Articles of the Covenant

I. The Article of Sanctity (The Divine Spark) 

We hold that Life is a divine gift, endowed by the Creator with inherent value and dignity. The preservation of this gift is the primary obligation of the moral agent. To allow the innocent to be destroyed by the predatory, when the means of intercession are available, is to be complicit in the destruction of God’s creation. Self-defense is not merely a right; it is a Sacrament of Preservation. The surrender of one’s own life, or the lives of those under one’s care, to the whim of a violent aggressor is a sin of abdication.

II. The Article of Parity (The Rod of Iron) 

We believe that the Creator made all men equal in spirit, and therefore, no man may claim dominion over another through the use of superior force. To maintain this equality in a fallen world, the righteous must possess the capacity for Force Parity. The tool of the day—whether the sword, the musket, or the modern rifle—is the "Rod of Iron" that guarantees the sovereignty of the individual. To ban the standard tool of defense is to mandate the supremacy of the strong over the weak, a violation of the Divine Order. 

III. The Article of Discipline (The Liturgy of the Range) 

We reject the chaotic use of force. The firearm is an object of power, and power demands discipline. The maintenance of the arm, the practice of marksmanship, and the adherence to safety are not hobbies; they are Liturgical Acts. The "Range" is our sanctuary, where the mind is cleared, the will is focused, and the chaos of the impulse is subjected to the order of the drill. A negligent discharge is a sin of sloth; a miss is a failure of focus. We train not to destroy, but to ensure that when we act, we act with precision and mercy. 

IV. The Article of the Compact (The Hierarchy of Allegiance) 

We acknowledge the necessity of civil government to secure the peace and protect the liberties of the people. We are not anarchists; we honor the order that allows civilization to flourish. However, we hold that the authority of the State is derivative, not absolute. It is the servant of the citizen, not the master. Our allegiance is pledged to the enduring principles of the Constitution and the Moral Law, not to the temporary whims of a legislative majority. A statute that commands the innocent to surrender their means of survival is not a law, but a corruption of the Compact. We do not claim to be outside the law; rather, we insist that the State itself must obey the Supreme Law that limits its power. 

V. The Article of the Neighbor (The Rejection of Caste) 

We reject the division of the world into wolves, sheep, and sheepdogs. We are not a separate caste appointed to herd the flock; we are the flock. We are simply the neighbors who have chosen to carry the burden of defense for those who cannot or will not defend themselves. We do not despise the unarmed for their choice, nor do we claim authority over them. We are the Citizen-Protectors, indistinguishable from the rest of the community until the moment of crisis, at which point we act not out of duty to the State, but out of love for the life standing next to us. 

VI. The Article of Restoration (The Covenant of the Healer) 

We hold that the duty to preserve Life extends beyond the silencing of the threat to the restoration of the injured. The same God who trains hands for war also calls hands to bind wounds. Therefore, the tools of Restoration, the tourniquet and the trauma kit, stand equal to the Rod of Iron as instruments of sacred stewardship. To arm for conflict but refuse to prepare for its aftermath is a divided obedience. Training in trauma care and the maintenance of medical kits are defined as Liturgical Acts of Mercy, completing the discipline of the Fatebreaker. He who draws a weapon without the means to save a life has accepted only half the burden.