The Laws of Virtue

The Virtues of the Avatar and the decrees of God
Were both made into strict laws to keep peace and order.
But the Lord Blackthorn's Code of Virtue was harsh and brutal,
And forced the Virtues on people with the threat of a punishment;
The people of Britannia knew the Virtues came from one's self
And that codifying ethics does not make bad people good.

The laws of God are neither brutal nor harsh,
And Jesus came to fulfill them on his ministry,
But knowing that man cannot follow them perfectly,
He came to save us from sin and grant a new gift to us:
While the law reminds us of our sins,
The gospel liberates and frees us from them.

Lord Blackthorn's Code of Virtue

Honesty – Thou shalt not lie, or thou shalt lose thy tongue.

Compassion – Thou shalt help those in need, or thou shalt suffer the same need.

Valor – Thou shalt fight to the death if challenged, or thou shalt be banished as a coward.

Justice – Thou shalt confess to thy crime and suffer its just punishment, or thou shalt be put to death.

Sacrifice – Thou shalt donate half of thy income to charity, or thou shalt have no income.

Honor – If thou dost lose thine own honor, thou shalt take thine own life.

Spirituality – Thou shalt enforce the laws of virtue, or thou shalt die as a heretic.

Humility – Thou shalt humble thyself to thy superiors, or thou shalt suffer their wrath.

Blackthorn's Code is a good illustration of the fact that the Virtues always come from one's own inner self rather than the norms of society; codifying ethics into law does not automatically make evil people good. Further, unethical lawmakers can take the Virtues and turn them into something that is quite contrary to what Virtues actually stand for.

The Ten Commandments

You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself a graven image, nor will you bow down to it or serve it.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor's house, or his wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.

Exodus 20:3-17

Grace Through Faith

Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. – Matthew 7:7

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. – Matthew 6:10, The Lord's Prayer

For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged under the law. – Romans 2:12

None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. – Romans 3:10-12

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. – Romans 3:21-22

What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."…For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. – Romans 7:7, 14

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through out Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. – Romans 5:1-2