and everlasting covenant, will never pass away.”

"Indeed, it seems to you that there are no new public revelations to be expected."

"But even if the revelation is complete, how can you be sure that you can interpret it all?"

“By His merciful provision, we can all be saved.”

The archbishop on the platform looked at Garys. He did not make much movement and gave Garys a chance to defend himself.

Garys in the audience continued to respond: "Now I want to tell you that everything I say and do is based on my understanding of Heavenly Father's creation."

"What I study is nothing more than the natural laws set by God when He created the world."

"These diseases are not the result of witchcraft, but are the result of natural epidemics..."

Garys was about to continue speaking, but the archbishop on the stage just uttered a word coldly, interrupting his subsequent words.

"Heretic." Gailis' words had touched the nerves of Archbishop Olivier. The white-haired old man had fire in his eyes.

For him, or more precisely for the church, one of their ideas was that disease was God's punishment on mankind.

In addition to the explanation of punishment, the church also viewed disease as a test of the human soul from God. The patience, faith and prayer of individuals or societies in the face of disease were considered a way to test the piety of believers.

Through this test, people can purify and sublimate their souls and get closer to God.

To be honest, doctors of this era have not shown any superiority.

In other words, the possibility of a person recovering physically through faith, prayer, repentance and atonement alone is not significantly lower than the result of Dr. Frank's treatment.

In this situation, if you hold on by praying, you may suffer less.

But this does not apply to Garys, who came into this world to break superstitions and break those rules.

"Who are you? How dare you try to interpret God's will?"

"Explaining the Bible is the responsibility of the church. How can you covet it?"

As he listened to Archbishop Olivier's words, Gailis glanced at the other people in the council.

Now, the situation in the hall is no longer in his favor.

Everyone was talking, and gossip about themselves was passed from mouth to mouth.

In the mouths of these Frankish nobles, he seemed to have really become a wizard. As a result, this place was no longer suitable for him to continue communicating with Archbishop Olivier.

After all, he was just an outsider, and these guys actually looked down on doctors.

If it weren't for Raymond's documents, they wouldn't even come over to look at me.

"You're asking who I am, right?"

"I want to tell you..."

As he spoke, Garys walked towards the highest throne in the council chamber, but several Templars blocked his way.

These people drew their swords and set up a boundary.

“I will tell you that I am the LORD’s child, the Holy One of Jerusalem, who brings sickness, suffering, sin and poverty to a halt.”

Gellis was almost approaching Archbishop Olivier, but he did not stop and continued to move forward.

Seeing this, the fully armed Templar slashed at Garys with his sword without saying a word.

He will not hesitate when facing the enemies of Christ!
Just when everyone thought that Garys was going to be killed on the spot.

Time slowed down, and the sword, which was originally powerful and heavy, seemed unusually slow in Garys' eyes.

Garys stretched out his left hand and gripped the sword tightly with his palm.

The noise in the conference hall froze in that instant. Everyone was speechless. Some of them didn't quite understand what was going on.

They just saw that in a flash, the person who should have been killed in the act was not hurt at all.

The Templar who swung the sword seemed to have used all his strength, but his sword could not move forward even a bit.

The Templar Knight on the right was certainly shocked when he saw this, but he didn't care too much and quickly drew his sword to chop.

Similarly, Garys caught the sword with his right hand.

“I have said that everything I say and do is based on my understanding of Heavenly Father’s creation.”

"The vastness of this world is beyond the comprehension of mortals like us."

"The Lord's banquet is for everyone to enjoy. Diseases can be cured, plagues can be stopped, famines can be ended, and wars, even wars, will one day be replaced by lasting peace."

Garys pushed hard to both sides, causing the two Templars to stagger, then he loosened his hands and continued to walk slowly up the platform step by step.

The scene just now obviously frightened Archbishop Olivier, but the old man still pretended to be calm.

"Nonsense!"

"This is all God's will! If God wishes to bring disaster, we mortals cannot stop it. Garys, your proposal is nothing more than a resistance to God's will, an attempt to escape God's punishment of sinners! If God brings a plague, this is exactly the punishment that the world deserves!"

Archbishop Olivier said this.

Garys couldn't help but applaud a few times. After all, Archbishop Olivier really kept his word.

He turned around and looked at the indifferent faces in the room again, realizing that he was a heretic in the eyes of these people.

Surrounded by the bishops and knights, the voices of doubt in the parliament gradually overwhelmed rational thinking, and Gaillis felt isolated and helpless.

"I hope you can still think the same after a month."

After saying this, Gailis turned and left. There was no need to argue with such a stubborn person anymore.

Even if I perform some miracle again, it will only deepen the stereotypes of people around me.

Continue to confirm your identity as a "witchcrafter".

This is the consequence of inadequate missionary work and a weak mass base.

Now, there is still a lack of opportunity, that is, to force it, and the preparations are not sufficient.

If we rely directly on force to subdue these people.

In fact, it is impossible to directly take over the order of the entire city of Tripoli.

By then, if too many or too few people are killed, the city of Tripoli will fall into a situation of leaderlessness, mob disunity, and chaotic carnival.

This actually went against his plan to organize people to prevent the epidemic.

Human society is truly ingenious. Just a tiny change can cause countless families to be broken up and their lives to be destroyed.

He now needs to go back and prepare manpower for the next plan.

After this effort, he once again confirmed that these people were insects.

When he was about to leave the parliament hall, Gailis stopped, turned around and spoke to everyone in the parliament hall:
“I organized this meeting. I am here to warn you all to prepare for the lockdown as soon as possible.”

"The Horseman of the Apocalypse has arrived, and the ominous omen of smallpox is about to cover this city. If you don't take preventive measures, how many of you will not live to see this time next year?"

Garys left without looking back.

Everyone in the parliament hall was in an uproar. Only then did they realize that the convener of this meeting was not the church, but the envoy of Count Raymond of Tripoli.

Then the purpose of this meeting was to inform these dignitaries in the city about the smallpox epidemic.

Archbishop Olivier, who was sitting on the throne, was somewhat confused.

It seems, maybe, that there is really a plague coming?

And it was smallpox...

Smallpox was highly contagious, and its mortality rate was equally horrific, usually estimated to be between 20% and 50%.

It can be said that if all the people in the conference hall were infected with smallpox, by this time next year, perhaps only half of them would still be alive.

The shadow of death has come, and the messengers are drawing lots to determine who will die and who will live.

The dignitaries turned their eyes to Archbishop Olivier on the throne, looking at him with expectation, hoping that the archbishop could show them the way to salvation.

But what can he do?
All Archbishop Olivier could rely on was the holy water he had blessed, his prayers, and the relics in the church.

……

The county system of Transjordan is spreading outward with Tyre as its center.

There are still many differences between the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the traditional feudal kingdoms in Western Europe, due to the terrifying life expectancy of the aristocratic groups in the Holy Land region and the ridiculously high probability of extinction.

There was no need for the King of Jerusalem to take the initiative to reduce the power of the fiefs. Most of the fiefs that were granted could often make their lords' families die out within two or three generations.

Then, because there was no one to inherit the family line, the lands automatically returned to the king.

After a long period of this, the territory directly under the royal family of the Kingdom of Jerusalem even reached one-third to one-half of the country's area.

Quite a number of noble vassals did not actually receive large tracts of land directly, but only enjoyed one or several manors as their fiefs.

The power of this kind of small noble fiefdom over the manor on its own land is actually quite limited. There is no such thing as long-term rule, nor is there any support from the subjects for the lord.

Therefore, the degree of centralization of the Kingdom of Jerusalem was actually quite high.

The territory surrounding the city of Tyre was the direct royal territory of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

With the support of Sibylla, Isabella carried out drastic reforms.

Taking advantage of the fact that the kingdom is in ruins and the aristocracy is extremely weak, we can carry out the strategy of destroying before building.

First, a Parliament consisting of two houses, the Upper House and the Lower House, was established at the central level. This parliament had a considerable part of the functions of the original aristocratic parliament.

It is the kingdom's highest legislative body, and is responsible for taxation and military service obligations, and has the right to advise on the kingdom's politics.

The original Tyre territory was transformed into Tyre County, and the remaining Beirut territory in the north was also transformed into Beirut County.

These two counties are divided into constituencies, and the number of seats for members of parliament is determined according to their population. At present, on average, every two to three thousand people can get one seat.

The way members of parliament are elected, or the election process, is another matter of debate.

As for the aristocracy, most of them are naturally opposed to broad elections in the House of Commons.

As the power of the aristocracy has declined, the wealthy merchants have begun to develop ambitions and try to interfere in the political affairs of the kingdom.

Isabella's House of Commons just met their needs.

However, even the wealthy business community has doubts about the parliamentary elections.

Because Isabella's initial idea was that the right to vote would not be limited to Catholics, but would also spread to Orthodox Christians and Muslim groups.

However, this diffusion is not without constraints.

(End of this chapter)